Heart and Souls (1993)

An unhappy businessman finds a new sense of purpose after he's tasked with helping a quartet of ghosts fulfill their last wishes before moving on to the afterlife.

Director:

Ron Underwood

Writers:

Gregory Hansen (short film), Gregory Hansen (screen story)

Stars:

Robert Downey Jr., Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard

1 win & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Thomas Reilly
Charles Grodin	...	Harrison Winslow
Alfre Woodard	...	Penny Washington
Kyra Sedgwick	...	Julia
Tom Sizemore	...	Milo Peck
David Paymer	...	Hal the Bus Driver
Elisabeth Shue	...	Anne
Bill Calvert	...	Frank Reilly
Lisa Lucas	...	Eva Reilly
Shannon Orrock	...	Woman at Audition
Michael Zebulon	...	Singer at Audition
Chasiti Hampton	...	Shirley Washington - Age 7
Wanya Green	...	Diane Washington - Age 8
Janet MacLachlan	...	Agnes Miller
Javar David Levingston	...	Billy Washington - Age 4

Storyline

In 1959, in San Francisco, the telephone operator Penny Washington leaves her three children to work in her night shift. The shy singer Harrison Winslow is afraid of the stage and quits his audition. The waitress Julia is proposed by her boyfriend and she does not accept; then she regrets and leaves her job to seek him out. The smalltime thief Milo Peck tries to retrieve a collection of stamps that he had stolen from a boy. They embark in a bus and the driver Hal distracts while driving and has a serious accident, and driver and passengers die. Meanwhile, Frank Reilly is driving his pregnant wife Eva Reilly to the hospital. Frank successfully escapes from the bus but Eva is nervous and delivers her baby in the car. The souls of the four passengers become the guardian angels and the invisible friends of the boy Thomas Reilly. Seven years later, Penny, Julia, Harrison and Milo conclude that they are harming the boy and they decide to become invisible also to him. Thirty and something ...

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Plot Keywords:

stamp collection | possession | thief | year 1959 | boy | 

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Taglines:

The story of four souls who needed a body and one guy who needed some soul.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Robert Downey, Jr. has said of this film at the "Robert Downey, Jr. Film Guide" website: "Ron Underwood really attracted me to Heart and Souls. It's a character-driven film about sacrifice. The sacrifices people make for one another, and the sacrifice you have to make to find any semblance of bliss, and then there's Thomas, whose head is spinning from the realization that these souls are real, and he's going to have to bend a little to make room for them. Real fine, San Francisco, lots of money. Probably one of the best times in my life. Good movie. It's a fun movie, in which I only have to wear one costume. Even my hair stays the same in the whole movie, and the only thing I had to do was act. So that was a piece of cake."

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Goofs

When the school-age Thomas goes to the boys room, and comes out of the bathroom stall and goes to wash his hand, he doesn't push on the faucet button to start the water flow, and yet he is "washing" his hands

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Quotes

Milo Peck: Look, I'm a man.
Julia: You're a *dead* man.
Milo Peck: You bug my ass! You've been bugging my ass since the early-'70s.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Movie Angels (2013)

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Soundtracks

Ah Si Ben Mio
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Franco Corelli
Courtesy of Angel/EMI Classics
Under license from CEMA Special Markets

User Reviews

One of the better comedies ever produced.

The movie, reminiscent of "Ghost" or "Heaven Can Wait," (but a little different) has a plot that has been done before...but no way as well.

The interaction, alone, between the five main characters is worth seeing. The acting is superb. The comedy ranges from subtle to almost slapstick, and the production addresses your funny bone, your mind, and your heart.

This movie is a classic sleeper. Your whole family should see it!

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 August 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Heart and Souls

Filming Locations:

2810 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,322,250, 15 August 1993

Gross USA:

$16,589,540

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,589,540

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Alphaville Films, Stampede Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1