Happenstance

R

Released Nov 2, 2001

1h 30m

Comedy

Drama

List

64%

Tomatometer

36 Reviews

74%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

A cleverly constructed and intricate comedy about how a subtle twist of fate can affect the lives of total strangers, "Happenstance" ingeniously tracks a group of seemingly unconnected individuals during the course of one long day. As these characters interact with one another randomly, every chance encounter bears a consequence that will later become significant, ultimately culminating in a complex pattern of narrowly averted mishaps and barely grasped opportunities.

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Critics Consensus

Though the plot of Happenstance is basically a gimmick, the film is a fun, light-hearted trifle.

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Kimberley Jones

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 2/5

Mar 10, 2003

Full Review

Michael Wilmington

Chicago Tribune

Discreet, delicate and humane: a sweet butterfly of a movie that beats up a cinematic windstorm of life.

Rated: 3/4

May 9, 2002

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

A mild but engaging romance, the charms of which come at you sideways.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 28, 2002

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3.5/5

Dec 6, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Aug 10, 2005

Full Review

Rachel Sanders

Apollo Guide

Rated: 76/100

Dec 16, 2002

Full Review

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Audience Member

It's Audrey Tautou before AMELIE (2001, 9/10), from writer/director Laurent Firode, HAPPENSTANCE is adept in contriving a string of butterfly effects engendered among two dozens of people in one day until at the very end concludes with a boy-meet-girl scenario, they share the same birthday and meet earlier in the morning, then fate brings them together in its unique design, with a bruised nose. The brisk premise of a horoscopic premonition is intriguing, the pace is upbeat and the camera is restless in introducing a kaleidoscope of quirky dramatis personae into the stage one after another, bewildering sometimes, then once we get a hold of that it is an assemble piece whose mainstay is hanging on a thin theory of unwitting behavior's chain-reaction, its allure begins to dwindle, the desultory contrivance oversteps the original intention of "an accidental slice-of-life", the story is totally at the disposal of writer's wild and arbitrary imagination as long as the circle meets its end in the coda (not such a demanding request for one who is capable of imagining), which could be assessed as an artistic shortchange fails to meet the face value of a feature film, a concise short form is enough to spread this one-track mind precept. There are no clear leads inasmuch as the bulky cast, so besides Tautou and Faudel's belated encounter, other threads never have their own closures, e.g. Eric Feldman's mendacious museum guard and Eric Savin's wavering husband, neither find their answers in their respective stores. Maybe it is what happens in real life, but as an entity, the loose-ends are despondent and incompetent. Luckily, the film should be merited for its variegated caricature of human behaviors, mostly are transient due to the repetitive structure, nevertheless the film entertains audiences in its down-to-earth earnestness and leaves us a wistful sigh only if fatalism could dominate the world, life would be much easier and simpler!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

very random but reminds me of a novel that states that all people who meet are already in predetermined groups. It was pretty cute in the long run...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

So damn cute. Nothing is random in life and every action affects everything. Love it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting, but not as good as i had hoped it would be.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Interesting when it comes together, but it doesn't end in the flourish one could have hoped for.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great photography and a fun premise -- what effects a small event can result in.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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Laurent Firode

Director

Audrey Tautou

Irene

Faudel

Younes

Eric Feldman

Luc

Eric Savin

Richard

Lysiane Meis

Elsa

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Synopsis

A cleverly constructed and intricate comedy about how a subtle twist of fate can affect the lives of total strangers, "Happenstance" ingeniously tracks a group of seemingly unconnected individuals during the course of one long day. As these characters interact with one another randomly, every chance encounter bears a consequence that will later become significant, ultimately culminating in a complex pattern of narrowly averted mishaps and barely grasped opportunities.

Director: Laurent Firode
Producer: Franck Landron
Screenwriter: Laurent Firode
Distributor: Lot 47 Films
Production Co: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: French (Canada)
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2001, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Jan 17, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $251.4K
Runtime: 1h 30m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)