Heaven Can Wait (1978)
… but the Super Bowl can’t!
Doooown, set, hut! Hut! I said, HUT, you fools! Okay Team, I know we’ve had some QB issues in the preseason, but now we’re all here to go to work, right? Right?? That’s more like it! Today, we’re going to be reviewing some, shall we say, unconventional game tape in the form of the Warren Beatty classic Heaven Can Wait. Scoff if you want, but these boys made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Can any of you say that?? Okay then! Now let’s get out there and kick some butt(ered popcorn)!
Previews
What, if anything, did we know about this coming attraction before we watched it?
Ellen: My mom enjoys this version!
Tyler: I completely forgot that we already did a post on (a different) Heaven Can Wait until you mentioned it in our last post, but I didn’t care for this story the first time. I know diddly-squat about this iteration other than there’s football involved, which frankly is enough to pique my interest.
Plots & Feelings
This one’s pretty self-explanatory.
Short Version (courtesy of IMDb): A Los Angeles Rams quarterback, accidentally taken away from his body by an overanxious angel before he was meant to die, returns to life in the body of a recently murdered millionaire.
Long Version (modified from Wikipedia and formatted to fit your screen):
Come on into the world of Joe Pendleton! As backup quarterback for the LA Rams1 who’s looking for a promotion, Joe’s days are filled with watching game film, running Runyon Canyon, downing whipped liver protein shakes, and inexpertly playing his soprano saxophone, for some reason. The coaching staff all agree: Joe’s been looking good since his knee surgery. Max, head trainer for the Rams and Joe’s friend, comes to his house to tell him that he’ll be starting against Dallas! Joe is biking on air the next day, blissfully unaware of the giant truck heading toward him in the tunnel.
Tyler: In a scene at Joe’s house, he recognizes that he’s considered “old" for his profession despite being young for every other industry, which I found a refreshingly modern take on how we treat athletes. It's also an interesting way to show that he's got his whole life ahead of him once that career is over. Or does he …?
A bright light, and Joe finds himself in a misty void, being told to board a weird-looking plane by a guy known as The Escort. Joe refuses for long enough that the manager, Mr. Jordan, shows up. As it happens, this was The Escort’s first assignment, and he pulled Joe out too early: man wasn’t supposed to die until March 20, 2025! They can’t simply put him back, because his body has already been cremated, and I guess disobeying linear time is a bridge too far for these jabronis2. Joe’s focus remains on getting to the Super Bowl, but he rejects the bodies of several athletes3 who are about to die. Running out of options, Mr. Jordan presents Leo Farnsworth, a multi-millionaire head of a company called Exo-Grey in the process of being murdered by his wife Julia and her lover Tony, who’s also Leo’s secretary. What puts Joe over the edge is an English woman named Betty making an impassioned plea to not put a refinery in her town. Joe agrees to take over Leo on a temporary basis.
Joe wakes as Leo, shocked that everyone sees and hears Leo, even though Joe feels just like himself4. Mr. Jordan, who is invisible to everyone but Joe, does a touch of explaining before he disappears. The traitorous couple is anxiously waiting for Leo to slip under the bathwater in a drugged stupor, as they planned. To their surprise, Leo emerges alive and well! Betty is prepared to yell at the cold industrialist, but she instead finds a man who seems genuinely concerned for her plight. He agrees to bring it up at the next Exo-Grey board meeting. Leo’s had a whole change in attitude, being kind to the staff, asking Tony if the money they make hurts anyone (Tony is fake-horrified, believing their croquet game must be bugged), and showing less interest in the theatrics of his wealth, such as Chekov’s cannon being fired when the flag is lowered and his hats for all occasions.
Ellen: Joe means well, but he has absolutely no ability to think on his feet when people ask him literally anything as Leo.
Tyler: Which is a skill you’d think a successful NFL quarterback would have.
Ellen: Also I will say, if I were ultra-wealthy like this, I’d probably wear some absurd costumes around just for fun.
