Seven Minutes in Heaven (1985)

Director:

Linda Feferman

Writers:

Jane Bernstein (writer)
Linda Feferman (writer)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

When you're fifteen, being in love is more than just...

Plot:

Natalie Becker, a beautiful A-student, is staying home alone Together and apart, the three 15-year-olds learn much about life, maturity, and love.

Plot Keywords:

Stepfather | Baseball Player | Single Parent Family | Latchkey Kid | 1980s

Cast

Jennifer Connelly	...	Natalie Becker
Byron Thames	...	Jeff Moran
Maddie Corman	...	Polly Franklin
Alan Boyce	...	James Casey
Michael Zaslow	...	Bob Becker
Polly Draper	...	Aileen Moran Jones
Marshall Bell	...	Gerry Jones
Billy Wirth	...	Zoo Knudsen
Terry Kinney	...	Bill the Photographer
Spalding Gray	...	Dr. Rodney
Michael Higgins	...	Senator Henry Peterson
Denny Dillon	...	Aunt Gail
Lauren Holly	...	Lisa
Paul Martell	...	Williams, White House Aide
Margo Skinner	...	Lenore Franklin

Also Known As:

Deslices de joventud (USA: Spanish title) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Fifteen

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Knudsen hits a home run, there are a few editing mistakes. The filming takes place in Shea Stadium. Well if the Generals were supposed to be the home team, they should have been wearing white uniforms. The other team, the Mets, where the ones wearing white. Also, the up close shot of the Mets pitcher, Dwight Gooden, clearly shows his number as 16. After the home run, the Mets pitcher is shown with number 76. Knudsen is a right handed batter, the distant shot of the home run, shows a left handed batter swinging.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Soundtrack:

Inner Logic

So cute I wanna hug

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.