Chances Are

**Chances Are** is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Emile Ardolino.

The film was released on March 10, 1989 by TriStar Pictures.

## Plot

A reincarnated man unknowingly falls in love with his own daughter from his previous life. Once he realizes this, he attempts to end their relationship before angels erase his memory.

## Cast

* Cybill Shepherd as Corinne Jeffries
* Robert Downey Jr. as Alex Finch/Louie Jeffries
* Ryan O'Neal as Phillip Train
* Mary Stuart Masterson as Miranda Jeffries
* Christopher McDonald as Louie Jeffries
* Josef Sommer as Judge Fenwick
* Joe Grifasi as Omar
* Henderson Forsythe as Ben Bradlee
* Fran Ryan as Mavis Talmadge
* James Noble as Dr. Bailey
* Marc McClure as Richard

## Production

Principal photography for "Chances Are" began on May 23, 1988 and ended in August of 1988. Filming primarily took place in Washington, D.C.

Other filming locations included Culver Studios in Culver City, California; Glen Echo, Maryland; and Rockville, Maryland.

The inspiration for "Chances Are" came to screenwriters Perry & Randy Howze (who are sisters in real life) from a true story that their grandmother told them about their great-aunt.

According to Perry Howze: *"Our aunt was married to the love of her life, a southern stock broker, for one year. They were a young, beautiful, glamorous couple. After a year of bliss, he died of a brain tumor, and our aunt never recovered. She was that committed and devoted to him."*

Randy Howze said: *"We thought, wouldn't it be a joyous thing if her husband came back into her life. We like that notion of life and love not ending with death, just continuing and changing form."*

The Howze sisters brought their script to producer Mike Lobell, who immediately responded. Lobell said: *"I loved the story, and the people at TriStar felt the same way. The story moved everyone because it's about people, love, memory, and it's also very funny."*

Cybill Shepherd was the first choice of Mike Lobell and director Emile Ardolino to play the role of Corinne Jeffries. According to Lobell: *"When I read the script, I thought that if Cybill was going to return to features, this should be it, because the film is a romantic comedy, and I always thought of Cybill as very funny in a Carole Lombard way."*

Ardolino noted that Cybill Shepherd shared qualities with her character that made her the ideal candidate for Corinne Jeffries. He said: *"Corinne is beautiful and determined, yet she's vulnerable, with a sense of humor, not unlike Cybill's own. Corinne is loyal and passionate and obsessed with love, because she cares so deeply about someone."*

Once Cybill Shepherd was secured in the film, the filmmakers then faced the formidable task of casting a young actor to star opposite her as her "recycled" husband. The part required an accomplished performer who could portray a multi-dimensional role, an appealing leading man who could balance romance with comedy, as well as convincingly playing two characters in one and they chose Robert Downey, Jr. for the part.

According to Emile Ardolino: *"Robert is an extraordinary talent, who is skillful, passionate, innately funny, sexy, and always surprising. He brings a tremendous amount of vitality and complexity to all of his performances."*

For the role of Corrine's daughter, Miranda, the filmmakers immediately thought of Mary Stuart Masterson to play the role. When she approached for the role, Masterson was initially noncommittal; however, Mike Lobell persuaded her to take the role. Masterton recalled: *"I went to Sundance, Utah, to think things over and ski, when Mike Lobell came skiing down the slopes after me with pen and contract in hand, saying, 'You must do this movie. It will be the best thing you've ever done'. He was obviously very convincing."*

Determined to present as realistic a setting as possible, Perry and Randy Howze decided to employ Cybill Shepherd as the curator of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's The First Ladies, a show that had dazzled them when they had visited it as children.

The film's rendition of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History's first ladies' gowns exhibit (that was created by production designer J. Dennis Washington and costume designer Albert Wolsky) was replete with U.S. President First Lady mannequins of Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalynn Carter, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Mamie Eisenhower, and Nancy Reagan, who were all wearing copies of their original gowns.

Filming at the Smithsonian Institute and the Washington Post in Washington, D.C. proved to be a challenge.

According to Mike Lobell: *"The Smithsonian took about four months to give us the go ahead. They, for good reason, were very concerned about how they would be portrayed to the public. We had to assure them that we would present the institution in the best possible light. They finally agreed, and treated us wonderfully in Washington."*

Securing the Washington Post was due in part to Perry and Randy Howze. Lobell said: *"We were fortunate because our screenwriters, who grew up in Washington, D.C., had been childhood friends of Ben Bradlee's daughters, and therefore knew Bradlee."*

The production got the full support of the Washington Post, filming in front of the building, inside the press room, in its lobby, and at its printing presses.

## Box Office

"Chances Are" grossed $3,664,386 during its opening weekend. Overall, it grossed $16,278,590 on an estimated budget of $16,000,000.

## Critical Reception

"Chances Are" received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 67% based on 30 reviews with an average rating of 5.70/10.

Variety called it a *"potentially charming premise"* that *"yields only a handful of chuckles."*

In her review of "Chances Are", Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that director Emile Ardolino "*leaves the film hovering halfway between dewy romance and bedroom farce, but he displays little of the sharpness or comic timing needed for either one."*

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said: *"The movie itself is surprisingly affecting, perhaps because [Cybil] Shepherd never goes for easy laughs but plays her character seriously."*

Jonathan Rosenbaum from the Chicago Reader said: *"Despite the sudsy, overlit look of William A. Fraker's cinematography and [Robert] Downey [Jr.]'s varying success with sight gags, this is still a lot of fun."*

Rita Kempley of the Washington Post said: *"As love interests go, [Cybil] Shepherd and [Robert] Downey [Jr.] are about as hot as Ike and Mamie Eisenhower, though the apoplectic Downey does have his comedic moments."*

TV Guide Magazine called "Chances Are" an *"enjoyable, light-hearted romantic comedy with some cute incestuous undertones"*, adding that it's among *"the best of the body-switch films that cluttered movie screens in the late 1980s."*