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IMDbPro

Gates of Heaven

  • 19781978
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
Gates of Heaven (1978)
  • Documentary
A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
5.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Errol Morris
  • Stars
    • Lucille Billingsley
    • Zella Graham
    • Cal Harberts
Top credits
  • Director
    • Errol Morris
  • Stars
    • Lucille Billingsley
    • Zella Graham
    • Cal Harberts
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 30User reviews
    • 56Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win

    Videos2

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    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 10
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 37
    Video 28:48
    Sneak Previews Season 3 Episode 37

    Photos18

    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)
    Gates of Heaven (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lucille Billingsley
    • Selfas Self
    Zella Graham
    • Selfas Self
    Cal Harberts
    • Selfas Self
    Dan Harberts
    • Selfas Self
    Phil Harberts
    • Selfas Self
    Scottie Harberts
    • Selfas Self
    Mike Koewler
    • Selfas Self
    Floyd McClure
    • Selfas Self
    Ed Quye
    • Selfas Self
    Florence Rasmussen
    • Selfas Self
    • Director
      • Errol Morris
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      German film director Werner Herzog had made a bet with fledgling director (and current film student) Errol Morris that if Morris made a film about pet cemeteries, Herzog would eat his shoe. Morris went on to make this film, so Herzog kept his promise. The meal is documented in the film Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980).
    • Quotes

      Mourning pet owner: There's your dog; your dog's dead. But where's the thing that made it move? It had to be something, didn't it?

    • Connections
      Featured in Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe (1980)

    User reviews30

    Review
    Top review
    Philosophy.......and Stuff Like That There.
    A totally over-rated documentary feature about a pet cemetery in California. The film focuses on the people who run the cemetery, those owners who have lost pets and always tries to win its audience over with philosophical questioning of God, nature, existence and what happens to beings when they give up the ghost forever. In the end the film is not near as smart as it would like to be. "Gates of Heaven" is an odd viewing experience. The people interviewed are quirky and some border on psychotic and disturbed. I found some of the people in the film "drunk on themselves". In other words they thought they were much more intelligent than they really were. The film does not work as a philosophy lesson (check out any work from Terrence Malick instead for that) and it does not work as a comedy (sometimes it is unclear if the people are serious or just playing games with the film-makers). In the end the production is interesting, but far from anything remarkable. As a documentary it works all right, but as a film it has shortcomings several miles long. Always praised by Chicago critic Roger Ebert, "Gates of Heaven" is more smoke and mirrors than actual substance. 4 stars out of 5.
    helpful•10
    13
    • tfrizzell
    • Apr 11, 2003

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Врата небес
    • Filming locations
      • Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park, Petaluma, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Gates of Heaven
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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