A Simple Twist of Fate

Plot synopsis:
When high school music teacher Michael McCann discovers his wife is pregnant by another man, he divorces her and retreats into a life of solitude as a maker of finely crafted furniture in rural Virginia. Five years later, his only companion is a valuable collection of gold coins. But his heart is hurt again when Tanny Newland, the unsavory younger brother of politician John Newland, crashes his brother's car in the woods surrounding Michael's house, seriously injuring the woman he is with. Afraid of being arrested for drunk driving, Tanny steals Michael's coins while he's sleeping, takes off into the night and is never seen again.
Weeks later during a winter storm, Michael is startled to discover a toddler has wandered into his home while he was outside gathering wood. A short distance away he discovers the body of her mother, a heroin addict whose car had run out of gas nearby. Unbeknownst to him, the child is the illegitimate daughter of John Newland, who participates in the investigation but keeps his relationship to the child a secret in order to protect his career.
Michael is permitted to adopt the child and christens her Mathilda. She proves to be a bit of a handful in her early years, but with the help of friend and local shopkeeper April Simon, Michael manages to raise her to be a bright, personable, precocious young lady, and the once sour, lonely man is transformed by her presence. As John Newland watches his daughter grow older, he begins to invite her to join him and wife Nancy in their home. John arranges for her to learn to ride a horse, eventually giving her one of her own.
Due to Nancy's two miscarriages and the couple's deep desire to have a child, Nancy insists on adoption. John finally reveals Mathilda's true identity and his desire to adopt her properly. Nancy encourages him to gain custody of the girl, and a trial ensues.
Although the lawyer tries to manipulate the court and Mathilda herself to see that the Newlands are the better parents, Mathilda herself still refuses and honestly prefers Michael. The judge is inclined to side with the Newlands, given their wealth and ability to provide Mathilda with advantages she never would have with Michael. Then the remains of Tanny Newland - surrounded by the gold coins he stole from Michael - are found at the bottom of the quarry his brother was draining to create a lake surrounded by real estate he planned to sell.
Michael's sudden return to wealth - and the judge's realization that Newland's only legal argument has fallen apart - convinces him that Mathilda should remain with Michael, who loves her as a real father would love his daughter. The film ends with Michael taking Mathilda to visit her late mother's grave, in a remote potter's cemetery. She leaves a message for her mother, which ends the movie with the same emotion it began with; parents and children have a bond that transcends time.

Tags: romantic, sentimental

Review:
For Steve Martin to be in a non-Jerk type roll makes seeing this movie next to impossible for a great number of people.
Are there times when humor finds its way into this movie?
See this movie if you want to see a wonderful character study acted out by a superb cast..
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.
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.
Steve Martin was convincing and provided a character that you could empathize with.
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..
Mr. Martin took the story of Silas Mariner and has updated it to a wonderful story.
I think that Mr. Martin has kept the feelings of loss and rebirth (for lack of a better phrasing) vibrantly alive in this adaptation.
Not enough for this movie, so see for yourself what it is that makes Steve Martin not just a versatile actor, but a GOOD actor..
Like so many people have commented, it is a nice change to see S M doing drama, i found that he added some very comical  moments to the film (the weather ballon scene).
I feel that Steve Martin acted well in this movie as well as adapting it.
I've heard people comment that Martin was not made for this role, however I've seen him do worse in his natural genre, i.e. The Man With Two Brains.Watching the movie prompted me to read the book and it did not ruin the book.
Maybe because the two stories are set in different era's, but I choose to believe that it is because Martin adapted the book nicely for the movie and that George Eliot wrote a good book.
A Good Adaptation of "Silas Marner".
Although the movie was thoroughly modernized it took very little time for me to realize what I was watching.
Another Great Steve Martin Film.
Steve Martin wrote, directed and starred in this film.
This movie is one of the best that Steve Martin has done.
The only people who wouldn't like this movie would have to be fans of Martin from The Jerk and The Man With Two Brains, neither of which movie I enjoy in the slightest.