Later, at the Big Meeting, “Leo” is bringing some uncharacteristic golden retriever energy. He invites the press and outside observers (including Betty), and relates all business decisions to football, as one does5. He makes his proclamations about not hurting people or porpoises and walks out, having saved the day. Now, it’s time to save his Super Bowl ambitions! He has Tony contact Max from the Rams and is completely unfazed by his and Julia’s obvious affair, much to their stress and confusion. Julia becomes increasingly paranoid, convinced Leo knows everything and is toying with them. Her suspicions increase when he manages to avoid another murder attempt involving a heavy object dropping onto his bed.
Ellen: Obviously parts of this are preposterous, but the idea that Leo’s change in personality could be attributed to the knowledge of the murder plot is pretty solid!
Tyler: I guess it’s the paranoia speaking, but if “Leo” knew of the murder plot, wouldn’t he … do something about it?
Ellen: For all they know, he is!
Tyler: *do something more immediate about it, a la calling the cops or something.
Tyler: To that end, the female characters in this movie (such that they exist at all) are … not written particularly well. They’re either comically emotional or falling in love. There is no in between.
“Leo” has taken to consulting with Mr. Jordan in a closet, which confuses his staff, but not nearly as perplexed as they’ll be when he brings Max in. After telling his old trainer a crazy story and yelling “don’t you understand” a bunch, it’s playing that soprano saxophone that convinces him. Max sets up training camp at the mansion, with the staff suited up as the practice squad. “Leo” is feeling pretty good about himself after a few practices! He also takes Betty on a date for drive-in burgers (though of course the chauffeur actually drives) and after not saying all that much, he tells Betty he’s getting divorced.
Ellen: We get some quality “rich guy” antics with the training, from using the ballroom for training to a fancy Gatorade dispenser on the practice field.
Max rightly points out that “Leo” has been playing with a bunch of butlers, so in order to secure a practice with the team, “Leo” simply buys it! Tony attempts murder-by-defensive-lineman by telling a Black player how racist “Leo” is, but the quarterback finally manages some quality passes! Later, he and Betty walk the grounds, having a lovely time. Just as you start to get worried he’s going to do something silly and declare his love after they’ve met like 3 times: HE PROPOSES!! She accepts, but over her shoulder, Mr. Jordan is warning Joe that his stay with Leo Farnsworth was always temporary. “Leo” puts Betty into the back of a car while cryptically mentioning that she may meet a really nice quarterback one day, and they kiss for the first time6. As he walks back across the yard, Tony snipes him from an upper window, timing the gunshot to go off at the same time as the nightly cannon.
Tyler: I gotta say, I did not see the “Screw it, I’ll just buy the team” move coming! It reminded me of a truly bonkers story I read in The Washington Post that involved a drug dealer who would fulfill his childhood dream of being a professional soccer player by essentially buying playing time. A story somehow even more bananas than “Leo” proposing!!!
A classic “gather the suspects” interrogation begins at the mansion, and wouldn’t you know it, it’s in the middle of the Super Bowl! Max stops by to help get Julia and Tony to incriminate each other, and Betty is sad (sorry y’all, she doesn’t do much here). During The Big Game, current Rams QB Tom Jarrett takes a hard hit, and it looks like he’s not getting up. Then, miraculously, he springs to his feet and rushes back into the game! Concussion protocol? Never heard of it! Max immediately understands Joe has taken over and rushes to the Coliseum. Despite getting sacked, “Tom” manages to lead the Rams to victory in overtime!
Ellen: When Joe was about to get sacked, Tyler was yelling “don’t go backwards!” He has really missed football, guys.
Tyler: Just throw the ball away!
Tyler: Maybe this is my football fan bias speaking, but I feel like him winning the Super Bowl in overtime is kind of just glossed over. There’s no emotional score underneath or lingering shot of him realizing he achieved his dreams despite everything that’s happened over the course of the movie. It’s just … on to the next scene.
