Film Review: Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Some films don't age well, and that might include even those films that used to be big box-office hits and enjoyed the favour of the critics at the same time. Heaven Can Wait , a 1978 fantasy melodrama directed by Warren Beatty and Buck Henry, is one such example.

The plot is based on the eponymous stage play by Harry Segall, which was adapted in 1941 into the popular Classic Hollywood film Here Comes Mr. Jordan . The protagonist of the new version, played by Beatty, is Joe Pendleton, an NFL player who worked hard to become quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. Just as he is about to start seeing his dream come true, fate intervenes in the form of a traffic accident in a tunnel. Joe wakes up in a strange place called the Way Station, from where he would have to start his existence in the afterlife. However, it turns out that his celestial Escort played by Henry made a mistake and that Joe was scheduled for extra decades of life on Earth. The Escort's boss, Mr. Jordan played by James Mason , wants to correct that mistake and bring Joe back to life, but Joe's body has in the meantime been cremated. As a temporary alternative, he offers the body of…

Heaven Can Wait , apart from having very good success at the box office and excellent reviews, was also considered a top favourite in the race for the Oscar, ultimately losing to The Deer Hunter . This could be partially explained by Beatty, who also produced the film, enjoying a reputation as one of the biggest stars and most influential personalities of New Hollywood. Beatty also had the good fortune of playing a role that is imperfect, slightly arrogant but ultimately vulnerable – a character who defiantly tries to preserve his dreams even when faced with the ultimate confirmation of his mortality. The old-fashioned and generally good-natured treatment of the afterlife was well received by an audience tired of the 1970s woes being depicted in small, dark supernatural horror films on the big screen. Heaven Can Wait also benefited from a diverse and talented cast, which included Beatty…

A good cast, however, cannot compensate for the inefficiencies of the script and direction. Beatty and his co-writer Elaine May later known for the infamous flop Ishtar apparently could not find the proper balance between fantasy, romance and black comedy, and the scenes at the end cannot escape the film's origin as a stage play. The plot twist at the end in many ways represents a disappointment because it makes everything the protagonist worked for pointless. This was also the directorial debut for Beatty, and his lack of experience behind the camera might explain why some scenes are slightly overlong and confusing, making Heaven Can Wait look longer than it actually is. Viewers today are more likely to reject this film because of their lack of familiarity with the filmmaking styles of New Hollywood and their little reverence for its icons.

RATING: 4/10 ++

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