Jenna Walter The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Cheryl A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

edalweber I have always liked this movie, as a nice relaxing movie when you are depressed.The cast is uniformly well suited to their roles, especially Kovacs as the nasty tyrannical railroad tycoon, he couldn't be improved upon.The wonderful old steam locomotives is one of the stars, and provides some of the best scenes. It has its serious side as an example of someone standing up for principle regardless of the odds, something all too rare today. Some people consider using the train to be far-fetched, and maybe it is. But sadly by far the most far-fetched thing in today's society is everyone being shamed by Georges wonderful and elequent speech and rallying to the support of their neighbor.In todays society that is less likely than the train lifting off the tracks and flying. but the beauty of the countryside and the village are lasting and endearing. and as an escape to the America that once was, even if idealized it provides some escapist comfort

TheLittleSongbird Saw 'It Happened to Jane' as a fan of Doris Day and wanted to see the films of hers not yet seen for completest sake. And it is a decently pleasant film that had potential to be so much more.'It Happened to Jane' is not one of her best. It is no 'Calamity Jane', 'Pillow Talk', 'Move Over Darling', 'Lover Come Back', 'On Moonlight Bay' and 'By the Light of the Silvery Moon'. However, no it is not one of her worst either (if anything it's a middling effort of hers that does deserve a better reputation). It is much better than 'Starlift', 'Lucky Me', 'The West Point Story' (aka 'Fine and Dandy') and 'Do Not Disturb' of her films seen to date (which is most but a few more to see).Not without its faults. The children are badly cast, being irritating and trying so hard to be cute that it's almost too sickly sweet. Their scenes are overplayed, under-directed, dull and annoying. The "Be Prepared" number did not fit within the film, went on for far too long (wouldn't have been so much an issue if it didn't interrupt the flow, seeing as it did substantially it was an issue), one really doesn't see the need of its inclusion and it's just not a good song and a weakly done scene all round in general.Would have liked to have seen more chemistry between Day and Jack Lemmon. There are certainly some lovely and enjoyable moments that Day and Lemmon bring out beautifully, but mostly there could have been more of it and generally it could have been better executed. It's through no fault of Day, neither is it through fault of Lemmon, who really tries his best and gives an earnest charm, but their chemistry just seemed bland and underwritten. Lemmon's character is also a little underused and sketchily developed, a waste of a fine actor who still gives his all.The story is lightweight and far-fetched, and, although there are plenty of entertaining and charming moments and most of the pacing is fine, the slightness is obvious at times which leads to a few scenes lacking zip. Without some of the children's scenes and "Be Prepared" there would already be a better film.This may sound like 'It Happened to Jane' was a bad film to me. It wasn't, far from it. It just could have been much better and had some major faults even for somebody taking it for what it was and set out to do.For all its flaws, however, there are a number of positives. 'It Happened to Jane' is lovely to look at, the exteriors and fashions are fabulously lavish and it is beautifully photographed. The locomotives also look amazing and like their own characters. With the exception of "Be Prepared", the music is not bad at all, it has the right amount of quirkiness and elegance. While Day has certainly had better songs in her career (don't misunderstand, this is not a musical but it has a few songs sung by Day), the music here is nonetheless pleasant and suit her voice, especially the title song. She sings them very well with her usual uniquely beautiful sound and with her usual musical and interpretive understanding and sincerity.Regarding the script, a lot of it is amusing and almost to the level of an Ealing comedy in its best bits, charming and touching, with parts that also probe a great deal of thought like with the social satire Frank Capra style. The town hall speech is also stirring, packs a punch content-wise and has a message that still resonates and feels relevant. The story is hardly great, but there is an amiable light-heartedness and never too cloying sweetness that makes 'It Happened to Jane' still pleasing to watch and difficult to be too tough on. Most of the pacing is bright and breezy.Day is perky and luminous, has deftly witty comic timing, sincerity and just charms everybody every time she's on screen in front of the camera and to the viewer watching. Lemmon is compromised somewhat by his writing and character, but still brings an earnest charm and he really sells it intensity-wise in his speech. Steve Forrest is dashing, and there is dependably solid support from Russ Brown, John Cecil Holm and Mary Wickes. Stealing the show, with the film's juiciest character, is Ernie Kovacs (reminding one of legendary Harry Cohn), who gives the film so much zest. The quirky and witty direction was a suitable fit and added a lot to the best of the material.Overall, decent pleasant film that could have been more. 6/10 Bethany Cox

kerry-pay I was a fan of Doris Day always! They don't make comedic actresses such as her EVER! They don't make actors like Jack Lemmon anymore either! I feel sorry for the audiences of the future because the comedic actors today cannot hold a candle to the actors of the past! The only time I had to watch TV during the year was in the summer when I could stay up late and what the late late show when all the old movies from the 30-50's were shown. Movies have only become worse and worse as the decades have passed and I hardly go to a movie today because they can't write scripts or stories anymore or have actors who are as good as they were then. I'm 62 now and CGI movies don't write scripts anymore!

writers_reign On paper this must have seemed a pretty good bet, after all Little Man Takes On The Big Guys is always good for a premise so Little GAL takes on the Big Guys must be worth twice the money; cast Doris Day as the little Gal and you're rounding third while the ball's still climbing and how about that new guy Lemmon to co-star. Jeez! What a GREAT idea; he made his movie DEBUT in It Should Happen To You so Lemmon in a movie with Happen(ed) in the title is a lead-pipe cinch. If only. Somehow there's just no chemistry between Day and Lemmon although both are fine individually and Ernie Kovacs is really OTT as the cut-out cartoon heavy who has a completely unrealistic volte face in the last reel. The idea of an ordinary housewife capturing the hearts of the public was sound enough for Day to repeat it much more successfully in The Thrill Of It All a few years later. This is just about up to one viewing but that's it.