Well, you see, the key is a soul-transplant! (Source) In the locker room after the game, “Tom” and Max share an emotional embrace. Mr. Jordan appears to reveal that Joe will now fully become Tom, forgetting everything that came before. Tom becomes disoriented, and Max is devastated, having lost his friend all over again. In the halls of the arena, Tom runs into Betty, who’s looking for Max. They’re immediately taken with each other, and Betty is very interested in the fact that he’s the quarterback. The two go for coffee.
Ellen: Man this is sad for Max. He loses his friend twice, and also he’s now the only one who knows a quarterback died in the freaking Super Bowl!
Intermission
Even though ILTBTA is free, please indulge us further and enjoy this quick “advertisement.”
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Wiki-Wiki-Whaaat?
Love a good Wikipedia rabbit hole in search of some fun facts? Us too.
Heaven Can Wait’s Wikipedia page has some interesting facts and anecdotes that we recommend you read through, but here are a few of our favorites:
This version of Heaven Can Wait is based on a play of the same name by playwright Harry Segall. The first movie adaptation of the play was 1941’s Here Comes Mr. Jordan, which earned Segall an Oscar for Best Original Story and was also nominated for Best Picture. Other film adaptations of the story include the Here Comes Mr. Jordan sequel Down to Earth and the Chris Rock-led comedy of the same name. Oddly enough, the other Heaven Can Wait movie that we already covered has no connection to the source material.
Ellen: I find it hard to believe this one didn’t at least know of the other, especially given they each have their “afterlife waiting rooms.”
Tyler: Right?! The people who own the rights to the original Heaven Can Wait may have dropped the ball here, or it’s a factoid lost to history (i.e, not on Wikipedia).
Heaven Can Wait was co-directed by star/co-writer/producer Warren Beatty and Buck Henry. Henry’s various film and television credits include co-writing The Graduate, co-creating the comedy TV show Get Smart, and ten-time host of Saturday Night Live.
Tyler: A more fun credit for us and fellow quirky network comedy fans: Henry also played Dick Lemon (Liz’s dad) on two episodes of 30 Rock.
Beatty asked Dyan Cannon, who plays Julia Farnsworth, to lobby her ex-husband Cary Grant to star as Mr. Jordan. Grant was retired from filmmaking at the time and was reportedly tempted by the offer, but ultimately declined. Beatty also wanted the famed boxer Muhammad Ali to play the main character (since the source material uses a boxer instead of a football player), but took the role himself after Ali also declined.
In this edition of “What Harry Potter Character Did This British Actor Play?” Julie Christie (Betty Logan in Heaven Can Wait) played Madam Rosmerta in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Ellen: Honestly, I’m shocked she’s actually British!
And in this edition of “What Other ILTBTA Movies Have I Seen This Actor In?” Jack Warden (Max Corkle) played Juror #7 in 12 Angry Men.
The Super Bowl in the movie (between the Rams and Steelers) was filmed during halftime of a preseason game between the Rams and Chargers in 1977. Oddly enough, the Rams and Steelers met in the real-life Super Bowl just three years later.
With his multiple successful credits for Heaven Can Wait, Beatty became just the second person ever to be nominated for producing, directing, writing, and acting in the same movie, a feat he repeated three years later for the historical drama Reds. The first person to achieve this was Orson Welles for his magnum opus …
Honorable Mentions
What other movies should you be watching?
Citizen Kane is widely considered to be one of the greatest films ever made, and is often cited as the greatest. And frankly: we agree. Starring, directed, co-written, and produced by Orson Welles at the terrifyingly-young age of 25, Citizen Kane is a semi-biographical drama that follows the life of Charles Foster Kane, who was largely modeled after media baron William Randolph Hearst. Famed movie critic Roger Ebert wrote of Citizen Kane: “Its surface is as much fun as any movie ever made. Its depths surpass understanding.”
