So there I was, sitting in a theater in December of 2000 when the previews started.  One for a movie called Down To Earth with Chris Rock started playing.  Within 15 seconds, I went from enjoying a preview to being ticked off.  Down To Earth was a remake of Heaven Can Wait, a Warren Betty movie from the late 70’s that my parents had shown me.  But there are remakes made all of the time, why be upset at this one?  Well, from the previews I could tell it was going to be a horrible remake.  Sure enough, two months later, I was proven right.  The worst part is that they had to credit Beatty as a writer since they had lifted so much from the original movie.

So what is Heaven Can Wait about?

Warren Beatty plays a football player for the LA Rams (before they moved to St. Louis) who seems to have it all.  He is involved in an accident, and an overanxious angel pulls him out too soon.  With his original body cremated, a new one must be found.  Beatty inhabits the body of a wealthy industrialist, survives some murder attempts and falls in love.

The supporting casting is great:  Buck Henry as the angel, Charles Grodin (back when he actually acted) as the assistant, Jack Warden as his best friend.  A simple movie that hits all of the beats.

The DVD only had a trailer as extras, which is disappointing given the stars involved.

My advice:  pop this one in for a decent date movie…