Made in Heaven (1987) User Reviews (50)

Not as good as I remembered 20 years ago.

[Robosharp · 5/10 · 5 May 2021]

Great concept, with at times a great atmosphere. But it's weird, nonsensical at times. With a more subtle plot and more care in execution it could've been a classic but Made in Heaven ends up a bit of a drag and a mess.

At its heart it's an atmospheric romance, which is where it's at its best. But then out of nowhere there will be a bizarre comic sketch which simply doesn't fit.

Really liked it first time I saw it. Not at all second time.

The Ending is Kind of a Letdown

[last-unicorn-77 · 5/10 · 28 March 2017]

This is a thoughtful little romance. Timothy Hutton is decent as Mike and a little better as Elmo. Kelly McGillis is cloyingly sweet as Annie but okay as Ally. I like that she gets to learn some of life's hard lessons - heartbreak, the loss of a parent, etc. Her time on earth is about growing up, since she was a "new soul" in Heaven. I also appreciate the journey that these two souls are on, to find one another and make their karmic kind of bond eternal. These are things that many of us romantics have wondered when we contemplate true love and whether there is really one special person out there for us or not. This movie attempts to address that question with some metaphysical bedazzling. It doesn't really address religion, other than to guarantee (according to Annie) that there is a God overseeing it all. Reincarnation is a thing. Jesus is never mentioned once. The main angel is called "Emmet" (and since "he" is played by Debra Winger I guess we are to surmise that "he" is transgender or somehow binary sexual) while the devil is represented by a living temptation named "Lucille" (Ellen Barkin). Some of the musical choices are inspiring, particularly the original featured song "We Never Danced" - which is supposed to be Elmo's baby and comes to the film courtesy of Neil Young, who also has a cameo as a truck driver. The cameos themselves are entertaining also. I especially like seeing one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins, as a toymaker in Heaven. Ric Ocasek as a mechanic (of course). And Tom Petty as a hustler in a bar who gets out-hustled by Lucille. I also appreciate Ann Wedgeworth and James Gammon, who lend a little bit of reality to the film. Unlike many viewers, I wish more time were spent on earth instead of in Heaven, and that the earthly plot moved faster. It is the periodic slow bits where the characters are half-remembering their heavenly existence that drags this part of the film down. It could have kept the same idea by inserting references without having to montage or flashback so much. We could have seen more growth for Annie/Ally and Mike/Elmo. And the ending? Ummm ... yeah. I can only surmise that they were hit by a bus. Seriously. I think they see each other on the street and get immediately hit by a bus. The film does not show this but neither did it show Mike drowning at the beginning. So here's my spoiler. You will watch this film waiting for the big romantic meeting and hoping to see them start a new life together at the end, holding out for hope and all that. Nope. Somehow they must die because they recognize each other and end up back in Heaven with little explanation as to what happened. So they were hit by a bus. Or an atomic bomb went off and we missed it. They both died simultaneously of premature heart attacks when they recognized each other? Somehow, this is not a happy ending for me. Final review: good premise, some highlights, flawed presentation, deus ex machina ending.

Wrong Choice by Mike.

[dcheng-7 · 5/10 · 18 September 2006]

For someone like Mike who's already in Heaven ( where there are lots of beautiful souls like Annie flying around), choosing to go back to earth IS A COMPLETELY WRONG CHOICE!

This is taken the fact that even when Mike does finally met Annie, which he did, they could never remember their affair back in Heaven, WHAT'S THE POINT? Their big love affair in Heaven is gone for good, but if Mike chooses to stay in Heaven and wait for Annie to come back one day, there is still hope!( Particularly when there are so many things you can do while waiting for her.) At least Mike can realize and remember Annie as Annie !

Must love be so stupid and blind?

Is this what the story wants to convey?

Great movie

[shmoore · 15 June 2000]

It is unfortunate that I am one of the few people I know who has seen this movie. I count it among my all time favorite films. It has a very different, fluid cinematic style, which I found very appealing. It is wonderfully written, acted, and directed, is very funny and in parts very touching. There are great cameo appearances by musicians Neil Young, Tom Petty and Ric Ocasek, as well as several actors who are oddly uncredited. "What Dreams May Come" was a disaster. "Made In Heaven" is a triumph. I can only hope it will be released on DVD.

sweet but slow

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 21 July 2018]

In the 50's, Mike Shea (Timothy Hutton) leaves his small town life and is driving to California. He stops to rescue a family but drowns in the accident. He is sent to heaven where he's met by his Aunt Lisa (Maureen Stapleton) and falls in love with new soul Annie Packert (Kelly McGillis). He is heart-broken when Annie is sent down to earth. He convinces the powers that be to send him back. He is given thirty years to find his true love. Annie's new name is Ally Chandler and she has an imaginary childhood friend named Mike. She marries Tom Donnelly (Tim Daly). Mike's new name is Elmo Barnett. He comes from a broken home and joins the military. He gets tricked by Lucille into robbing Stanky.

