Chances Are (film)
Encyclopedia
Chances Are is a 1989 romantic comedy film
written by Perry & Randy Howze and directed by Emile Ardolino
. Starring Cybill Shepherd
, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal
, and Mary Stuart Masterson
. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre
.
and is instantly reborn. Twenty-three years later, his widow Corinne still misses him, ignoring the frustrated devotion of his best friend Phillip Train, who has pretty much raised his only daughter Miranda (Mary Stuart Masterson
) as his own.
When Phillip brings Yale
graduate Alex Finch to meet the Jeffries family, Alex (Robert Downey, Jr.) quickly realizes he is in fact Corinne's dead husband reborn.
His memories of his life as Louie return just as Alex begins a romantic involvement with Louie's (his) daughter Miranda. Instead, Louie then spurns his daughter's advances and begins romancing his widow Corinne (Cybill Shepherd
), frustrating Phillip's attempts to court Corrine, and resulting in a number of comic mixups.
Soon, however, Alex/Louie realizes Phillip and Corinne should be together and arranges things so they can realize their love and he can get out of their way.
With Phillip and Corinne together at last, a bump on the head causes Alex to be admitted to hospital. While unconscious, Alex is administered a special injecton he should have received at the pearly gates 23 years previous, to make him forget his past life as Louie. When he wakes, he tells Miranda that the last thing he remembers is them kissing in the corner of the refrigerator. He happily resumes romantic interest in Miranda, which she gladly accepts, having never been informed of his other identity by anyone. Oddly this relationship continues with Phillip and Corinne's full knowledge and approval, although neither of them has forgotten "Louie" lives on in Alex.
s Top 10 single hit song "After All" (composed by Tom Snow
and lyrics by Dean Pitchford
) performed by Cher
and Peter Cetera
. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1989 and was nominated for Academy Awards
Best Original Song. Another is the song of the same title
sung by Johnny Mathis
.
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
written by Perry & Randy Howze and directed by Emile Ardolino
Emile Ardolino
Emile Ardolino was an American film director, choreographer, and producer, best known for his films Dirty Dancing and Sister Act .-Biography:...
. Starring Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
, Robert Downey, Jr., Ryan O'Neal
Ryan O'Neal
Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received...
, and Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the...
. The original music score was composed by Maurice Jarre
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
.
Plot
Young D.A. Louie Jeffries is hit by a car and dies in 1964 but manages to slip by the pearly gatesPearly gates
The pearly gates is an informal name for the gateway to Heaven according to some Christian denominations. It is inspired by the description of the New Jerusalem in Book of...
and is instantly reborn. Twenty-three years later, his widow Corinne still misses him, ignoring the frustrated devotion of his best friend Phillip Train, who has pretty much raised his only daughter Miranda (Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson
Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the...
) as his own.
When Phillip brings Yale
YALE
RapidMiner, formerly YALE , is an environment for machine learning, data mining, text mining, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is used for research, education, training, rapid prototyping, application development, and industrial applications...
graduate Alex Finch to meet the Jeffries family, Alex (Robert Downey, Jr.) quickly realizes he is in fact Corinne's dead husband reborn.
His memories of his life as Louie return just as Alex begins a romantic involvement with Louie's (his) daughter Miranda. Instead, Louie then spurns his daughter's advances and begins romancing his widow Corinne (Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Shepherd
Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L...
), frustrating Phillip's attempts to court Corrine, and resulting in a number of comic mixups.
Soon, however, Alex/Louie realizes Phillip and Corinne should be together and arranges things so they can realize their love and he can get out of their way.
With Phillip and Corinne together at last, a bump on the head causes Alex to be admitted to hospital. While unconscious, Alex is administered a special injecton he should have received at the pearly gates 23 years previous, to make him forget his past life as Louie. When he wakes, he tells Miranda that the last thing he remembers is them kissing in the corner of the refrigerator. He happily resumes romantic interest in Miranda, which she gladly accepts, having never been informed of his other identity by anyone. Oddly this relationship continues with Phillip and Corinne's full knowledge and approval, although neither of them has forgotten "Louie" lives on in Alex.
