WARREN BEATTY, BUCK HENRY

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBBB. 

USA, 1978.  Paramount Pictures.  Screenplay by Warren Beatty, Elaine May, based on the play by Henry Segall.  Cinematography by William A. Fraker.  Produced by Warren Beatty.  Music by Dave Grusin.  Production Design by Paul Sylbert.  Costume Design by Richard Bruno.  Film Editing by Robert C. Jones, Don Zimmerman.  

Lightweight romantic comedy stars Warren Beatty (who also co-wrote, co-directed and co-produced with Buck Henry) as a football hero who dies young and is told by the man upstairs (played by a deliciously smarmy James Mason) that he’s come to heaven too early. He must be returned to earth in human form, but his original body is no longer available and therefore his soul must be given to someone else’s physical being; celestial employees find the perfect candidate in a rich, aging millionaire whose wife (Dyan Cannon) and accountant have just murdered him. Imagine the conspirators’ surprise when the old guy comes back from the grave! The hilarity turns to serious romance when Beatty meets the lovely Julie Christie and needs to find a way to become himself again and stick around for good. Beatty gives a dependable performance, while Cannon steals all her scenes as the mentally unstable murderess. The entire project hasn’t aged so well over the years (it was a Best Picture nominee in its year, while as now just seems the average romantic comedy), but it’s good fun to watch big stars in something so enjoyably breezy. Remade from the 1941 film Here Comes Mr. Jordan (it has no relation to Ernst Lubistch’s Heaven Can Wait) and remade again decades later as Down To Earth starring Chris Rock.

Academy Award:  Best Art Direction
Nominations: Best Picture; Best Actor (Warren Beatty); Best Supporting Actor (Jack Warden); Best Supporting Actress (Dyan Cannon); Best Director (Warren Beatty, Buck Henry); Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Cinematography; Best Original Score

Golden Globe Award Nominations:  Best Picture-Musical/Comedy; Best Actor-Musical/Comedy (Warren Beatty); Best Supporting Actress (Dyan Cannon)