Down to Earth (2001)

User Rating:

5.0/10   

Directors:

Chris Weitz
Paul Weitz

Writers (WGA):

Elaine May (1978 screenplay Heaven Can Wait) and
Warren Beatty (1978 screenplay Heaven Can Wait) ...

Release Date:

16 February 2001 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Fantasy

Tagline:

A story of premature reincarnation.

Plot:

After dying before his time, an aspiring comic gets a second shot at life...by being reincarnated as a wealthy but un-likeable businessman.

Plot Keywords:

Heaven | Angel | Reincarnation | Butler | New York Skyline

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Chris Rock	...	Lance Barton
Regina King	...	Sontee Jenkins
Chazz Palminteri	...	King
Eugene Levy	...	Keyes
Frankie Faison	...	Whitney Daniels
Mark Addy	...	Cisco
Greg Germann	...	Sklar
Jennifer Coolidge	...	Mrs. Wellington
Wanda Sykes	...	Wanda
John Cho	...	Phil Quon
Mario Joyner	...	Apollo M.C.
Bryetta Calloway	...	Gospel Singer
Martha Chaves	...	Rosa
Brian Rhodes	...	Charles Wellington, III
Herb Lovelle	...	Trashman

Also Known As:

Einmal Himmel und zurück (Germany)
I Was Made to Love Her (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual humor and some drug references.

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA | Australia | Germany | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG-13 (certificate #38009) | Iceland:L | Malaysia:U | South Korea:15 | Finland:K-11 | Canada:14A (Manitoba) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Brazil:12 | Germany:6 | Netherlands:AL | Spain:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

3 Art Entertainment

Trivia:

Many of the comedy routines used in the movie were on Chris Rock's "Bigger and Blacker" album.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: The hospital is supposed to be in Brooklyn, but when we look across the river to Manhattan we see the Queensboro bridge and the UN which both would mean the filmed it in Queens, not Brooklyn.

Quotes:

[after almost getting in a car accident]
Lance Barton: Sontee, you okay?
Sontee Jenkins: Yeah, I'm okay, Cisco, you okay?
Cisco: Yeah, I'm okay, Wanda, you okay?
Wanda: Hell no! I spilled my drink!

Movie Connections:

References Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Murder, Inc.

Not as bad as I thought, but not like the original!

There is a general feeling amongst film fans and critics that 1941s Here Comes Mr. Jordan is the best-yet screen version of Harry Segall's stage piece Heaven Can Wait. Another worthy remake, although not as good as Here Comes Mr. Jordan, was 1978s Heaven Can Wait, which lost some of the original's charm but still had plenty of wonderful ensemble acting. This is the third version of the story I have seen on-screen, and with Heaven Can Wait and Here Comes Mr. Jordan fresh in my memory, I was expecting to hate this picture with a passion. Here Comes Mr. Jordan is among my thirty favorite films ever, and I thoroughly enjoyed its remake.

Although simpler at times and less sophisticated, Down to Earth is an attention holder. If it came on tv, I would probably change the chanel after a few minutes, but stuck in the teatre, I was not tempted to walk out (as I often am). Don't get me wrong: I did not like this movie, but it exceeded my expectations. It brought in some funny new twists that if handled by a more pedigree cast and crew could have formed a contemporary classic.

Unfortunately, it was made for the masses, and (inexplicably) was quite popular with it theatrical release. Don't go out of your way to see this, but if you have some time to kill, by all means take a look. But be sure to watch the orignal two picture versions to see how it should have been done.