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Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

  • Status: Released
  • 28-06-1978
  • Runtime: 101 min
  • Score: 6.598
  • Vote count: 422

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.

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

Larry Block

Peters

Frank Campanella

Conway

Bill Sorrells

Tomarken

Dick Enberg

TV Interviewer

Dolph Sweet

Head Coach

R.G. Armstrong

General Manager

Ed Peck

Trainer

John Randolph

Former Owner

Richard O'Brien

Advisor to Former Owner

Joseph F. Makel

Haitian Ambassador

Will Hare

Team Doctor

Lee Weaver

Way Station Attendant

Roger Bowen

Newspaperman

Keene Curtis

Oppenheim

William Larsen

Renfield

Morgan Farley

Middleton

William Bogert

Lawson

Robert E. Leonard

Board Member

Joel Marston

Board Member

Earl Montgomery

Board Member

Robert C. Stevens

Board Member

Bernie Massa

Coliseum Security Guard

Peter Tomarken

Reporter

William Sylvester

Nuclear Reporter

Lisa Blake Richards

Woman Reporter

Charlie Charles

Highwire Performer

Nick Outin

Chauffeur

Jerry Scanlan

Hodges

Jim Boeke

Kowalsky

Marvin Fleming

Gudnitz

Deacon Jones

Gorman

Les Josephson

Owens

Jack Snow

Cassidy

Curt Gowdy

TV Commentator

Al DeRogatis

TV Color Analyst

Benjie Bancroft

Reporter (uncredited)

Arline Bletcher

Woman in Line (uncredited)

Charlie Cowan

Football Player (uncredited)

Garrett Craig

Swimmer (uncredited)

Paul D'Amato

Swimmer's Friend (uncredited)

Robert Fortier

Wealthy Man in Restaurant (uncredited)

Allan Graf

Football Player (uncredited)

Bryant Gumbel

TV Sportscaster (uncredited)

Jim Healy

TV Sportscaster (uncredited)

Chick Hearn

Radio Announcer (uncredited)

Ray Pourchot

Board Member (uncredited)

Nick Raymond

Reporter (uncredited)

Elliott Reid

Waiter (uncredited)

Byron Webster

Waiter (uncredited)

CinemaSerf

Maybe Warren Beatty was also a fan of Powell & Pressburger as this has shades of "Matter of Life and Death" (1946) to it. Rather than a fighter pilot though, it's quarter-back "Joe" (Beatty) who is erroneously selected to take the Concorde to heaven. He protests to supremo "Jordan" (James Mason) who discovers that his new charge is still supposed to have another fifty-odd years with his mortal coil. OK, let's just put him back. Ah, well no - he has already been cremated. That's just one jigsaw puzzle too much, even for the celestial. "Jordan" decides that he can borrow the body of someone next in the queue, and he settles on millionaire industrialist "Farnsworth". This man has more enemies that he'd care to count, not least his scheming wife (Dyan Cannon) and the pesky British campaigner "Betty" (Julie Christie) who is adamant that her local village isn't going to be demolished to make way for an oil refinery. Now safely ensconced his new body, he only has thoughts of going back to playing ball - only now he can afford to actually buy a team. Re-uniting with coach "Max" (Jack Warden) whom he manages to convince of his true identity, we now embark on a gentle comedy that extols the virtues of team building and environmentally aware business practice. Cannon steals this as the plotting spouse, but Mason doesn't really make much impact and otherwise it's all just a rather blandly predictable offering that has it's moments but just not enough of them. Watchable, though, on a wet afternoon if it's on the telly.