Heaven Can Wait

1978 101 min ★ 6.7 Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Drama

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.

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Cast

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

Details

Director

Warren Beatty

Screenplay

Elaine May

Tagline

"Joe Pendleton... the only guy who ever raised Hell about going to Heaven."

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Budget

$15,000,000

Revenue

$98,800,000

Production

Paramount Pictures

Reviews

C

CinemaSerf

November 23, 2024

★ 6/10

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 coi...