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Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Joe Pendleton... the only guy who ever raised Hell about going to Heaven.
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.
CinemaSerf
Nov 23, 2024 · via TMDB
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 coil. OK, let's just put him back. Ah, well no - he has already been cremated. That's just one jigsaw puzzle too much, even for the celestial. "Jordan" decides that he can borrow the body of someone next in the queue, and he settles on millionaire industrialist "Farnsworth". This man has more enemies that he'd care to count, not least his scheming wife (Dyan Cannon) and the pesky British campaigner "Betty" (Julie Christie) who is adamant that her local village isn't going to be demolished to make way for an oil refinery. Now safely ensconced his new body, he only has thoughts of going back to playing ball - only now he can afford to actually buy a team. Re-uniting with coach "Max" (Jack Warden) whom he manages to convince of his true identity, we now embark on a gentle comedy that extols the virtues of team building and environmentally aware business practice. Cannon steals this as the plotting spouse, but Mason doesn't really make much impact and otherwise it's all just a rather blandly predictable offering that has it's moments but just not enough of them. Watchable, though, on a wet afternoon if it's on the telly.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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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
Arthur Malet
Everett
Stephanie Faracy
Corinne
Jeannie Linero
Lavinia
Frank Campanella
Conway
Bill Sorrells
Tomarken
Dick Enberg
TV Interviewer
Dolph Sweet
Head Coach
R.G. Armstrong
General Manager
Ed Peck
Trainer
John Randolph
Former Owner
Richard O'Brien
Advisor to Former Owner
Will Hare
Team Doctor
Lee Weaver
Way Station Attendant
Roger Bowen
Newspaperman
Keene Curtis
Oppenheim
Morgan Farley
Middleton
William Bogert
Lawson
Joel Marston
Board Member
Earl Montgomery
Board Member
Peter Tomarken
Reporter
William Sylvester
Nuclear Reporter
Lisa Blake Richards
Woman Reporter
Deacon Jones
Gorman
Paul D'Amato
Swimmer's Friend (uncredited)
Robert Fortier
Wealthy Man in Restaurant (uncredited)
Allan Graf
Football Player (uncredited)
Bryant Gumbel
TV Sportscaster (uncredited)
Elliott Reid
Waiter (uncredited)
Byron Webster
Waiter (uncredited)
William A. Fraker
Director of Photography
Robert Towne
Additional Writing
Craig R. Baxley
Stunt Coordinator
Hawk Koch
Assistant Director
Buck Henry
Director
Warren Beatty
Director
Craig Huston
Second Assistant Director
Craig R. Baxley
Second Unit Director
Hawk Koch
Executive Producer
Warren Beatty
Producer
Dave Grusin
Original Music Composer
Elaine May
Screenplay
Warren Beatty
Screenplay
Harry Segall
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Tableau d'honneur
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Dude...We're Going to Rio
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Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
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True Romance
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Meet Joe Black
Grease
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O Último Jogo
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Once Upon A Time - Reach for the Stars
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Purple Hearts
The Age of Adaline
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Just Like Heaven
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Date with an Angel
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The Wrong Paris
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Drive Me Crazy
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Made in Heaven
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Love on the Sidelines
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Yoh! Bestie
Which Brings Me to You
Isn't It Romantic
The Lonely Guy
Happiness for Beginners
Chéri
All Dogs Go to Heaven 2
She's Funny That Way
Kiss Me Goodbye
Two of a Kind
Jun 28, 1978
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FISFiC Vol. 1
2011
Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
2015
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
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