Soundtrack
The movie soundtrack included the BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Top 10 single hit song "After All" (composed by Tom Snow
Tom Snow (songwriter)
Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.He wrote songs for Joe Cocker with , Selena , Olivia Newton-John , Melissa Manchester , The Pointer Sisters , Barbra Streisand, Rita Coolidge Thomas Righter Snow is an American songwriter.He wrote songs for Joe Cocker ("Even a Fool Would Let Go", "Love...
and lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford
Dean Pitchford is an American songwriter, screenwriter, director, actor, and novelist. His work has earned him an Oscar and a Golden Globe Award, as well as nominations for three additional Oscars, two more Golden Globes, seven Grammy Awards and two Tony Awards.-Early life:Pitchford was born in...
) performed by Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
and Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
. The song peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1989 and was nominated for Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
Best Original Song. Another is the song of the same title
Chances Are (song)
"Chances Are" is a popular song with music by Robert Allen and lyrics by Al Stillman. It was published in 1957. The song was one of a large number of compositions by the Stillman-Allen team that were chart hits in the 1950s. It was listed on Billboards "Most Played by Jockeys" survey for Johnny...
sung by Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis
John Royce "Johnny" Mathis is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standards, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status, and 73 making the Billboard charts...
.
Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Cybill Shepherd Cybill Shepherd Cybill Lynne Shepherd is an American actress, singer and former model. Her best known roles include starring as Jacy in The Last Picture Show, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, as Madeleine Spencer in Psych, as Maddie Hayes on Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan on Cybill, and as Phyllis Kroll on The L... |
Corrine Jeffries |
| Robert Downey, Jr. | Alex Finch |
| Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal Charles Patrick Ryan O'Neal , better known as Ryan O'Neal, is an American actor best known for his appearances in the ABC nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and for his roles in such films as Paper Moon , Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon , A Bridge Too Far , and Love Story , for which he received... |
Phillip Train |
| Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson Mary Stuart Masterson is an American film, stage and television actress and director.-Early life:Masterson was born in New York City to writer/director Peter Masterson and actress Carlin Glynn. She has two siblings: Peter Masterson Jr., and Alexandra Masterson, who are both involved in the... |
Miranda Jeffries |
| Christopher McDonald Christopher McDonald Christopher McDonald is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Shooter McGavin in Happy Gilmore, Tappy Tibbons in Requiem for a Dream, and Mel Allen in the HBO film 61*.-Personal life:... |
Louie Jeffries |
| Josef Sommer Josef Sommer Josef Sommer is an American film actor.He was born Maximilian Josef Sommer in Greifswald, Germany and was raised in North Carolina, the son of Elisabeth and Clemons Sommer, a professor of art history at the University of North Carolina. He studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology... |
Judge Fenwick |
| Joe Grifasi Joe Grifasi Joseph G. "Joe" Grifasi is an American character actor of film, stage and television.Grifasi was born in Buffalo, New York, the son of Patricia and Joseph J. Grifasi, a skilled laborer. Grifasi graduated from Bishop Fallon High School, a now defunct Catholic high school in Buffalo. He played... |
Omar |
| Henderson Forsythe Henderson Forsythe Henderson Forsythe was an American actor. Forsythe was known for his role as Dr. David Stewart #2 on the soap opera As the World Turns, a role he played for 32 years, and for his work on the New York stage.... |
Ben Bradlee |
| Fran Ryan Fran Ryan Fran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California.... |
Mavis Talmadge |
| Susan Ruttan Susan Ruttan Susan Ruttan is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Roxanne Melman on L.A. Law . She reprised the role in 2002 for the TV reunion L.A... |
Woman in bookstore |