Made in Heaven

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Made in Heaven

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Plot

Alan Rudolph directed this offbeat, boy-meets-girl romance in which boy dies, dead boy meets dead girl, dead boy loses dead girl, and dead boy tries to find dead girl again. The tale begins is a small Pennsylvania town, where Mike Shea (Timothy Hutton) dreams of escaping small town life and moving to California with his girlfriend Brenda (Mare Winningham). But Brenda leaves him with his motor running and Mike takes off alone. On the way, he rescues a woman and her children from an icy river but perishes himself. He finds himself in Heaven, where he is greeted by Aunt Lisa (Maureen Stapleton), who explains the rules and regulations. Once in the ethereal realm, Mike falls in love with a heavenly lass with flaxen locks named Annie (Kelly McGillis). But their love is torn asunder because Annie 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 in despair, but the heavenly powers, in the form of Emmett (Debra Winger), chain-smoking and sporting an orange crewcut like a ghostly Laurie Anderson, offer him a deal. Mike can return to Earth, but only on the stipulation that neither he nor Annie will remember each other. They then have thirty years in which to find one another again. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

Cast

Ray Gideon - Mr. Packert; Debra Winger - Emmett; Zack Finch - Billy Packert; Ann Wedgeworth - Annette Shea, Mike's Mother; James Gammon - Steve Shea, Mike's Father; Mare Winningham - Brenda Carlucci; Neil Young - Truck Driver; Tom Robbins - Mario the Toymaker; James Tolkan - Mr. Bjornstead; Ric Ocasek - Shark; Vyto Ruginis - Lyman McCray; Gailard Sartain - Sam Morrell; Leon Martell - Reginald/T.V. Interviewer; Matraca Berg; Tom Petty - C.C. Stank; John Considine - Angel With Tophat; Robert Knepper - Orrin; Bob Gould - Chandler Toy Co. Executive; Debra Dusay - Miss Barnett; Dirk Blocker - Shorty; Kerrie Cullen - Mother at River; Tim Daly - Tom Donnelly; Patricia J. Earnest - Mrs. Burwell; Michael Klastorin - Murray; Amanda Plummer - Wiley Foxx; Johnny Popwell, Sr. - Mr. Wainfield/Choir Director; Willard E. Pugh - Guy Blanchard/Brian Dalton; David Rasche - Donald Sumner; John M. Rosenberg - Campus Friend; Henry Sanders - Henry; Elliott Street - Andy; David Bethany - Best Man at Chandler Wedding; Mark Isham - Zeus/Keyboards; Patrick O'Hearn - Titus White/Bass Player; Georges Pappas - Engineer at Recording Studio; Danielle Aubuchon - Girl at Clios; Randy Cash - Gas Station Attendant; Gary Larson; Stuart Manne - Det. Caeser; Pete Munro - Tailor at Wedding Rehearsal; Emmet Humbird - Himself; Paul A. Simmons - Man on Curb; Jon Kohler - Clio Awards Presenter

Credit

Steven G. Legler - Art Director, Pam Dixon - Casting, April Ferry - Costume Designer, Alan Rudolph - Director, Tom Walls - Editor, Mark Isham - Composer (Music Score), Neil Young - Composer (Music Score), Neil Young - Songwriter, Paul Peters - Production Designer, Jan Kiesser - Cinematographer, Ray Gideon - Producer, David Blocker - Producer, Bruce A. Evans - Producer, Paul Peters - Set Designer, Max W. Anderson - Special Effects, Ronald Judkins - Sound/Sound Designer, Robert C. Jackson - Sound/Sound Designer, Ray Gideon - Screenwriter, Bruce A. Evans - Screenwriter, Alan Rudolph - Screenwriter

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Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Made in Heaven (film)

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Made in Heaven
Directed by Alan Rudolph
Produced by David Blocker
Bruce A. Evans
Raynold Gideon
Written by Bruce A. Evans
Raynold Gideon
Starring Timothy Hutton
Kelly McGillis
Maureen Stapleton
Ann Wedgeworth
Mare Winningham
Don Murray
Amanda Plummer
Music by Mark Isham
Cinematography Jan Kiesser
Editing by Tom Walls
Distributed by Lorimar Productions
Release date(s) November 6, 1987
Running time 102 min.
Country United States
Language English
Budget $9 million
Box office $4,573,000

Made in Heaven is a 1987 feature film directed by Alan Rudolph, script from Bruce A. Evans and Raynold Gideon, and produced by Lorimar Productions. The film stars Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis and has cameos by Tom Petty, Ric Ocasek, Ellen Barkin and Neil Young. An additional character known only as "Emmett" in the film was played by Debra Winger (Hutton's then wife), who acted as a chain-smoking male angel.

The original music score was composed by Mark Isham. 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 souls who cross paths in Heaven and then attempt to reconnect once they are reborn on Earth.

In 2009, the film made its DVD debut as part of the Warner Archive Collection.

Contents

Plot summary

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. Along the way, he rescues a woman and her children from a river but perishes himself. He finds himself in Heaven, where his Aunt Lisa greets him, and explains the rules and regulations. Once in the ethereal realm, Mike falls in love with a heavenly guide named Annie Packert (McGillis).

Their love is abruptly interrupted because Annie 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 neither he nor Annie will remember each other. He then has thirty years in which they must find each other again.

Cast

Actor Role
Timothy Hutton Mike Shea/Elmo Barnett
Kelly McGillis Annie Packert/Ally Chandler
Maureen Stapleton Aunt Lisa
Ann Wedgeworth Annette Shea
James Gammon Steve Shea
Mare Winningham Brenda Carlucci
Don Murray Ben Chandler
Timothy Daly Tom Donnelly
David Rasche Donald Summer
Amanda Plummer Wiley Foxx
Ellen Barkin Lucille (uncredited)
Debra Winger Emmett Humbird (uncredited)
Ric Ocasek Mechanic (uncredited)
Neil Young Truck Driver (uncredited)

Soundtrack

Made In Heaven: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released through Elektra Records on LP and cassette, but not on CD.

  1. Martha Davis (of The Motels) - "We've Never Danced" (Neil Young) (also available on The Motels' 2001 compilation album Anthologyland)
  2. R.E.M. - "Romance" (Bill Berry/Peter Buck/Mike Mills/Michael Stipe) (also available on the 1988 compilation album Eponymous)
  3. Ric Ocasek - "I Still Want You" (Ric Ocasek)
  4. Luther Vandross - "There's Only You" (Luther Vandross) (an early demo version is available on the 2007 compilation album Love, Luther)
  5. The Nylons - "Up the Ladder to the Roof" (Frank Wilson/Vincent DiMirco) (from the 1982 album One Size Fits All)
  6. Buffalo Springfield - "Mr. Soul" (Neil Young) (from the 1967 album Buffalo Springfield Again)
  7. Buffalo Springfield - "I Am A Child" (Neil Young) (from the 1968 album Last Time Around)
  8. Mark Isham - "Same Time, Another Place"
  9. Mark Isham - "Beyond The Frames"
  10. Mark Isham - "Instead Of Floating"

Pre-recorded songs from the film that were not on the soundtrack album:

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Mentioned in

Lyly, John (Quotes By)
Made in Heaven (1990 TV Series)
Original Nuttah (1994 Album by Shy FX)
Glazed (1988 Album by Earl King)