Heaven Can Wait (1978)

A Los Angeles Rams quarterback, accidentally taken away from his body by an over-anxious angel before he was supposed to die, comes back to life in the body of a recently-murdered millionaire.

Directors:

Warren Beatty, Buck Henry

Writers:

Elaine May (screenplay), Warren Beatty (screenplay),

Stars:

Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason

Won 1 Oscar. Another 8 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Warren Beatty	...	Joe Pendleton
Julie Christie	...	Betty Logan
James Mason	...	Mr. Jordan
Jack Warden	...	Max Corkle
Charles Grodin	...	Tony Abbott
Dyan Cannon	...	Julia Farnsworth
Buck Henry	...	The Escort
Vincent Gardenia	...	Krim
Joseph Maher	...	Sisk
Hamilton Camp	...	Bentley
Arthur Malet	...	Everett
Stephanie Faracy	...	Corinne
Jeannie Linero	...	Lavinia
Harry D.K. Wong	...	Gardener
George J. Manos	...	Security Guard

Storyline

Joe Pendleton is a quarterback preparing to lead his team to the superbowl when he is almost killed in an accident. An overanxious angel plucks him to heaven only to discover that he wasn't ready to die, and that his body has been cremated. A new body must be found, and that of a recently murdered millionaire is chosen. His wife and accountant, the murderers, are confused by this development, as he buys the L.A. Rams in order to once again quarterback them into the Superbowl.

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Plot Keywords:

quarterback | angel | millionaire | heaven | death | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

El cielo puede esperar

Filming Locations:

Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 3,864,734 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kate Jackson, Warren Beatty's first choice for the role, turned him down. Mary Steenburgen was a finalist for the part that went to Julie Christie.

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Goofs

Early in the film, a sportswriter asks Joe Pendleton about Tom Jarrett being his competition, and Joe says his competition is the 25 other teams. By the time the movie was released before the 1978 season there were 28 NFL teams as Tampa Bay and Seattle were added in 1976.

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Quotes

Joe Pendleton: We don't care how much it costs, just how much it makes. If it costs too much, we charge a penny more. Would you pay more to save a fish who thinks?

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Connections

Featured in I Love the '70s: Volume 2: 1978 (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Ciribiribin"
By A. Pestalozza (as Albert Pestalozza)

User Reviews

A delightful film.

Rent this movie with someone you love- it's the one that started it all. (Even thought it's a remake, itself) Buck Henry did a fabulous job with this film. He also wrote The Graduate, by the way, and there are gentle subversive moments in this film as well. I won't spoil them for you, just watch for yourself. Warren Beaty has never been so charming, and that's saying a lot, and Jack Warden just about walks away with the film. Forget GHOST, go right to HEAVEN CAN WAIT. You won't be sorry.