Coming a long way from his thankfully bygone days as the Jerk, Martin shows us his tender side, in a touching portrayal of a bitter hermit saved by the love of an orphan child.
While it was not the laugh a minute comedy I was mislead to expect by the promotions for this movie, I still enjoyed every moment of it.
Warm, sad, happy, and wistfully funny, it's a movie that can be watched many times and not lose its magic.
A touching and sensitive retelling of Silas Marner, A Simple Twist of Fate provides Steve Martin with the role of a lifetime.
I rank A Simple Twist of Fate right up there with Jimmy Stewart's It's a Wonderful Life and it's one of the sweetest movies I've ever seen!.
Steve Martin adapted the George Elliot novel about Silas Marner to modern day in a brilliant way, and it's such a shame so few people saw this.This is my favorite movie, tied with "The Sixth Sense." It incorporates all of the elements needed for an engrossing story.
Steve Martin is usually associated with comedy, but this movie is a wonderful and touching drama with some comedy sprinkled in.
It is intellectual, moving and draws you into the story like the best movies of all time.
When facing losing your child in the court system, a parent suffers a roller-coaster of emotions.Here, two wannabe fathers are fighting for their parental rights to a daughter.One father had been highly regarded in the community and had unbounded political ambitions.The other father was a town drunk and miser who lived on the land of the other father.The movie is suspenseful at times, dark at times, light at times, and has a great ending..
There were some stilted scenes, but on the whole I thought it was a good movie.Steve Martin is a fine drama actor, and I found his portrayal of McCann to be excellent.
It's not your typical Steve Martin story (he wrote the script), but it's not a bad one, either.The directing is good, too.
It really ties the movie together.I'd watch it again, and I'd recommend it to friends.
i never knew a film can do this to you and i recommend it to every man women and child..
One of Steve Martins better films.
I thought Steve Martin was great in this.
It's a great modern version of the classic 'Silas Marner' by George Eliot (whom by the way was a woman!).
As we all know, the real book, "Silas Marner" was first published in 1861 by "George Eliot".
If you read the novel, even though the wording of the book is different than modern English, well...
When considering the era of the book, and once again the adaptation of the movie "A Simple Twist of Fate", I believe that Steve Martin did an excellent job.
Overall a good movie, but has a bit of a slow beginning.
Loosely based on 'Silas Marner', "A Simple Twist of Fate" is a very heartwarming movie with a happy ending.
Steve Martin and Gabriel Byrne both give a very good performance, as does the young Alana Austin..
Steve Martin shows true depth as an actor in this film!.
Hello, This is a favorite film of mine, because Steve Martin plays the lead role with both deep sincerity and passion.
I have seen him in many comedic roles, and yes he makes me laugh at the time.
It really makes me think twice about Steve Martin as an actor..
When I played it for my sister one day she argued that she didn't want to watch it but after it was over she fell in love with the sometimes sad, often times humorous story of a man with nothing left to lose and the baby that saves him!
Steve Martin flexes his acting talent showing that he isn't always funny/stupid.
Even though this movie is a little bit older it still applies to life today and it is highly recommended by me!.
I have always enjoyed Steve Martin.
Night Shyamalan's "Signs," Christians might be thinking of Romans 8:28 when they see this film -- how events, good or bad, are so often intricately orchestrated to a better end that we really can't see coming.My favorite point in the film is when Steve Martin's character, having just been robbed of the fortune he's amassed in gold coins (he stored his cash in these coins rather than in a bank), sees this sweet toddler girl wandering aimlessly into his home as an event that was simply meant to be, as the "gift" he is given because his money has been taken away.
"A Simple Twist of Fate" is a decent dramatic-comedy, but some good potential was missed.Steve Martin plays a quiet and lonely man who doesn't like people, and who lives for one thing only: His money collection.
So his only hope is to find the money that was stolen from him all those years ago."A Simple Twist of Fate" is a decent film, with a few laughs, but it's about a half hour too long and doesn't contain quite enough laughs.