But don’t just take a professional movie critic’s word for it. In The Spreadsheet, Ellen noted its impact on film, saying: “When you watch this, you realize just how many things it spawned/inspired. Really impressive.” Tyler added that it is “a fantastic mishmash of different cinematography, lighting, editing, and nonlinear storytelling techniques that come together like an impressive jigsaw puzzle.”
Citizen Kane is available to stream for free with a Hulu subscription and can be rented from all of Hulu’s competitors. Seriously people, if you like movies even a little bit, go watch this.
Oscar NomNomNomz
Since we all know a movie is nothing without the food and drink it incorporates.
It’s now time to award the Oscar for Best Snacktor in a Supporting Role7. And the nomnomnominees are:
A brown smoothie consisting of whipped liver, whey, alfalfa sprouts, bean curd, and spinach mold
Canned Exo-Grey tuna (with a small percentage of porpoise)
A burger from a drive-in the back of your chauffeured car
A silver Gatorade dispenser for your training sessions out in the yard
And the Oscar goes to … the Gatorade dispenser! Unfortunately, we stole and drank all the Gatorade because we’re still slightly hungover from Tyler’s sister’s wedding this weekend, so we will accept this award on their behalf.
Fill In The Blank
How did we really feel about The Academy nominating this?
Ellen: I’d like to stop The Academy’s various murder plots, which seems mean but is a net good. This movie is fun! As Tyler says below, I giggled quite a bit! I found Joe to be charming and sweet, if a bit slow on the uptake. I guess that single-mindedness about the Super Bowl means he can’t be particularly mindful elsewhere. It’s an interesting concept and a good romp to get you into football season, but it feels like it was wishing to be a deeper movie that just never sunk its teeth in that far. It’s hard to justify the speed of the Betty romance, but hey: I wish her the best with “Tom.” The afterlife machinations were interesting to me as always, but when the football trainer side-character has the most emotionally poignant storyline, I question the Best Picture nod.
Tyler: I’d like to pull The Academy at halftime and replace it with a more competent backup movie. This movie grew on me as it went on to start with, and made me laugh much more than I expected. Unfortunately, it lost me in the third act, as it asked viewers to suspend their belief even more. The blink-and-you-miss-it romance-to-proposal process for Joe and Betty must’ve set a new ILTBTA record for lowest believability score: there wasn’t enough romantic buildup for me to buy anything about their “relationship,” especially considering Joe was supposed to be inhabiting the body of a kooky (and presumed) old dude. Lacking that, it felt very much like it was: a plot point for the sake of being a plot point. Also, are we to believe a guy deadass DIED IN THE SUPER BOWL then miraculously came back to life and won The Big Game™? I admit that football realism was probably not top of mind for most Academy voters (Bradley Cooper, you were missed), but could Beatty not come up with something even a touch less melodramatic? That notwithstanding, it still exceeded my expectations for a football-focused twist on a movie I thought I already saw.
Let The Credits Roll
Thanks for reading! Some quick housekeeping as you exit the theatre:
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Post-Credits Scene
Get a sneak peek at the next ILTBTA installment.
Now that Joe/Tom has won the Super Bowl, where’s he going?! “I’m going to Disney World!” And so too are your favorite Disney Adults Adults Who Like Disney because we’re going there next month. To celebrate our trip, we’re covering two classic Disney movies for our September posts. First up is Beauty and the Beast, which is available to stream on Disney+ or can be rented elsewhere if you prefer to give a different media conglomerate your rental fees.
Until then, Heaven Can Gate(orade)!
The MCU laughs at your feebleness.
Doesn’t sound like my ex-wife!
Tyler: This is a trope I detest in plots like this: do we really need to spend five minutes watching him run around not understanding what Mr. Jordan already explained to him?
Some real Tim Walz energy there.
First kiss occurring after the proposal: very cutesy, very demure.
Results tabulated and certified by the accountants at Ernst & Yum™.
I'm so glad you had a few laughs. This is what I remember most about this movie - fun! I know you're disappointed with the relationship, but hey, the movie wants to be about football so it blazes past any kind of romantic reality...you'll just have to get over it!