A Simple Twist of Fate (1994)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writers (WGA):

George Eliot (novel)
Steve Martin (written by)

Release Date:

2 September 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Tagline:

A twist of fate brought them something wonderful... Each other!

Plot:

His life was emotionally closed off from the world, until an orphaned baby showed up at his house.

Plot Keywords:

Gold | Adopted Daughter | Secret | Miser | Baby

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Steve Martin	...	Michael McCann
Gabriel Byrne	...	John Newland
Laura Linney	...	Nancy Lambert Newland
Catherine O'Hara	...	April Simon
Alana Austin	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 10
Alyssa Austin	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 5
Alaina Mobley	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 3
Callie Mobley	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 3
Victoria Evans	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 1
Elizabeth Evans	...	Mathilda McCann - Age 1
Stephen Baldwin	...	Tanny Newland
Byron Jennings	...	Keating
Michael Des Barres	...	Bryce (as Michael des Barres)
Tim Ware	...	Rob
David Dwyer	...	Joe the Bartender

Also Known As:

Twist of Fate (Australia) (TV title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:S | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

A potentially real (not 555 prefix) phone number with area code 910 was given in the movie. Not long after the movie was made, this area code was established for then central, now southeastern North Carolina.

Goofs:

Continuity: When John Newland (Byrne) is outside in the stables talking to his wife Nancy, he is not wearing any neckwear. Yet in the next scene when they are inside, just before he confesses his secret to her wife, he sports a gray silk ascot tie.

Quotes:

Michael McCann: When you turn a gift away from your door, it goes to the one who takes it in.

Movie Connections:

Version of Silas Marner (1916)

Outstanding adaptation of a great novel

I had never even heard of this movie until a couple of years ago. This is yet another stellar movie from the tremendous class of 1994.

I was absolutely enthralled by this story, so I went and read the novel it was derived from, Silas Marner by George Eliot. It was a really good story as well, but Martin's adaptation was outstanding. He managed to modernize the story so it could be more meaningful to new audiences, and yet still preserved the heart and soul of the story. While the original story was good, the novel was difficult to read not just because of the time difference (it was written in 1861) but also because of Eliot's overly descriptive language, making a wonderful story fairly unapproachable to most people.

For me, the most successful adaptations must start with a great story, then keep the best parts and lose the worst parts, while understanding and compensating for the differences between the mediums. Martin's screenplay excels at this, even surpassing Darabont's outstanding adaptation for The Shawshank Redemption.

The acting in the movie was very good as well. There's just something about a gifted comedian playing a dramatic role. Kind of like the image of a clown crying, when someone you normally associate with happiness and laughter convinces you that they're sad, there's a finer point to it, it has more impact. (Think of Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, Awakenings and more recently, Good Will Hunting). Steve Martin was convincing and provided a character that you could empathize with. Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney were very good as they always are. The girls that played Mathilda were just right-extremely adorable and convincing, yet not so cute that you couldn't take it.

This is one of my favorite movies and I highly recommend anyone who hasn't seen it give it a try.