It would be about a guy who claims to be from the future, and needs help getting back to his own time. He's confused by our world's strange and primitive ways, and is always getting himself into hilarious predicaments because of his ignorance of 21st century customs. This time traveler (let's call him Hank 4000) somehow hooks up with a group of young professionals struggling to make in New York City (think the Friends gang) and, despite their initial doubts, becomes a central part of their lives. Maybe he moves in with one of them, and the arrangement turns into a kind of Perfect Strangers-meets-ALF-meets-Mork and Mindy sort of deal. Hank often tells amusing stories about his own bizarre world, and his pals constantly must explain to him the most basic aspects of living in our time.
But here's the catch: Hank is only from THREE DAYS into the future. It doesn't matter how much time passes; Hank is always a time traveler from three days from now. A dog walks in his path, and Hank cowers in extreme fear because, you see, "all dogs went evil in the cataclysm of Thursday morning!" Hank doesn't understand the need to wear pants because, as he explains, "they were banned by Emperor Bizenya IV on Friday afternoon!" He marvels at trees because "all plant life has been extinct for several hours." Etc, etc....
Now, I know what you're thinking: that my idea is completely stupid. Well, you're right -- it IS stupid (ridiculously stupid, even)...and that's why I think it's great.
All right, so maybe, at best, it would make an OK sketch for Saturday Night Live. I admit that spinning a whole SERIES around the concept might be a bit of a stretch. Kinda like most of my ideas, actually. That's why my dream job would be to write for SNL, or one of the late night talk shows. Trouble is, I didn't go to Harvard, and for some reason, it seems like all of the good comedy writers come out of that institution. Seriously -- research the matter. A WHOLE LOTTA comedy writers went to Ivy League universities. Too bad my family was never quite rich enough to allow me to be that funny. Thanks for screwing me, Mom and Dad.
Anyway, the reason why I told you about Hank of The Future (that's what I'd call it) is that the film I've selected for a review today happens to be about something remarkably similar. It's called Happy Accidents. Enjoy moderately!
Happy Accidents (2000)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0208196/
Netflix description:
"Ruby Weaver (Marisa Tomei) is tired of being the "enabler" in relationships and has decided to give up the role of doormat. She's also on the verge of giving up on love. But a sweet, small-town guy, Sam Deed (Vincent D'Onofrio), changes her mind, and it seems Ruby's finally found a sane boyfriend. Or has she? Soon, Sam's divulging that he's a time traveler from the year 2470 … and Ruby must decide whether love conquers all."
OK, so Ruby has VERY bad luck with men, and when she meets Sam, it looks like her losing streak could be over. Although Sam is a little strange, he seems like a good, sweet guy...until a series of events forces him to divulge to Ruby his true identity. See, Sam comes from, like, a thousand years into the future. He's traveled back to our time to avoid prosecution for some kind of crime, and....Well, you get it.
As Sam tells more wild stories about his orgins, Happy Accidents gets funnier and funnier. That is, funnier and funnier if you watch it with the assumption that he's completely full of crap (as Ruby believes him to be). The idea that Sam is some kind of BS-er, spinning ludicrous yarns to cover his own infidelity, makes this film work. Marisa Tomei is such a fantastic actress that we actually sympathize with her predicament while also laughing at it, and the naive sincerity that Vincent D'Onofrio brings to his role is so perfectly balanced with Sam's more dubious qualities that we like him -- even while believing that he's a sleazebag.
But IS he a sleazebag? Maybe a part of us wants to buy his tales of time travel. A part of Ruby obviously does. Otherwise, she'd kick him to the curb. She can sense that there's something special to their relationship, and we as viewers feel it too. This I also chalk up to the strength of the main performances, which really keep an otherwise preposterous and (let's face it) pointless movie fairly enjoyable for ALMOST all of its 110 minutes.
Sadly, the picture completely falls apart near the end. I'd tell you why, but that would require a major spoiler, and I just won't do that to you. Bottom line is that Happy Accidents is, for the most part, a moderately tolerable, slightly charming little romantic comedy with a time travel twist. You won't really gain anything from watching it...but you really won't lose anything, either.
2 out of 5.
b.
duuuuuuh......
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