It's a rather slow romance. It's sweet but I can do with less heaven. Once the romance is established, it's ready to be broken and the rest is trying to piece it back together. The other problem is that they aren't together on earth until the end. That prevents them from having good relationship drama. I understand the premise but it's limiting. They should try harder to find each other even if they fail or don't understand exactly what they're looking for. The whole Lucille incident is silly. Ellen Barkin is completely over the top. This is a sweet idea but the execution is slow.

surprisingly dreary

[hbs · 4/10 · 1 October 2001]

Something like this needs to be whimsical, and this is very heavy-handed. It starts out flat stays that way. I was optimistic in spite of the negative reviews because of the cast, but the cast isn't at fault. The look and tone of the movie are uniformly depressing, and the story is not at all engaging. I was very disappointed by this movie...

Absolutely Wonderful

[Heidelberggirl · 10/10 · 27 May 2004]

This was a fabulous movie. It makes you sad, and happy, and hoping, and wishing, and everything that a movie should do. The sound track alone is worth it, I bought it and it is SOoooooooooo GREAT!!! Both feature players, Hutton & McGillis are so convincing in their roles. GREAT movie!! It shows that Heaven can be all things for all people, and is just dreamy. You despair at the last minute and then,.... well, you will have to see it yourself. I think it's a real classic. At times it is a real heart grabber. You think.. JUST TURN AROUND!!!

Wish it was on DVD.

What's worse than an Alan Rudolph art house feature?

[JohnSeal · 2/10 · 7 November 1999]

You guessed it, a big budget Alan Rudolph film. Rudolph always thinks he has terrific insights into human nature and this time he's pondering our immortal souls. Well, Alan, your heaven is pretty typical cinematic fluff. Golly gee, everyone's happy! Everyone gets along! They're all learning to play the harp! And everyone gets reborn at some point, sent back to earth to find their one true love.

When it wasn't boring me silly this one made my teeth hurt.

Possibly the best American romance ever filmed

[Niro · 10/10 · 7 November 1999]

...which is saying a lot, I realize.

Hutton & McGillis are so compelling that the myriad of celebrity cameos are immaterial.

This is a film about true, uncompromising, absolutely unquestionable love, and those who've not yet experienced it just might find it here.

The essential scenes in Heaven are, well... pure heaven. Without ignoring the teachings of the various religions, this pulls off what most of us hope Heaven will be like ~ presuming that we actually get there. Yeah, some of this might be considered to be a rip-off of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" [which was itself ripped off by Beatty's "Heaven Can Wait"] but Hollywood's all about rip-offs, right?

Anyway, I mentioned in the Subject of this mini~review that this might be the best American romance ever made.

In my mind, the very best romance film ever put on celluloid was also "made in Heaven" ~ Wim Wenders' incredible "Wings of Desire" [decently remade with Cage and Ryan as "City of Angels"]

This is a 10.

Comedy of the century

[krazykiddy · 1/10 · 25 December 2006]

an absolute hoot, there is no film you will ever see that is as badly done as this film, terrible plot and terrible acting. i could not stop laughing at this film, it tried so hard to be heart warming but I was almost on the floor in tears by the end. my favourite part was with the choir who every time they opened their mouth's a different instrument sound came out. If you want to watch a film seriously, do not watch this, if you want to laugh at a film, that is funny for all the wrong reasons then watch it.

I would have to say that this film is one of the worst films that i have ever seen.

"What Dreams May Come" Meets "Defending Your Life"...

[cariart · 10 March 2004]

Alan Rudolph's MADE IN HEAVEN is a pleasant, sweet-natured romantic comedy with a twist; the lovers meet in Heaven, after our hero (Timothy Hutton) dies, rescuing a family from a car that plunges into a river. It may seem familiar territory to viewers of Robin Williams' drama, WHAT DREAMS MAY COME, in it's depiction of the afterlife and reincarnation, and the Albert Brooks' fantasy, DEFENDING YOUR LIFE, which also involves a romance in Heaven (in Brooks' case, with Meryl Streep). Without the budget of the Williams' film (which won an Oscar for it's visual effects), or Brooks' occasionally caustic humor about Divine Judgment, MADE IN HEAVEN is a simpler tale, weaving in a theme of predestination between lovers 'meant' to be together, which makes it a perfect 'date' movie.

Hutton, dealing with being dead and in 'Paradise', appreciates the support of his Aunt Lisa (Maureen Stapleton), a long-dead budding painter in a heavenly Paris, but finds that he is lonely, and feels out of place. Then he meets heavenly guide Annie (Kelly McGillis), a new 'soul', who had never 'lived' on earth before, and the pair soon fall for each other, filling both his need for love and companionship, and her's, for an understanding of life, and passion. They marry, after being granted permission by 'The Boss', Emmett (an unbilled Debra Winger, who plays the male role very convincingly!)

