Charming 1990s romcom has language, a little violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
Sexual innuendo includes words and phrases like "boobs," "spank my tushy," "naked man," "are you whipped," and "nymphomaniac." A woman grabs her breast over the top of her clothes. Verbal inference to a woman having breast augmentation surgery. Woman holds up a pair of men's boxers. A man comes out of the shower wearing only a towel. Characters dance, hold hands, kiss, and hug. Multiple "I love you" confessions of love.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.
Police action/violence includes chasing and pushing criminals, handcuffing a detainee, and a gunshot wound with blood shown. Character has small but visible bloody cuts on face. Armed robbery scene includes a man holding a gun to a woman's head. Verbal reference to "you hit your wife."
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
Encourages perseverance, compassion, and the integrity of keeping promises. Life is more than money, and money can't buy ultimate happiness -- but true love conquers all. Good things happen to good and kind-hearted people.
Positive Role Models
a lot
The main characters, Charlie and Yvonne, are portrayed as caring, kind-hearted people who often put others' needs and wants above their own. They demonstrate perseverance, compassion, and integrity throughout the film despite enduring their own personal hardships.
Diverse Representations
a little
The two main characters are White. Supporting characters include people of Black and Latino descent. The film's New York City setting is diverse in a general/surface way, with people of different races and economic backgrounds represented. Some negative racial and ethnic stereotyping is portrayed (for instance, a Latina character is portrayed as loud, brash, and selfish; a comment about a Korean store owner aligns with the stereotype that Asians are always working; and a story about a stolen antique includes the assumption that "Black guys" wouldn't know how much it was worth). Men and women carry equal agency and representation, and multiple body types are represented (though main characters are conventionally attractive). Inference about a gay couple (including a man with AIDS).
Parents need to know that It Could Happen to You is a 1990s romantic comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. Based on a true news story, it follows a New York City cop who keeps his promise to evenly split his $4 million lottery ticket winnings with a waitress he promised to tip. While it's a sweet rags-to-riches-type love story -- and characters show perseverance, compassion, and integrity -- it also has some dated ethnic and racial stereotyping and deals with marital issues, divorce, and gambling. Language includes "bitch," "s--t," "a--hole," "hell," "damned," "freaks," "idiot," "pissed," "shut up," "hate," and "oh my God." There's also some sexual innuendo, with words and phrases like "boobs," "spank my tushy," and "nymphomaniac" used infrequently. Characters smoke, drink, dance, and kiss. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
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What's the Story?
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU is a 1990s romantic comedy based on the true story of kind-hearted New York City cop Charlie Lang (Nicolas Cage), who makes a promise to evenly split his lottery ticket winnings with waitress Yvonne Biasi (Bridget Fonda) when he doesn't have enough money to leave a tip. When he actually wins -- to the tune of $4 million -- he sets out to keep his promise, despite his greedy wife, Muriel (Rosie Perez), and her scheme to take all of the money back. Charlie's and Yvonne's good hearts and lives intertwine with the sweet reminder that ultimately money doesn't buy happiness -- true love does.
This charming 1990s romcom based on a true story is the epitome of a sweet, simple love story wrapped in a rags-to-riches dream come true. Developing genuine and relatable characters (the movie marks one of Perez' most memorable early roles) and building realistic chemistry between Cage and Fonda, It Could Happen to You encourages viewers to believe in true love, the importance of keeping your promises, and the idea that good things ultimately happen to good, kind-hearted people.
While It Could Happen to You is an enjoyable and good-natured romantic comedy overall, there's some dated racial and ethnic stereotyping, violence, and adult themes (including marital and divorce issues, along with a focus on gambling) that give this romcom a little edge. But despite some uneven supporting character portrayals, It Could Happen to You delivers on pacing, laughs, and feel-good moments.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about It Could Happen to You's recurring theme of the importance of always keeping your promises. Is that a realistic or unrealistic expectation in life? Why is trustworthiness an important character strength? What other character strengths do characters demonstrate here?
The movie focuses on the excitement of winning the lottery and also the dangers of greed. Do you think that money can buy happiness? Why was it important for Charlie Lang to give away his winnings to others?
The movie is based on a real-life news story about a cop who split his lottery winnings with a waitress. Would you have kept your promise to evenly split a winning lottery ticket with a stranger? Why, or why not?
MPAA explanation:
mild language and a scene of cop action
Last updated:
August 25, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
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suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Christie Cronan
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