A Simple Twist of Fate

Amazon.com

A Simple Twist of Fate, Steve Martin's second adaptation of a classic (after his Roxanne-ization of Cyrano de Bergerac), is a melancholy, dramatic comedy about a recluse coming out of his shell. Suggested by George Eliot's Silas Marner, this isn't a cutesy picture akin to Father of the Bride. It's much more heartfelt, gentle, and satisfying, as long as you accept its traditional and predictable conclusions. Scorned by life, Michael McCann (Martin) lives in an auburn-tinted town and goes on with his colorless life. That is, until an abandoned child is left on his doorstep, and he adopts her. A custody battle ensues years later with far too many cheap, unconvincing courtroom dramatics in which money is the root of all evil, but the tone and wholesomeness of the story are special. Gabriel Byrne pulls off a nearly unplayable role as the town's aristocrat with fine underplayed support by Catherine O'Hara and youngster Alana Austin. The wonderful score is by Cliff Eidelman. --Doug Thomas

Description

Big-screen favorite Steve Martin (FATHER OF THE BRIDE) shines in this heartwarming motion picture about a single dad who discovers the joys and pain of fatherhood after adopting a daughter. All is well with this special relationship until a local politician attempts to come between them. As they fight to remain a family, the bond between father and daughter is strengthened. With an all-star cast that features winning performances from Gabriel Byrne (POINT OF NO RETURN), Stephen Baldwin (THREESOME), and Catherine O'Hara (HOME ALONE), A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE is a captivating movie treat that's sure to entertain you!

Customer Reviews:

A decent take-off on a classic.......2007-04-02

To Rana Blue: This movie is a take off on George Elliot's masterpice, Silas Marner. In that book the girl decides for herself that she will stay with her father rather than go to her biological father's home, but that girl is 16 and there is no custody battle in court (the story is set in England in the 1800s). However, in that story, as in this one, the brother steals the gold and then falls in to the lake and drowns. Mr. Newland didn't remember that he had thrown his brother into the lake because he didn't do it. Just as Matlida could have fallen in when she was a toddler, the brother -- drunk, in the dark and having just left a girl to die in his car -- left McCann's home and stumbled over the cliff. Do you not think a man would remember where he illegally buried his dead brother? The truth is, he didn't know that his brother was dead, and he was probably happy to be rid of him because the brother was the only adult alive who knew the truth about the baby, so he didn't bother to search for him. And the other truth is that the judge let Matilda stay with McCann because he was her father, and once he got his money back and all things were equal between the two men, there was no question as to where Matlida belonged.

Heartwarming Movie.......2007-04-02

This is a great heartwarming movie. I think that Steve Martin is a great actor, and his role in this movie showed that he can play serious, as well as comedy roles. I feel that Steve Martin was the only "real father," in the movie...not the politician who only cared about himself, and only wanted to look impressive in society. And the politician's wife was even worse. I don't want to give away too much information about the movie, but I guarantee that it is well worth buying, and if you sit down and watch the movie from beginning to end, you will enjoy it.

Definitely a Twist of Fate.......2007-03-29

This is a wonderful movie. Steve Martin plays a man who is more interested in his coin collection than he is in human life. Then one night, this all changes. His coin collection is stolen and a baby literally walks into his life. He adopts her because nobody in town will claim her. She's actually a married senator's illegitimate daughter, but he doesn't admit it until the child is 10 years old. This is a movie about the struggle to keep something that is extremely important: human life. It is about the fact that love is more important than the amount of money a person has. I won't say anything else about the movie because you really need to see it for yourself. I looked and looked for this movie for two or three years before it was put onto DVD and is well worth the price that Amazon charges. Buy it today and you'll be glad you did.

A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE - SIMPLE BUT ENORMOUS.......2007-02-20

WATCH THIS MOVIE WITH YOUR FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY YOUR CHILDREN.
I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS MOVIE AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN WHEN YOU WATCH IT.
EXCELLENT CAST - ONE MAKES THE OTHER BETTER AND THEY ARE ALL PHENOMENAL!
SIMPLY THE BEST!

Let's face it, Steve Martin is a hack.......2006-08-30

As I've said before, I'm a mild Steve Martin fan, but I'm getting tired of his little pretentious efforts at writing.
His writing is so blunt and thick sometimes, it's like getting hit with a shovel... not so pleasing. The story is pasted together and the dialogue has an artificial feel. Also, any time a story can be best described as a "morality tale", it's going to be boring and obvious. I didn't care to finish the movie. Martin's writing consistently lacks any nuance, cohesion and originality. Passable only as a generic heart tugger this one.

Average customer rating:

A decent take-off on a classic
Heartwarming Movie
Definitely a Twist of Fate
A SIMPLE TWIST OF FATE - SIMPLE BUT ENORMOUS
Let's face it, Steve Martin is a hack

A Simple Twist of Fate [Region 2]
Starring: Steve Martin , Gabriel Byrne , Laura Linney , Catherine O'Hara , and Alana Austin
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B0001IM996