Everything seems perfectly heavenly...until Anne's number is called to be born on Earth. Despite Hutton's pleas that the pair were 'meant' to be together, Anne's destiny cannot be changed...but he does convince Emmett to allow him to be 'reborn' on Earth, insisting that the pair's love would bring them together. With the understanding that his new life may not return him to Heaven, Emmett grants him 30 years to connect with Annie...or else.

In true soap opera fashion, the pair live wildly different lives, and have unfulfilling relationships with other partners, while each experiences flashbacks of the true love they had experienced in Heaven. Time is running out, however, and Hutton's 30th birthday is rapidly approaching, without meeting his soulmate...

A modest film, with a great supporting cast (including Tim Daly, Don Murray, Mare Winningham, and Amanda Plummer), MADE IN HEAVEN's theme, that Love truly DOES conquer all, is irresistible.

Grab YOUR soulmate, and enjoy it!

excellent love story, with a twist

[ajaws · 10/10 · 29 February 2000]

If you ever you had something and then lost it, looked everywhere but couldn't get a hold of that one thing that mattered so much in your life. Then this is the movie for you! If you ever fell in love, and something happened and you couldn't do anything to keep him/or her.

This movie will touch something inside you and will help you see how it is on the other side of life (heaven).

One thing that got me was that Emmett in the movie was Debra Winger. The main female in the movie "An officer and a Gentleman." That was another twist.

Made in Heaven on DVD

[swuzzbuzz · 10/10 · 30 October 2005]

Like many of you out there, I just LOVED this movie. Sure it was a bit sappy and corny, but it was cute and funny and full of characters that most of us could identify with. Anyway, I had the movie on VHS, but over the years never maintained my video collection and got rid of the VCR. I always wanted this movie on DVD and today, I found it available on Ebay.

If you are trying to find this movie, don't give up. It took me four years (not actively searching everyday LOL) to find it that I ordered two copies (just in case something happens to the first one).

LOVE THE MOVIE!!!!!!! I'm embarrassed to admit, but it always gives me goosebumps at the end when Kelly McGillis is an emotional wreck unable to contain her tears walking through the crowded city streets when suddenly she just "knows". (I got goosebumps just typing that...LOVE the movie!)

This is one of my all-time favorites!

[SuzieB · 26 November 1998]

This movie ranks up there with all those that can be watched time and time again and they never seem to get old or boring. I love this movie and recommend it to everyone.

Truly one of the more influential movies one can see...

[albertperez101 · 10/10 · 2 November 2006]

The most amazing thing about this movie isn't how perfect, enlightening, romantic, positive and fulfilling it is, but rather how it has managed to stay out of the central focus of the mainstream movie kind lovers. Obviously you have to have a certain open mind to fully enjoy it, but if you do,and if you let yourself believe that things may be done and organized in a certain way and that our acts can and do have a direct impact on whatever happens to us and to those around us, then this movie will gently, softly and almost mystically put the pieces of the puzzle together for you. There is for each one of us a special someone and at the risk of having this turn into a weapon in cynical peoples' minds, this is the kind of movies which lets you know that you shouldn't give up, and that you should keep the fire alive. I have used this movie for the longest time to pick me up from hard times and gather myself ton continue ahead. I am positive it can do the same to you... Enjoy it!

Innovative, original, and heart warming

[johnc-57 · 8/10 · 20 February 2006]

I think this is a great movie and wish the DVD woulds be released. The concept is so original and so up lifting that it sticks in my memory. The sound track is also a wonderful mix of songs. This story explains the values of life and love more than any big budget drama I can remember. The scenes are almost dreamlike and wonderful. This film is very different than the usual Alan Rudolph film. I think this represents Alan's idealistic side. In particular, I get a real emotional kick from the ending. If you believe in fate, than you will feel a rush of emotion. All the scenes in this film generated an emotional glow. The last time I watched this film was 5 years ago, and yet It still stays with me.

remember when u really cared about someone?

[Don-154 · 24 January 2003]

A romantic movie about how someone can fall in love on first sight. What I like about this movie is its simplicity. They meet and they fall in love but as all relationships go, they lose each other. Unfortunately life is the reason. Elmo Barnett [Tim Hutton] must find his true love Ally Chandler [Kelly mcgillis] in life and he only has till his 30th birthday to do so. Kelly Mcgillis plays an emotional love sick adult that holds onto love that doesn't exist but in her mind it does. For a low cost movie I found it refreshing and emotionally strong.

Love is yet another four-letter word.

