Un pourri au paradis

My Blue Heaven is really, really cute. There's nothing particularly original about it, but somehow, Nora Ephron's delightful script still feels fresh. In essence, polar opposites become friends and the "fun one" helps the "uptight one" loosen up and learn how to really live. Rick Moranis is an FBI agent, tasked with relocating a New York mobster, Steve Martin, into a San Diego suburb before he testifies in court. Steve isn't exactly a quiet witness, and Rick spends more time than he'd like keeping him out of trouble.

There are so many sweet elements to this movie, all fitting into the setting and the title. In the quintessential suburb with Little League baseball and friendly grocery store workers, nothing ever goes wrong. The DA, Joan Cusack, isn't used to any crime being committed, so when Steve starts looking for angles, she's quite anxious to throw him behind bars. Scene breaks segment the movie with a little title card telling the audience what's about to happen-"I amaze everyone," or "Mrs. Stubbs has her problems, too," for example-with an instrumental of the title song. The sweetness of the town isn't so saccharine that it gets on the audience's nerves, Steve Martin's gangster persona isn't so over-the-top that he's ridiculous, and Rick Moranis's character isn't so hopeless that the audience thinks he's just a stereotype. In the beginning of the movie, his wife leaves him and criticizes his "system" for eating pancakes; but when Rick explains that he merely likes the bottom pancake to have as much syrup as the top pancake, it makes sense!

Right away, you're rooting for him to find love again and for him and Steve to become friends. Throughout the movie, Steve opens his eyes to the important worlds of fashion, heavy tipping, and dancing, so he's able to sweep the woman of his choice off her feet. There are so many cute scenes highlighting both leads: Steve insists on fingerprinting himself at the police station because he's faster at it than the cop; Rick learns how to merengue and ends up dancing on the beach with Joan!

Give this movie a shot. It's very funny, and it's got that lovely, clean '90s charm that movies made today don't have. After this, rent Little Shop of Horrors for a fun weekend marathon!

I see where some people did not much care for this movie. That's the way it is with comedies. Not everyone has the same sense of humor.

I liked it.

I found Martin's character to be very entertaining. His constant stream of BS is very entertaining. I know it's comedy, so I am not like those people who felt a more traditional gangster actor would have been better. It's his very silly over the top style which I found endearing.

Moranis is OK. He's too typecast for me, always playing a similar role. I thought he was maybe funnier in ghost busters. I don't know. He's a decent actor. It's that whole square role he plays that gets to me a bit. He's supposed to be boring, obviously. But he's maybe too boring.

I found the female cop love interest for Martin to be great. She's cute and she's funny.

Joan Cusack...I have liked her better in other roles. She's hilarious in Grosse Pointe Blank. She's OK in this role.

I liked the silent film style "captions, or whatever you would call them a lot. They added humor to the movie.

In summary, I found the movie very light, very entertaining, and cute. I like that type of movie. If you want something that requires no thought, where your goal as a viewer is just to relax and be amused, this is perfect.

I just watched Blue Heaven and I thought that it was a nice sweet comedy with two of my favorite comedians: Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. They make such a great duo and you can tell that they really enjoy each other's presence. This is the only Steve Martin movie my mom didn't have, so I had to rent it. But I was excited to see Steve Martin as a tough Italin mobster, so I couldn't resist the rental.

My Blue Heaven is about a man, Vinny, aka, Todd, and he's about to go on trial to rat out some Mafia members, but he must be protected from hit men, so that's where Rick's character comes in. He must take care of Vinny and make sure that he isn't arrested or injured, but that's going to be hard since Vinny keeps getting into trouble with the D.A. played by Joan Cussack. Vinny also thinks it's a good idea that she and Rick get together and they do. But Joan is going to try her best to get Vinny busted.

It's predictable, but it is a very adorable movie that I think any Steve Martin fan could appreciate. The cast was great and the story was very funny, I thought it was so cool that it was slightly based on Henry Hill's(who you probably remember from Goodfellas) life. Rick and Steve are just great and I think you'll enjoy this movie.

6/10

I saw this movie not long after its release in August,1990. It was a rather important and memorable part of my young life:I was getting ready to move off to college(among other things)and was needing a little distraction. Since I fancied myself as a Steve MArtin fanatic(still kinda do),I felt like I HAD to see this. While I would've never--not then,probably not now,either--thought this to be anything of great work,it's still a blissfully wonderful comedy.

You might be able to take Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli(Steve Martin,full-tilt commitment to the role)out of organized crime and the big city,but you cannot take the organized crime or big city out of Vinnie,as he frequently goes astray of the law in his witness relocation in a quiet desert community outside of San Diego. The fed assigned him Barney Coopersmith(Rick Moranis,mensch)seems to be woefully unable to keep a leash on his charge,but it's alright because while Vinnie may not sit still in protective custody,he's got a big heart for those around him keeping him out of prison. Naturally,while Vinnie may not be always above board about his actions,he's still pretty good on his word and intentions.

Easy,breezy comedy directed by the late Herbert Ross and penned by Nora Ephron(who seems to be a much better screenwriter than director),it's a film that is as light as air on a subject not normally broached in this manner(even Analyze This! and its sequel,Analyze That! still had a somewhat heavy air in them,albeit still largely tongue-in-cheek). Credit the deft and intentional script and the intensely likable interplay between Martin and Moranis(not to mention the potential love relationship/tension brought on by Joan Cusack as a divorced mom and zealous local DA)for this fact.

I saw this again recently having bought this on a "Two-fer" disc that was paired with The Man With Two Brains. While I bought the disc primarily to watch THAT film,this add-on was not only a good re-watch(or even,come to think about it,re-re-watch)but brought back a long,pleasant memory or two of film-going.

In my opinion Steve Martin's most under-rated film, in which he plays an Italian gangster put on a witness protection programme as he awaits to go to court. Martin was born to play this part, and his character's cocky swagger had me laughing every time he appeared! Rick Moranis also stars, and is his usual nerdy self, which is funny enough!