The Robert Downey Jr. Film Guide: Chances Are (1989)

A college student’s new love interest turns out to be the reincarnation of her dead father.

Alex Finch, the reincarnation of Cybill Shepherd’s dead husband and current boyfriend of her daughter.

When you think about it, doesn’t he sort of look the same in all those ‘80s movies?

Cute, occasionally funny.

He bounces between mother and daughter (Shepherd and Mary Stuart Masterson) in a we-can-watch-this-with-grandma-and-the-kids-in-the-room fashion.

Cybill Shepherd, Mary Stuart Masterson, Ryan O’Neal

Mary Stuart Masterson in The Last Party. Joe Grifasi in Natural Born Killers.

It’s a nice film; he’s a nice guy, and he’s the most accessible character I’ve played ... I have a golden opportunity to be funny in Chances Are. I think we got the most out of it, but I really want to be a technician, and ten weeks is never enough time ... Cybill helped me to take my time at what I was doing. She taught me that I didn’t have to be talking every minute. “It’s alright if you just look at me for 5 seconds and don’t say anything,” she’d say ... I understand why people say, “Well, if I’ve had all these other lives, why don’t I remember?” You want to have to deal with, well, “I’ve been decapitated four times and had my heart broken sixty times.” I think one of the real themes of this movie is you have to live your life for the moment. And in figurative terms, live one life at a time ... Usually when you’re reincarnated you come back as a different sex. That would have been more interesting: two lesbian relationships, [me] having sex with Ryan’s character, Phil. A couple of well-thought-out reshoots could change the theme. I think America’s ready for it.

Present day (1989), Washington DC

The working title of this movie was “Life After Life”

Released in theaters on 10 March 1989. On DVD in Region 1, 2 and 4.

Argentina: El Cielo se Equivocó (The Sky Was Mistaken)
Brazil: O Céu se Enganou (Heaven Was Tricked)
China: A Reincarnated Love (English translation)
Denmark: Gift Med Svigermor (Married to Mother-in-Law)
Finland: Taivaallinen Rakastaja (Celestial Lover)
France: Le ciel s’est trompé (Heaven Has Been Mistaken)
Germany: Ein Himmlischer Liebhaber (A Heavenly Lover)
Hungary: Silba?tan (Back to the Drawing Board)
Italy: Uno Strano Caso (One Strange Case)
Japan: One More Time (English translation)
Poland: Wszystko Jest Mozliwe (Everything is Possible)
Russia: There is a Chance (English translation)
Spain: El Cielo se Equivocó (The Sky Was Mistaken)
Sweden: I Sjunde Himlen (A Seventh Heaven)
Sweden: En Andra Chans (A Second Chance)

60% Fresh | 25 Reviews

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Although Shepherd gets top billing, and deserves it, in a way this movie belongs to Downey. He is at the center of the action, trying to juggle with the emotions of both women ... If Downey were not able to bring a certain weight and conviction to his performance, everything else in the movie would collapse, but Downey is convincing and good.

Rita Kempley, The Washington Post: As love interests go, Shepherd and Downey are about as hot as Ike and Mamie Eisenhower, though the apoplectic Downey does have his comedic moments.

1. To understand why it’s best that Downey never gave up his film career for a wacky sitcom.
2. His affair with Cybill Shepherd is encouraging for cougars (and cougars in training).