Heaven Can Wait

I remember as a kid, I loved this movie. I had seen it in the theatre and liked it so much I saw it again! I think the appeal here is the same as in many of these types of films-it's a sweet whimsical fairytale of a movie that is pure entertainment but manages to be lovely without being corny at the same time.

There aren't to many movies like this around now. Of coarse, not having seen this since I was a child who knows whether I'd still be such a fan but at that time, I wept buckets and since it was one of the first films that I saw that stuck with me, I have fond memories of it.

People shouldn't put this movie down for realism or not having realism etc. It's a fantasy type movie. It's the type of movie you know your wtavhing a movie while you watch it but you cry anyway! I don't think this movie can be dismissed as being lightweight or unimportant. Where would film be without romance? This is up there in that category and many I know feel the same. It's a breath of fresh air and should be seen by anyone who likes warm sentimental (yeah OK sappy!!) movies!

This film is entertaining. I like Warren in this film, and the script is crazy enough that it works. There is a message about hope in this film, and we all need hope. Some parts of the film can be so funny, I like how they end it. This film ties all the lose ends up nicely. I remember the 78 and 79 Rams those were pretty good teams. 7 or 8 out of ten.

Enjoyable "It's a Wonderful Life"-styled remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan", a memorable and sometimes forgotten production from 1941. An over-zealous angel (Buck Henry) takes the quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams (Oscar-nominee Warren Beatty) before his time. Naturally the body is cremated and Henry has to find Beatty another one. Beatty is then re-incarnated as a recently murdered billionaire. This development confuses the billionaire's two-timing wife (Oscar-nominee Dyan Cannon) and accountant (Charles Grodin, also Cannon's lover). Beatty promptly purchases his former team and makes himself the quarterback with aspirations of leading his club to the Super Bowl and winning it. Also along for the ride is the love interest (the always excellent Julie Christie) and the hard-nosed head trainer (priceless Oscar-nominee Jack Warden). "Heaven Can Wait" is a film that teaches about love, compassion, friendship and good moral values. Co-writer/co-director Beatty (nominated in both categories) is the primary catalyst here. His ability as a film-maker raises the movie to a near classic level. Admittedly the production never does quite reach the greatness of films of the type from the 1940s, but still ends up being one of the major winners from the 1970s. Co-star Henry shared a directing nomination with Beatty. Is it just me or do you miss having the Rams in Los Angeles? 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Although made in the very late 1970's, "Heaven Can Wait" is really a throwback to a bygone era of fantasy film-making. Hollywood offerings such as "The Bishop's Wife" (where Carey Grant plays an angel), "Angels in the Outfield", "It's a Wonderful Life", and "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (which is actually the inspiration behind "Heaven Can Wait") were innocent 100-minute escapist fair whose only mission was to entertain. Some modern offerings include "Mr Destiny", "Maid to Order", and the TV shows "The Flying Nun" and "Touched by an Angel". None of these kinds of films have much in the way of cutting social commentary or even ground-breaking cinematic techniques. However, their entertainment value is very high, being nothing but. "Heaven Can Wait" is this kind of a movie, maybe the perfect "chick flick" as it combines fantasy, football and even a little love story.

The story is relatively simple: Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a quarterback in the twilight of his career, feels destined to make it to the Superbowl. The LA Rams, his team, are in the playoffs. One day during early-morning training after consuming his liver-and-whey shake, he bicycles into a tunnel where two large vehicles taking both lanes are charging from the other direction of the tunnel. Looks like Pendleton will be playing in a Superbowl coached by Vince Lombardi with George "The Gipper" Gipp as one of his teammates. The next thing he knows, he's jogging among clouds with an escort (played by writer-director Buck Henry who also played the hotel attendant in "The Graduate") in a suit and tie trying to get him to stop running around. Pendleton is still in his athletic clothes sporting a soprano saxophone and doing push-ups among the fluffy billows. He doesn't quite realize he's died. Or has he? Turns out the escort made a mistake: Pendleton would have survived, perhaps avoided, the collision, but the escort nabbed him from his body before the resolution of the event, relying on "probability and outcome", a recurring theme of the movie. Pendleton was not due for many decades.

His case is taken up by Mr Jordan (James Mason in one of his later roles) a kind of heavenly supervisor who apparently coordinates peoples' souls. Realizing the mistake, Jordan takes Pendleton back to earth to find him a new body so he can live out the rest of his life as he was meant to. The only one available is the body of millionaire Leo Farnsworth who has just been murdered care of his estranged wife and personal assistant, played brilliantly by Dyan Cannon and Charles Grodin. One of the best scenes is when Pendleton reappears as Farnsworth, and Cannon nearly has a conniption. Pendleton, now as stuffy gazillionaire Farnsworth, must forge a way to get back to the Rams in time for the Superbowl.

The aspect that saves this film from falling too far into sentimental gush or absolute unbelievability is the quality of the acting of the leads (particularly Warren Beatty, Charles Grodin, Dyan Cannon, Julie Christie, James Mason, and Jack Warden as Max, the Rams' trainer) coupled with a fine screenplay. Everything is believable. Certainly the whole concept is just about as far-fetched as the Land of Oz, but you never contemplate that possibility for a moment. For some reason, everything works, and you run with it, not unlike "It's a Wonderful Life". As silly and fantastical as it is, the trip is well worth it.

I couldn't think of any other way to describe it in the summary - so I used the word "classy". That's right, classy. It probably stems from the fact that the movie is done in such good taste - very appealing and witty humor.

The entire cast does an absolutely perfect job in this movie. From Warren Beatty, to James Mason (is James Mason physically capable of putting in a bad performance ? ), to Buck Henry, to Jack Warden.

Perhaps the two best performances are Charles Grodin (the slimy personal assistant to Leo Farnsworth),and Dyan Cannon as the psycho Julia Farnsworth. They are both brilliant in their roles.

Very worth watching. Also worth more than its IMDB 6.9 rating.