It Could Happen to You (1994)

Comedy. A Queens cop who can't cover a tip promises the waitress half of his lottery ticket, then it wins a $4 million share of the jackpot. The premise borrows from a real 1984 case in Yonkers, which gives the central question real teeth: would you honor a promise made as a joke? Nicolas Cage plays decency without a trace of smugness, and Bridget Fonda makes the windfall feel like rescue rather than greed. Rosie Perez, as Cage's greedy, status-hungry wife, is the movie's loudest argument that the same check can bring out the worst in someone else. Light, warm and best on a night when you want the good guys to win.