A pleasant but decidedly minor film, Anything Can Happen gets by on its modest charms. Based upon the memoirs of two south Georgian immigrants, Anything is a familiar "making it in America" story, the kind that promises to warm the cockles and does indeed provide a small, warm glow. George Seaton and George Oppenheimer's screenplay captures the rambling tone of the book upon which it is based, but it coats it with a thin veneer of Hollywood gloss; the people aren't necessarily glamorized, but it all comes across as a little predictable and safe, even when the plot veers off in directions that are a bit haphazard. Suffice it to say that depth is sacrificed for an affirmative outlook and let it go at that. Seaton directs smoothly, and is lucky to have a very fine cast at his disposal. Jose Ferrer and Kim Hunter are an odd screen pair, but in this film it works: they have just the right level of low-key chemistry that the project calls for. And clearly, each one is actor enough to handle the demands that are placed on them. They are quite ably and delightfully supported by the likes of Eugenie Leontovich, Oscar Karlweis, Kurt Kasznar and Oscar Beregi, who are indispensable in creating the flavor that so lovingly drips from the film.
by Craig Butler
review