It's pretty sad when Catherine O'Hara generates more laughs in the film than Steve Martin himself.Martin does well, but there is no explanation as to some of his quick character changes.
Gabriel Byrne plays the real father of the girl, and he does pretty well (though it's not his most fondly remembered co-star role).Catherine O'Hara, as I said before, delivered more laughs than the hilarious Steve Martin, which makes me wonder if the director wanted to give Martin a new "look" so to speak.
Unfortunately, I like the old Martin better.In the end, "A Simple Twist of Fate" is a pretty decent comedy/drama that I watch whenever it comes on TV, but I'd never buy it.
Michael McCann (Steve Martin)'s pregnant wife leaves him after telling him that the baby isn't his.
April Simon (Catherine O'Hara) is McCann's friendly neighbor.Steve Martin adapts 19th-century novelist George Eliot's book Silas Marner.
The film has a sad surrealism which may not fit Steve Martin's public persona.
The movie does have some great moments of comedy and warmth that is reminiscent of Parenthood.
In a departure from his usual roles, Steve Martin plays a lonely man who adopts a girl after she happens into his house.
"A Simple Twist of Fate" is an almost mystifying movie, and a very good one.
The movie has really good character development.
This updating of George Eliot's novel "Silas Marner" to contemporary America is just weird enough to be of more than passing interest but if its storyline seems far-fetched to say the least, remember it's a Victorian melodrama that was probably hard to swallow even when Eliot wrote it.
Steve Martin is the Silas Marner character who finds a baby abandoned in the snow and through her finds a new meaning in life.
The child's natural father is corrupt politician Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney is Byrne's wife who wants to adopt the child.Given the material, (Martin did the screenplay himself), they aren't really that bad and it's always good to see Catherine O'Hara, (the local woman with a soft spot for Martin), in any role and at least Martin does manage to inject a degree of comedy into the proceedings that just about alleviates the overall yuckiness.
there's a quality in the pace of the story that's superior to the more basic and linear development you'll get with mainstream Hollywood films.Anyhow, there is purpose and meaning to the development of the narrative here, and as mentioned in the title, there is a modern fairytale quality to this film that always brings a charm to the silver screen viewing.Steve Martin, Gabriel Byrne, his wife in the film Laura Linney or Catherine O'Hara (Martin's close friend) all do a great job but it really is Alana Austin, the final grownup version of Martin's adopted daughter, Mathilda, who steals the show.
Strangely, not one of the Steve Martin movies that spring to mind often, "A Simple Twist of Fate" seems to hit all the right notes.
The movie grinds to a halt when the second half becomes a custody battle; I've never read Silas Marner, but you just know with that sentimental score, everything will somehow turn out right.
The courtroom drama just feels drawn out.But at its heart, this is about a man and his little girl, and that hits me where I live.7/10.
I thought this was a perfectly-good movie, but am confounded regarding the second-to-last scene, where-in the politician's brother's skeleton is found, along with the gold coins he stole from Mr. McCann (in a "drained lake?").
He actually has a bit of a heart.The acting in A Simple Twist of Fate was good, maybe especially that of Catherine O'Hara.
I was thinking about Jordan playing baseball, but the same applies to Steve Martin.This movie is reasonably well acted and directed, but the script is a stinker.
Martin did a great job adapting a classic story into a comedy in "Roxanne", but this effort to bring a Victorian drama to the contemporary scene smacks straight into a wall of implausibility.
If you want to see an old story updated with some style, best to rent "Great Expectations"..
Steve Martin is always pretty good, but the story is just so predictable, as is the cutsie musical scene and overall cheesiness...
I do like that there's nothing really bad in the movie...
It's something safe to let a young teenager watch, and a teenage girl who hasn't already seen this story rehashed in a thousand different movies, would probably appreciate it more than myself...
No real symbolism or propaganda to speak of in this movie, so that's good...