[riccardi · 8/10 · 9 November 2004]

Love is absurd. Heaven is absurd. A movie about love and heaven may also be absurd or render the absurdity of love and heaven as palpable, revealing and refreshing. This movie truncates two lifetimes into two hours and leaves you with the sense that, for at least some of us, love is all that more powerful when we allow for the supernatural, the absurd components, to mix with biology. The fascinating consideration is that the woman was made (four-letter word for conceived) in Heaven and only subsequently was earth-bound. The existentialism is indeed fascinating in spite of the temporal truncation. As the poet Michael Biscardi has written, "There are some truths that serve where facts do not."

Incredible, but it might be truth?

[betto · 10/10 · 27 May 1999]

It is an excellent interpretation for Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis, a love story to be remembered forever, so you can never forget there might be soulmates everywhere trying to find each other without knowing it.

I really liked the song at the end of the movie, an excellent interpretation that shows the emotion they feel when they find each other again, to finish the movie with an excellent feeling that shakes you to the bone.

A wonderful romantic comedy, written in the stars....

[JO-121 · 8 May 2000]

A "chick flick" with some thought put into it, "Made in Heaven" reminds us why Timothy Hutton is such a good actor. His wonderful performance in a movie that could have been trite, makes the viewer love the "written-in-the-stars" romance that blossoms on screen. Hutton's character dies and goes to heaven, where he meets Kelly McGillis, who has yet to be born on Earth. The two fall in love and are married in heaven. When her turn to born happens, he convinces the powers-that-be to let him return to Earth and find her. Of course, neither one will remember their love in heaven....and therein lies the rub.

A Beautiful Heavenly Film

[mrmodel · 10/10 · 15 April 2015]

I love this film. For those of us who have ever felt a little bit of "heaven" in our lives, this film feels very real. First, the settings on earth in what appear to be the 1950's seem quite real, for earth at the time. Then there's "heaven", shown to be a fantastical loving highly evolved place that exists only to inspire us here on earth to believe in ourselves, in something better, to have faith in a more positive future. Then our return from heaven to earth, with hope in our hearts and faith in our souls, ready to fight the fight we all must face while living our human lives. With what the heart feels in the form of pure love being the most profound and respected by those watching us from above. I highly recommend.

Incredible..

[scorpiomale01 · 10/10 · 16 May 2008]

I have been enamored by this film since I was a child like many other fans caught the film one night on HBO. I have always considered myself a closet romantic and this film touched me on a level I didn't know existed. At the time I had no girlfriend and was very 15 years old but always considered my many to be an old soul. The characters were simple and pure, innocent in a word and I believe that is what perfect love is. I've always believed in love at first sight and experienced it later on in life and I never forgot this movie. I actually sought it out in the nineties before video stores ride themselves of VHS. I copied it and recently watched it with my girlfriend and she cried as Annie and Elmo bounced around unknowingly searching for each other. I was fortunate enough to get the soundtrack on tape at an old music store and created mp3's from it. We plan on using much of the music during our wedding.. The love Mike/Elmo and Annie/Ally find is the kind I want to carry me through the rest of my life and beyond.. I would like to own the DVD I hear there is an alternate ending.. I'm curious to see it..

True love can always be found.

[Spiffy-Tiffy · 29 December 1998]

Anytime that a movie is made about heaven, there is always the chance that people may find it unbelievable. This was not the case in this wonderful movie.

Timothy Hutton first plays Mike, a young man who dies tragically saving the lives of a woman and her two kids.

Then he does the worst possible thing that he could do. He falls in love in Heaven. In this movie, no matter who you are in Heaven, you will return to Earth.

He falls in love with Annie, played majestically by Kelly McGillis.

To make a long story short, Annie returns to Earth. And Mike begs to be returned, in hopes to find Annie on Earth as he did in Heaven. He has until his Thirtieth Birthday to find her. With Timothy Hutton and Kelly McGillis leading the way,and wonderful supporting performances by Maureen Stapleton, Mare Winningham, Timothy Daly, and someone who we will just call Emmett, Made in Heaven will touch your heart, make you think, and will show you that you can always find true love.

Romantic suspense without sop.

[nospam-11 · 8/10 · 1 December 2000]

One of the better "life after death" movies poignantly moves through the lives of two people whose relationship was "Made in Heaven." I especially enjoyed the movement through Heaven, the scenery and ideas about the lives people lead once there and the transition between heavenly and earthly life. Definitely one of those movies you can watch again and again... and always be pleasantly surprised by noticing new cameos, a fantastic movie score and a great love story.

Willing to be true

[djmc · 10/10 · 21 July 1999]

Yes, looking this Movie you can't stop to think " I WANT THIS KIND OF LOVE TOO", and in the meantime you feel a bit RAISED by this weird representation of a strange Heaven, so so similar to our normal life, and for that, RELAXING... I think this movie leaves you with a feeling of peace and a great great need of take your Girl in your arms and think that SHE and YOU met in heaven...once upon a time...