Valentine’s: A Look at “It Could Happen To You”
- Matt Palmer
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Initial release date: June 29, 1994
Streaming service: Hulu/various PVOD services
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and I wanted to check out a film for this day. After scrolling around streaming services, I found one on Hulu that I haven’t seen before and is actually inspired by true events - the 1994 movie “It Could Happen To You.”
Charlie Lang is a simple, kindhearted NYC cop. When he realizes he has no money to tip waitress Yvonne Biasi, Lang offers her half the winnings of his lottery ticket. Amazingly, the ticket happens to be a winner, in the sum of $4 million.
True to his word, Lang proceeds to share the prize money with Biasi, which infuriates his greedy wife, Muriel. Not content with the arrangement, Muriel begins scheming to take all the money.
The 1994 movie “It Could Happen To You” is a feel-good, charming romantic comedy. The chemistry between the main leads Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda is really great and this is a rare movie where Cage doesn’t actually over-act. And, even though the movie’s main premise could be a little on the unrealistic side, it’s still a nice little casual watch.
Not to sound too cheesy and corny, but “It Could Happen To You” is like a movie equivalent of a warm hug, with the movie having a sincere depiction of generosity and the overall idea that good things happen to kind people. It’s really easy to root for Charlie and Yvonne because their actions are grounded in genuine, humble kindness.There are quite a few moments where we see them sharing their wealth and later sharing a meal with a stranger who has absolutely nothing - which is a profound reminder of empathy and human connection.
While this 1994 movie has plenty of feel-good moments scattered throughout, Charlie
Lang’s wife, Muriel, can easily destroy those moments with her utter greediness and ultimately harsh treatment of Charlie. There are some moments here and there where the character can get irritating and slightly over the top.
One feel-good moment that’s really awesome to see is where Charlie and Yvonne take a bunch of local neighborhood children to play baseball in an empty Yankee Stadium. We also get to see several other things that they do that bring joy to others. Their story shows how simple, kind gestures in an impersonal city like New York can change everything.
“It Could Happen To You" can be seen as a modern day fairy tale that prioritizes themes of human decency and kindness. It also presents an idealized look at life where good, honest people are rewarded despite initial hardships.
MPA: Rated PG for mild language and a scene of cop action (runtime 101 minutes)
The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. (His favorite dish was linguine with clams.) One day in March, 1984, Cunningham asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. Penzo suggested three numbers, and Cunningham came up with three more numbers on his own. Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. Cunningham's ticket had won $6 million, which he split with Penzo, giving her $3 million. In real life, however (as stated in a disclaimer at the end of the movie), Cunningham and Penzo were both happily married to other people for many years.
Madonna and Marisa Tomei turned down the role of Yvonne Biasi.
In the movie's initial phase, it was originally titled "The $2 Million Tip". Arnold Schwarzenegger was slated to star in the movie, but ultimately chose to star in Last Action Hero (1993) instead.
The working title was originally "Cop Gives Waitress Two Million Dollar Tip," mimicking the newspaper headline that inspired the movie.
Unlike the movie, Robert's wife had no qualms with sharing the lottery money ($6 million in real life) with Penzo. When told about it she said "Hey, she picked three of those winning numbers. She gets her half of the pot." Also both were much older than the actors in the movie (Robert being in his mid-50s and Phyllis in her late 40s.)
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