moonspinner55 Robert Downey, Jr. was never more relaxed and clean-cut--and benign--than he is here, cast as an ambitious young man who crosses paths with an older woman still mourning the death of her husband many years prior. Before you can say "déjà vu", Downey begins to understand he's the reincarnation of the woman's beloved...and that her playfully flirtatious daughter is actually his child too! Tasteful, easy-to-take romantic comedy written by Perry and Randy Howze mixes sentiment and farcical elements rather smoothly, and director Emile Ardolino keeps things moving fast, but there's nothing of substance here to make the film meaningful (or even memorable). When the Howze team do attempt a sense of seriousness (as with Ryan O'Neal telling Cybill Shepherd the only man to ever "come back" was Jesus Christ), the movie comes to a halt. There are some good performances, particularly by Shepherd (very low-keyed) and a twinkling Mary Stuart Masterson, but the picture is so cozy and glossy it practically evaporates. ** from ****

ijonesiii CHANCES ARE is a charming romantic fantasy about a woman (Cybill Shepherd) whose husband (Christopher McDonald) is killed shortly after learning she is pregnant. We then see the husband in heaven letting the powers that be know that he was taken too soon and that his wife needs him. He is told he can return to earth but not as himself. Flashforward 19 years where we see Shepherd's daughter (Mary Stuart Masterson) preparing to graduate from college and encountering a young man (Robert Downey Jr.)who, it turns out is the reincarnation of her father. The film is a little on the predictable side...the story goes all the places you expect it to, but it is so charmingly played by an energetic cast (especially Shepherd and Downey) that you can't help but get wrapped up in the fun. Shepherd has rarely been seen on screen to better advantage and she and Downey are backed by a talented group of character actors in supporting roles. A lovely and charming fantasy that will engulf and enchant you.

blackberrybabe Another Downey must-see! If you are an obsessed fan like me, you have got to see this movie! He plays Alex Finch, a 22 year old Yale grad who realizes that the life he just came into is the life he left 26 years earlier. Alex is the re-incarnation of Louie Jeffries, a no-nonsense lawyer happily married to Corrine (Cybil Sheppard). Louie is killed on their one-year anniversary when he is hit by a car. He demands to go back, only this time in the body of Alex Finch. Enter Robert Downey Jr., a lot of confusion, and a lot of laughs.Although this movie is 15-years old, it still makes you wonder if there really is such a thing as re-incarnation. And if so, how often to you meet the same souls life after life. I don't know the answer. But I do know that you need to see this movie. It is a riot, and Downey looks SO GOOD in a tuxedo. This film makes you believe in love, and true love never dies. It just gets recycled.

glassmountainentertainment While a previous comment mentioned that Cybil Shepard was miscast and the ending was stupid, I have to argue that sometimes top notch execution supersedes such shortcomings.For some reason this is one of those films (and there aren't many) that you might catch on cable while flipping and get stuck there. Even if you've seen it before, there is something so raw and entertaining in it's delivery that you just get sucked into every scene.If Cybil was miscast, and I don't believe that she was, she still pulled it off. The chemistry between all the actors is palpable. But I mainly credit the writer and director for accomplishing something that few filmmakers can: taking a fairly far-fetched story and making you savor every moment anyway.