Review of Heaven Can Wait (1978) by Kristin L — 21 Sep 2011

Warren Beatty stars (directed by himself) as a very successful football player, Joe Pendleton who is obssessed with being healthy and excersises every awake minute to perform well at the Super Bowl, which is soon to come. Ironically, it's his healthy living that in some sort of way will become his fall...

It is a romantic comedy, yes. (How come I've only been reviewing those lately??). But still there is a sad tune in it, cause after all it's dealing a subject that is generally loaded with anxiety. Death. But the "funny" thing is that the main character becomes incarnated in other bodies that he may choose, because the manager of heaven made an error and took him too soon. And to compensate that he may choose another body to live in.

He sees himself as Joe Pendleton in the mirror (and we see him as Warren Beatty all the time, of course:) but the surroundings sees him as the just as rich as loathed Leo Farnsworth. Farnsworth's murderous wife and her lover, are both convinced that "Farnsworth"s new strange behaviour is just a part of an act, in order to break them down.

He eventually falls in love with who would be Farnsworth's strongest enemy (played by Julie Christie) and her feeling seems to be mutual. But he knows that he only will keep his body for a certain amount of time, despite arguing with the Head Manager of heaven (played by James Mason).

The ending was simply adorable and very romantic. Gives you good feelings afterwards. So I absolutely think it's worth a chance, despite the fact that it's a remake a several old classics.