Heaven

A wonderfully entertaining look at Heaven through the eyes of those who believe in the fairy tale. Diane sets up her interviews in interesting mini-sets, and chooses her interviewees carefully and for a specific reason, which becomes clear when watching the movie. The film quality is grainy, and there are classic edited portions of movies from the early black and white era, but it adds to the affect. This is really a cult classic, and will be re-discovered in a few years for sure.

Why not rent it now. (I found a used laserdisc on ebay) Hopefully it will be re-released on DVD, with directors commentary. I would love to see follow-up interviews with some of the folks.

Actress Diane Keaton takes her first stab at directing with this unassuming little documentary about the possibility of an afterlife. It's an odd one, with Keaton (off-screen) interviewing a bizarre assortment of people on the subject of death, God and Jesus, and what is ultimately in store for all of us. The use of old movie clips to spike the action is well-intended but never really pays off, and the picture runs too long and outstays its welcome. Has some arty appeal however, and portions of it look good in a retro/campy way, but it isn't very engaging or enlightening. The soundtrack features an interesting mix of music, including a song by the Dream Academy entitled "Heaven" (natch) that is quite beautiful. **1/2 from ****

There is nothing average about these quirky, heart-wrenching, hysterical interviews with average folks, famous folks, heart-wrenching folks and hysterical folks in quirky settings answering age old questions about Heaven...(How Do You Get There?) (Is There Sex in Heaven?)

Everyone's point of view matters. Everyone's point of view becomes comical, if only for the deeply held sincerity of such a wide variety of beliefs.

My favorite quotes...

"Because I believe, and I believe, and I *Know*..."

"It's like he gave you a pair of shoes, and they were beautiful, but they were not my size. And that's how it is in Heaven."

"There are signs in the sky lotsa times Diane, lotsa times."

"And then Jesus flipped over into my living room."

The interviews are interspersed with unique, and some rare, film bits. I have over the years been able to discover and enjoy many of the films these were taken from, so that's a bonus as well.

I remember seeing Diane on the David Letterman show way back when promoting this film.... giggling that there were lots of kissing scenes. Little did i know when i raced out to buy and support her work that i would fall in love with (almost) everyone in the movie, too. I have cried for these people. I have laughed at and with these people. I've quoted this movie at least a thousand times.

All these years, and 3 VHS copies later, i can only hope that people are still discovering the beauty that is Heaven.

This is an effective odyssey into the religious beliefs of what appear to be mainly average people off the street, specifically regarding beliefs in "heaven". It also uses stock footage to good ends to illustrate its main themes, drawing from horror films, other old documentaries, Metropolis, etc. Most interviewees are harmless enough, if extremely naieve about fairy-tale types of "heaven", but the actual "ministers" are an arguably controlling, fear-mongering and hateful bunch. One woman claims all ethnic people will become white in heaven, but be allowed to keep their own names. Others have seen Jesus hovering around their homes, modelling different outfits in each room, before disappearing in the bathroom. If you've ever seriously wondered about the benefits of religious belief, what the ultimate "payoff" of those beliefs might be, and what sorts of average people harbor such beliefs, then "Heaven" amply illustrates the topic. Inventive, clever, outrageously funny, and touching and frightening simultaneously. Whether you're religious or not, this film is well worth seeking out.

Diane Keaton is brilliant in her ability to be funny and poignant . I was raised as a Pentacostal and it was a join to see someone not take religion so seriously without being offensive. She does manipulate the subject matter a bit but she is not cruel about it. The people she interviews are honest and quirky. I also

enjoyed seeing the vintage T.V. footage of 50s and 60s Christian faith healers. It was intriguing to see how little things have changed in the world of saving souls from evil. I wish that Ms. Keaton had made other movies in this genre. She

showed herself to be a lot more interesting than Woody Allen in the realm of

satire.