''Made in Heaven'' is a 1987 fantasy-comedy film directed by

Alan Rudolph Alan Steven Rudolph (born December 18, 1943) is an American film director and screenwriter. Early life Rudolph was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Oscar Rudolph (1911–1991), a television director and actor, and his wife. He b ...

, script from Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, and produced by

Lorimar Productions Lorimar Productions, Inc., later known as Lorimar Television and Lorimar Distribution, was an American production company that was later a subsidiary of Warner Bros., active from 1969 until 1993, when it was folded into Warner Bros. Televisi ...

. The film stars

Timothy Hutton Timothy Tarquin Hutton (born August 16, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He is the youngest recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which he won at age 20 for his performance as Conrad Jarrett in ''Ordinary People ...

and

Kelly McGillis Kelly Ann McGillis (born July 9, 1957) is an American stage actress. She is known for her film roles such as Rachel Lapp in ''Witness'' (1985), for which she received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations; Charlie in ''Top Gun'' (1986); ''Made in ...

and has cameos by

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the la ...

, Ric Ocasek,

Ellen Barkin Ellen Rona Barkin (born April 16, 1954) is an American actress and a producer. Her breakthrough role was in the 1982 film '' Diner'', and in the following years, she had starring roles in films such as '' Tender Mercies'' (1983), '' Eddie and t ...

and

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fu ...

. Emmett, a chain-smoking male angel, was played by

Debra Winger Debra Lynn Wingerhttps://www.pressreader.com/usa/closer-weekly/20200511/282084868951188https://www.discountmags.com/magazine/closer-weekly-may-11-2020-digital/in-this-issue/99961 (born May 16, 1955)https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Inter ...

(Hutton's then wife), but the character was only credited as being played by "Himself." The original music score was composed by

Mark Isham Mark Ware Isham (born September 7, 1951) is an American musician and film composer. A trumpeter and keyboardist, Isham works in a variety of genres, including jazz and electronic. He is also a film composer, having worked on numerous films and ...

. The film was marketed with the tagline "How in Heaven did they meet? How on Earth will they find each other?" ''Made in Heaven'' concerns two

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest att ...

s who cross paths in

Heaven Heaven or the heavens, is a common religious cosmological or transcendent supernatural place where beings such as deities, angels, souls, saints, or venerated ancestors are said to originate, be enthroned, or reside. According to the belie ...

and then attempt to reconnect once they are reborn on Earth. In 1988, the film was released on VHS format as well as digital stereo LaserDisc format. In 2009, the film made its DVD debut as part of the

Warner Archive Collection The Warner Archive Collection is a home video division for releasing classic and cult films from Warner Bros.' library. It started as a manufactured-on-demand (MOD) DVD series by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on March 23, 2009, with the inten ...

Plot

In a small Pennsylvania town in 1957, Mike Shea (Hutton) dreams of escaping small-town life and moving to California with his girlfriend Brenda Carlucci. But Brenda leaves him with his motor running and Mike takes off alone. On the way to California, Mike rescues a woman and her children from their car which went into a river but he perishes. Finding himself in Heaven, his Aunt Lisa greets him, and explains the rules and regulations. While searching for someone he used to know, Mike comes across heavenly guide Annie Packert (McGillis), and instantly they fall in love. Unlike Mike, Annie has not yet lived on Earth, so their love is abruptly interrupted, just as they are going to perform a wedding ceremony. As she has not yet earned her wings on Earth, she must leave on a tour of duty and put in time inhabiting a human body. Mike is beside himself with despair, but the heavenly powers, in the form of Emmett Humbird, chain-smoking and sporting an orange crew-cut, offer him a deal. Mike can return to Earth, with the stipulation that neither he nor Annie will remember each other. He then has 30 years in which they must find each other again. Ally, the reincarnation of Annie, names her imaginary friend Mike. She grows up, gets married and writes a book whose protagonist is Mike. Her husband leaves her, and she is disconnected for a time. She dreams and daydreams of Mike, which confuses her, as she's not met him yet in this life. Mike is reborn as Elmo, at 28 Emmett visits him because he is pretty much a lost soul. Just conned by a woman, he's wandering down the road. Later, he gets a copy of Ally's book. Mike ends up meeting his original parents while hitchhiking, they are kind to him and buy him a trumpet. As a result, Elmo starts his musical career and ends up writing a hit song that he had been working on in Heaven. The song was "We Never Danced", a very ‘80s sounding song and one of the last words Annie spoke to Mike in heaven. Mike/Elmo ends up finding Ally/Annie on the street at the end of the film, and their eyes lock on one another. It's his 30th birthday, they met in the nick of time.

Cast

Soundtrack

''Made in Heaven: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' was released through

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

on LP and cassette, but not on CD. # Martha Davis (of The Motels) - "We Never Danced" (

) (also available on The Motels' compilation album ''

Anthologyland ''Anthologyland'' is a compilation album containing material from the new wave band, The Motels, plus work by Warfield Foxes (an earlier incarnation), and solo work by Martha Davis, including a couple of duets with Sly Stone and Ivan Neville. Th ...

'' (2001)) # R.E.M. - "Romance" (

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guitar ...

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. He also plays the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his ca ...

, Mike Mills,

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...

) (also available on the compilation album ''

Eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

'' (1988)) # Ric Ocasek - "I Still Want You" (Ric Ocasek) #

Luther Vandross Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

- "There's Only You" (Luther Vandross) (an early demo version is available on the compilation album '' Love, Luther'' (2007)) # The Nylons - " Up the Ladder to the Roof" ( Frank Wilson, Vincent DiMirco) (from the album ''One Size Fits All'' (1982)) #

Buffalo Springfield Buffalo Springfield was a rock band formed in Los Angeles by Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin and American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay. The group, widely known for the song " For What It's Worth", r ...

- " Mr. Soul" (Neil Young) (from the album '' Buffalo Springfield Again'' (1967)) # Buffalo Springfield - "I Am a Child" (Neil Young) (from the album '' Last Time Around'' (1968)) #

- "Same Time, Another Place" # Mark Isham - "Beyond the Frames" # Mark Isham - "Instead of Floating" Pre-recorded songs from the film that were not on the soundtrack album: *

Sly and the Family Stone Sly and the Family Stone was an American band from San Francisco. Active from 1966 to 1983, it was pivotal in the development of funk, soul, rock, and psychedelic music. Its core line-up was led by singer-songwriter, record producer, and multi ...

- "

If You Want Me to Stay "If You Want Me to Stay" is a 1973 hit single by Sly and the Family Stone, from their album ''Fresh''. Background Stone recorded the song without much input from the rest of the band; by the early 1970s, he had begun crafting most of his materia ...

" (

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

) * Buffalo Springfield - " For What It's Worth" (

Stephen Stills Stephen Arthur Stills (born January 3, 1945) is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. As both a solo act and member of two successful bands, Stills has co ...

) *

Alberta Hunter Alberta Hunter (April 1, 1895 – October 17, 1984) was an American jazz and blues singer and songwriter from the early 1920s to the late 1950s. After twenty years of working as a nurse, Hunter resumed her singing career in 1977. Early life Hu ...

- "Long May We Love" (Grace Freed, Roc Hillman) *

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

- "Why Should We Try Anymore" (Hank Williams) *

Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), ...

and Red Foley - "Goodnight, Irene" (

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter (; January 20, 1888 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the folk sta ...

)

Reception

The film was not a box office success, grossing a little over $4.5 million against a budget of $13 million. The film's critical reception was mixed. ''Made in Heaven'' holds a 56% rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

based on sixteen reviews.

References

External links