Heaven Can Wait

Director: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry 1978

Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, James Mason, Jack Warden

This is a remake of a famous 1940’s movie called Here Comes Mr. Jordan that starred Dom Ameche. The Warren Beatty/Buck Henry version involves a star football quarterback in the late 1970’s, so while this movie feels dated, it will tug at your heart and there are many memorable moments.

Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is just happy to be the backup quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. Away from the football field, Joe focuses on fitness and relaxes by playing the saxophone.

On Joe's birthday, Max Corkle (Jack Warden), a Rams trainer and Joe's good friend, drops by and informs him that the coach wants Joe to start the game against the Dallas Cowboys instead of the current quarterback, Tom Jarrett. Joe steps up his training, but while bicycling through a tunnel he is hit by a van.

The rest of the movie is a surreal madcap adventure that takes the Rams all the way to the Super Bowl.

Fun Facts: Heaven Can Wait was a remake of the 1943 film Here Comes Mr.Jordan, which was adapted from the play "Heaven Can Wait."   Warren Beatty was a high school football star in his native Virginia before following his big sister  actress Shirley Maclaine into the movie business. The ficticious Super Bowl in the movie was between the Los Angeles Rams and Pittsburgh Stealers.  A year later the real teams faced each other in Super Bowl XIV. Beatty was nominated for 3 Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director with Co-Director Buck Henry.