Warren Beatty and Buck Henry’s HEAVEN CAN WAIT (1978)

RETROFANTASMA FILM SERIES
Select Wednesdays at 7pm in Cinema One | $10 per person.

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 7pm
Warren Beatty and Buck Henry’s HEAVEN CAN WAIT
(PG, 1978, 101 min)
“Joe Pendleton... the only guy who ever raised hell about going to heaven.” Heaven Can Wait is a hilarious romantic fantasy about second chances, new loves, and dead quarterbacks. Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a star football player with a promising career, is mistakenly yanked from life too soon by his overzealous guardian angel. To fix this cosmic error, Mr. Jordan (James Mason), a high-ranking celestial official who oversees the afterlife, returns Joe into the body of a recently-murdered millionaire. Unfortunately, Joe’s still the target of the millionaire’s scheming wife and her lover (Dyan Cannon and Charles Grodin), who are desperate to finish the job. Determined to still play in the Super Bowl, Joe must convince his former coach (Jack Warden) that he’s really back from the dead while also falling in love with a wary British activist (Julie Christie) who suspects he may be crazy. Heaven Can Wait earned nine Academy Award nominations including Best Picture. Sharp, funny, and unexpectedly touching, it’s a once-beloved gem that deserves far more attention than it gets today.
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