Good story, terrible script and acting.
Steve Martin did okay in the lead role about a man whose wife tells him that their unborn child belongs to another man and they divorce and he becomes a recluse who drinks and counts his gold coins...but it was hard to see past the many years of outrageous comedy Martin did to take him too seriously here.
The little girl, who rarely uttered a word (which seemed a bit unrealistic for any child)was played by so many child actors it was hard to tell it was even the same character in any particular scene.
Near the beginning of what is in many ways a well done film, Stephen Baldwin's character is going to use, as he states it, his brother's " '66 Plymouth".
I hate to burst some of the viewers high opinion of Mr. Martin's writing prowess, but the fact is that this story was written in 1861, London by George Eliot which, by the way was the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans.
At the end of the movie is a fleeting credit to the original author, however I fear most folks don't take the time to read those.
I think if credit had been given in the start, for instance, adapted from an original work by George Eliot's Silas Marner, by Steve Martin would have been the honorable thing to do.
I highly recommend the book, although the movie is done well, the original telling of the story is that much better.
This tear-teaser, written by Steve Martin himself, is so unbelievably bad, it makes you sick to your stomach!The plot is pathetic, the acting awful, and the dialogue is even more predictable than the ending.Avoid at all costs!.
Let me start by saying that I am a Steve Martin fan and anyone who questions his ability to do serious work has never seen Grand Canyon.
The fact is that once past these moments, the movie does begin to work as a more heart-warming family tale.
What irks me however is that I don't understand why people making a movie that kids can watch have to resort to adult imagery in some feeble attempt to generate adult interest.
I certainly don't want to explain to them what heroin or marijuana is and the truth is that none of these images were necessary to the telling of the story.Therein lies my biggest problem with this movie as a whole.
"A Simple Twist of Fate", a second rate syrupy Hollywood knock-off of Sand's novel "Silas Marner", is carefully crafted to tug at the audience's heart strings while forsaking any semblance of realism.
I enjoy the work of Steve Martin, so this was a film I was looking forward to watching this film.Sadly though, it's not worth the time.
It's slow, it's overly sentimental and all in all a simple waste of time.Steve Martin can do all out laughs, he's shown that in films like 'Bowfinger', he can also do quietly comedic roles like 'Shop girl'.
This film is a flagrant rip-off of one of the best novels of all time, Silas Marner by George Eliot.The details of the film shown on IMDb do give acknowledgement to the original authoress but I did not see this at the beginning of the film, only a credit at the end of it saying "suggested by the book Silas Marner".
Silas Marner had epilepsy - but perhaps that would have strained the acting abilities of Mr Martin too far.
Like when the child cries in the courthouse declaring she can only be happy with the man who has fathered her all these years.
If I was Steve Martin I would send the profits to that estate, or to the poor.
At the very least it should be entitled Silas Marner - adapted by S Martin.
Or better still removed from the archives!If you are interested in this story - and I hope you are - dismiss this completely and watch Silas Marner.
It didn't matter if we were reading Silas Marner or not.
It has never gotten old.People seem to go into this movie expecting a comedy, but it's really not.
Besides, who would want to see a drama from Steve Martin?
Sweet, Sentimental, Modernized Journey Through Silas Marner.This is about the best Steve Martin movie I've seen.
That, for me, is saying a lot, since I love all his movies.Steve Martin plays a divorced hermetic carpenter who discovers a motherless baby on his doorstep and adopts her.The conflict comes when her millionaire father, denied a lawful child by his legal wife, seeks to take possession of the child he sired by a drug-hazed prostitute; Martin's little girl.Very good drama, with classic Martin style, and without smarm.Excellent movie.It rates an 8.8/10 from...the Fiend :..
Custody Battle With Steve Martin-Simple Twist of Fate ***.
Something very different for Steve Martin as he portrays a man who divorced his wife when he found out that the child they expected was not his.Enter another child in his life when a young woman dies on her way to the baby girl's wealthy political father.