Heaven Can Wait (DVD)

Heaven Can Wait

Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is a quarterback for the LA Rams, and has just been given a chance to start. He is an exercise fanatic, and while bicycling, he is hit by a car. He is plucked into a "way station" by his Escort (Buck Henry) by mistake. Joe refuses to go on to heaven, and by the time the Escort and Mr. Jordan (James Mason) realize this, his body has been cremated, and they cannot return him to his body.

Mr. Jordan allows Joe to see several candidate bodies (just before they die), offering Joe a chance to inhabit their body. He finally selects the body of a murdered millionaire, Leo Farnsworth. It turns out the millionaire was murdered by his wife Julia (Dyan Cannon) and assistant Tony (Charles Grodin). He makes his decision after seeing Betty Logan (Julie Christie), a teacher who is petitioning on behalf of a small town. Joe realizes he can help Betty as Farnsworth. He tries to explain to Betty that he's Joe, but she doesn't buy it.

Joe starts to assimilate into Farnsworth's life, but the lack of football is annoying. He's not very happy with the corporate cutthroat style, and amazes everyone with his new, more caring attitude. He uses football analogies to define his company's new direction, and people think he's crazy. Betty is impressed, and he takes her out to dinner - at a drive-thru. They fall in love, awkwardly.

The Escort tells Joe they have another body, but Joe has decided to get Farnsworth's body in shape instead. He tells Julia he wants a divorce, and Julia and Tony continue to try and kill him. He contacts his old trainer Max (Jack Warden) to get him into shape. He manages to convince Max that he's Joe. They start an exercise program, and get the staff to participate. He buys the team and announces he wants to play QB. During a scrimmage, Tony drops comments designed to get the players angry at Joe. The defense keeps jumping offside and punishing Joe, but Joe perserveres and wins the players over.

After the scrimmage, Joe hosts a party, and Julia and Tony see him wander off with Betty. He sees the Escort, who tells him he can't continue using Farnsworth's body. Joe tells Betty to remember him, and after she's gone, Tony shoots him. The body falls into a well and Joe and Mr. Jordan return to the way station. Meanwhile, the staff and police cannot find Farnsworth's body. During the investigation, Julia tries to pin the murder on Betty.

During the Super Bowl, the Rams QB gets mortally, injured, and Joe takes over his body. Watching the game, Max realizes Joe is in a new body and Tony cracks, blaming Julia for the murder. Joe wins the Super Bowl with the Rams, then Mr. Jordan appears and tells Joe that he won't remember being Joe - he's Tom Jarrett, the Rams QB now. Max doesn't realize Joe is now Tom, but finally comes to grips with it.

Betty comes to see Max and sees Joe/Tom in the hallway. They speak, and she sees glints of Joe in the new Tom. He invites her to have coffee, and they walk away together. The end.