***SPOILERS*** Bitter sweet and wonderful little movie about a change of identity when a person takes over the life of someone who died his arms.That in order to keep hope alive for dead man's prison pen pal who's to finally visit him and finally see what he looks like. It's when insurance salesman John Noland,Jeff Goldblum,went down to his local deli-liqueur store one evening to buy a bottle of his favorite wine that his life changed forever as well as the store clerk Auggie Rose,Kim Coates, who life abruptly ended. It was Auggie who was gunned down by a hold up man,Randall Slavin, while Noland was pined on the floor just trying to survive. As if something clicked in Noland's mind he decided to do everything he could for the dead Auggie Rose in feeling that he,in having Auggie get him his wine bottle, was somehow responsible for his death!
Not being able to find a next of kin it's decided by the city morgue officials to have Auggie who was just released from prison, after serving a 20 year sentence for armed robbery,disposed of like a the morning garbage. Nolan going to Auggie's shabby apartment in the L.A slums find a letter addressed to him from his prison pen pal Lucy Brown, Anne Heche, saying how eager she's to meet him the following week.
Going down to the bus station where Lucy says she'll be arriving Noland instead of telling her the terrible news that Auggie was murdered takes over Auggie's identity and claims to be him! Lucy not realizing that she's being shammed goes along with Nolan's masquerade and before you know it he ends up falling in love with her. Which leads to major complications back at work in the insurance company that he works at as well as with his live in lover Carol, Nancy Travis, who's been waiting for some five year for him to pop the question for her to marry him! What'seven worse ex-convict Roy Mason, Timothy Olyphant, tracks down Noland thinking that he's really Auggie Rose and tries to get him to pull a job with him on the L.A Highway & Transit Department!
****SPOILERS**** Living the life of Auggie Rose Noland gets a job as a counter or sandwich man at the McDougall Diner at $6.50 an hour to make Lucy believe that he's game-fully employed. That in giving up his six figure salary as a top insurance agent or salesman. He also get's the pesky Mason out of his and Lucy's life by falsifying a insurance policy by the late Auggie Rose making him soul beneficiary.That in the really not to bright Mason not realizing that he'll end up behind bars when he ever tries to claim the money.
***MAJOR SPOLERS*** The heart wrenching ending is when Noland finally reveled the truth to Lucy about Auggie and his impersonation of him that has her break down in tears and take off to he nearest bus station to leave town and Noland behind. But alas Lucy in realizing what Noland did for both Auggie,in getting him a proper burial,and herself ,in keeping Auggie alive for her, has a sudden change of heart! As she shows up at Nolan's place of work the McDougall Deli to order a ham & cheese sandwich that he's more then happy to make for her. And not only that the tab's on him!
Not being able to find a next of kin it's decided by the city morgue officials to have Auggie who was just released from prison, after serving a 20 year sentence for armed robbery,disposed of like a the morning garbage. Nolan going to Auggie's shabby apartment in the L.A slums find a letter addressed to him from his prison pen pal Lucy Brown, Anne Heche, saying how eager she's to meet him the following week.
Going down to the bus station where Lucy says she'll be arriving Noland instead of telling her the terrible news that Auggie was murdered takes over Auggie's identity and claims to be him! Lucy not realizing that she's being shammed goes along with Nolan's masquerade and before you know it he ends up falling in love with her. Which leads to major complications back at work in the insurance company that he works at as well as with his live in lover Carol, Nancy Travis, who's been waiting for some five year for him to pop the question for her to marry him! What'seven worse ex-convict Roy Mason, Timothy Olyphant, tracks down Noland thinking that he's really Auggie Rose and tries to get him to pull a job with him on the L.A Highway & Transit Department!
****SPOILERS**** Living the life of Auggie Rose Noland gets a job as a counter or sandwich man at the McDougall Diner at $6.50 an hour to make Lucy believe that he's game-fully employed. That in giving up his six figure salary as a top insurance agent or salesman. He also get's the pesky Mason out of his and Lucy's life by falsifying a insurance policy by the late Auggie Rose making him soul beneficiary.That in the really not to bright Mason not realizing that he'll end up behind bars when he ever tries to claim the money.
***MAJOR SPOLERS*** The heart wrenching ending is when Noland finally reveled the truth to Lucy about Auggie and his impersonation of him that has her break down in tears and take off to he nearest bus station to leave town and Noland behind. But alas Lucy in realizing what Noland did for both Auggie,in getting him a proper burial,and herself ,in keeping Auggie alive for her, has a sudden change of heart! As she shows up at Nolan's place of work the McDougall Deli to order a ham & cheese sandwich that he's more then happy to make for her. And not only that the tab's on him!