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It Could Happen to You is a 1994 film starring Nicholas Cage and Bridget Fonda. The story is based on a New York City police officer (Cage) who wins the lottery and splits his winnings with a waitress (Fonda). The movie bears a striking resemblance to an actual event as documented by Snopes ^[1]

• Charlie: "A promise is a promise."
• Charlie, on his marriage to Muriel: "It's like we're two different channels: I'm CNN and she's the Home Shopping Network."

Policeman Charlie Lang (Nicolas Cage) is a kind and generous person who loves his job. His wife Muriel (Rosie Perez) works in a manicure and, unlike Charlie, is selfish, greedy and materialistic, constantly complaining about their situation in life. Waitress Yvonne Biasi (Bridget Fonda), is also a very kind and generous person. However she is bankrupt because her husband (Stanley Tucci), whom she could not afford to divorce from yet, took her credit card and spent $12,000 without her permission.

Charlie meets Yvonne when she waits him at the diner she works. Since Charlie doesn't have enough money with him, he promises to Yvonne to give her half of his prospective lottery winnings instead. He wins $4 million (in 21 annual payments) in New York Lotto the next day and keeps his promise, despite the protests of his wife. Because of that he and Yvonne become media stars almost immediately.

Yvonne buys the diner she was working in. She sets up a table with Charlie's name at which people who cannot afford it will receive food for free.

Muriel gets to know the newly rich Jack Gross, who also won the lottery. She flirts with him and later starts an affair. Charlie and Yvonne spend a lot of time together, often giving gifts to passengers of the subway or to children, about which the media report. Muriel becomes angry and throws Charlie out of their apartment.

Yvonne leaves her apartment, after her husband shows up and threatens to stay until he gets the money. Charlie and Yvonne run into each other at the Plaza Hotel and get together.

When Muriel and Charlie divorce, Muriel wants all the money that Charlie won for herself. The jury decides in her favor. Yvonne feels guilty that Charlie won $4,000,000 and now has nothing; he replies that money does not matter to him. The citizens of New York City collect money for Charlie and Yvonne, they send thousands of letters with a total of about $600,000.

It is only after Charlie and Muriel get divorced, that Muriel's new husband "Jack Gross", takes off with all her money, revealing himself to be a con-man.

Release date: 19 July 1994

Label: Sony

Track listing

• Young At Heart - Tony Bennett & Shawn Colvin
• They Can't Take That Away From Me - Billie Holiday
• Now It Can Be Told - Tony Bennett
• Swingdown, Swingtown - Wynton Marsalis
• She's No Lady - Lyle Lovett
• Always - Tony Bennett
• Overture - Carter Burwell
• I Feel Lucky - Mary-Chapin Carpenter
• Round Of Blues - Shawn Colvin
• The Search - Carter Burwell
• Young At Heart - Frank Sinatra