Sette minuti in Paradiso

Lots of adjectives like "cute", "sweet" and the always trite "delightful" from my IMDB colleagues below to describe this exercise in teen somnolence. I notice that these descriptors tend to be used on movies like this that neither offend nor provoke but, rather, move pleasantly along until they're done. Kind of like drinking RC Cola. It's ok, but you'd much rather be imbibing a Coke (i.e. John Hughes) or a Pepsi (i.e. Amy Heckerling), and are more than a little annoyed that co writer/director Linda Feferman cannot even manage a decent ripoff of the original 80s teen formula. Nice autumn in Jersey burbs location shooting, though. Solid C.

First off, I'm a huge fan of 80s movies, and of Jennifer Conelly as well. So yesterday, I wandered into a local used book/movie store and found a VHS copy. I read the back and it sounded good and for $3.99, it was a good deal. So I took it home and popped it in the VCR. What a sweet movie! At my age now, I relate more to movies like About Last Night or St. Elmo's Fire, but still I remember what it was like to be 15/16 and in love with an older guy, etc. We all have those little crushes when we're younger. And if it doesn't work out, we're heartbroken and we think that we'll never get over it. But of course we do. Many times. It's that sort of sweet quality that I really got from this movie. The feeling of "Oooh! I remember when something like that happened to me..." is all through it. The characters are interesting and well-developed. I recommend it to anyone who likes 80s movies, teen films in particular, or to anyone who just wants to go back and remember a simpler time in their lives.

This is one of those movies that is largely forgotten nowadays. 'Seven Minutes in Heaven' is the only feature film that Linda Feferman ever directed and it was in competition for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival 1986. It didn't win that award but it did receive the 'Special Jury Recognition for Youth Comedy' at the festival that year.

Admittedly, the plot of 'Seven Minutes in Heaven' is average at best and typical for a comedy of the era, but it is still a decent coming-of-age movie thanks to its rather strong main cast of genuine teenage actors. Jennifer Connelly is as sweet as always and Maddie Corman is equally delightful. Byron Thames is also great in the role of the somewhat quirky guy. I wonder why he didn't get more roles in 1980s comedies after this one. It's nice to see Marshall Bell, an accomplished and widely recognized character actor, in a small supporting role.

By the way, 'Seven Minutes in Heaven' was released on DVD in 2010 as part of the Warner Archive Collection. The picture quality of the transfer used for that DVD is surprisingly good for an archival release of a rather obscure movie made in 1985.

I originally came across Linda Feferman's Seven Minutes in Heaven when I was 14 and worked at a video store and I loved it. I recently watched the movie again and have realized that it is a lost treasure. The movie stars Jennifer Connelly, almost twenty years before she would go on to win an Oscar for Beautiful Mind, as Natalie Becker. Byron Thames plays her best friend in the world, Jeff Moran. The film is definitely a milder, cuter and softer version of the Pretty in Pink's and Some Kind of Wonderful's of the 1980's, which is exactly why it is so good. It's honest, not forced like those films, and parents will enjoy watching this movie with there kids.

When Natalie's Dad leave home on a business trip, Jeff convinces her that he should move in because his home life sucks. With support from Natalie's friend, Polly, played exquisitely by Maddie Corman, she lets him. But this movie isn't about putting kids in situations and seeing what they can get away with. The three leads are so natural and the script, surprisingly so honest, that what comes through best in their performances is heart breaking. These characters really do care about each other. It's a great film to show to kids who are reaching pre-teen adolescence.

Ohio teen Natalie Becker (Jennifer Connelly) is home alone while her father is away for work. Her longtime friend Jeff Moran stays with her after another fight with his stepfather. Her friend Polly Franklin likes James Casey III but he starts dating Natalie. Then Polly encounters pro baseball player Zoo Knudson and she pretends to be 18. It's a lot of awkward teenage romantic attempts for the three friends.

The main reason to see this is Connelly. She's a bit awkward and new at the time. It's too bad that she never got into the John Hughes teen movies until Career Opportunities. This is not the best of the high school genre. The main problem is the construction. These three best friends are rarely in the same scene together. They get scattered. They need more scenes together to build chemistry and manufacture confrontations. The situations are a little edgy sexually. The characters are compelling but the drama stutters along the way.