Heaven (1987) User Reviews

Eclectic, if nothing else

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 13 October 2006]

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 ****

Fun with Fundamentalism

[luludavis · 12 December 2004]

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.

Inspiring for Believers and Non Believers Alike

[riotgrrl2x · 10/10 · 28 October 2004]

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 film is anything but heavenly

[sundialpictures-01657 · 1/10 · 26 May 2021]

A condescending and obnoxious documentary that's sole purpose seems to be depicting the religious as a bunch of crazy people. Irritating use of cross-cutting between old film clips and interviews appear to be done for comedic effect. The camera angles as canted in every scene with either the subject seen askew or with their heads stuck in the bottom corner of the frame. By the end of this film, I had a migraine and had to take a nap. Just awful.

Fantastic Insights and Interviews

[mastrait · 10/10 · 30 April 2001]

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.

All-Too-Truthful Documentary...

[mhoffmanartist · 11 November 2003]

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.

This documentary impressed me so much.

[hadmatter · 6 December 1999]

Heaven's subject is simply that. Diane Keaton interviews a terrific assortment of people on the topic of what they believe heaven is like. Alone or in pairs, she asks her subjects a variety of questions about what they expect to find in the afterlife. The interviews are then edited together to show us how different people responded to the same questions. Keaton sets the mood by introducing her collage technique. Topical clips from black-and-white films, painted title cards, and interviews with her subjects are all interwoven to create a playful and interesting discussion of heaven. The title cards set up themes (Is there Sex in Heaven?), then the next several clips will show people addressing that very question. Keaton herself does not appear in the film. The subjects sit in beautiful, slightly surreal sets, directing their responses off-camera. What really made this film stand out for me, though, is its delightful attitude. By staying off-camera, Keaton removes herself as the questioner and puts me in her place, so I can't help but begin to feel her genuine curiosity in asking questions about heaven. Personal religious beliefs become secondary to a joy I take in hearing what the concept of heaven means to these various people. And I grow to really LIKE these people. The first thing I learn about them is this deeply personal notion of what they think will happen to them after they die. I was totally fascinated, and I bought the movie, and I recommend it to everyone. It's hilarious, sometimes sad, occasionally creepy, and completely interesting. I felt cheated that I had never heard about it until twelve years after it was made. I could have been enjoying it for so much longer.

Inspiration

[ctpb50 · 9 January 2003]

Director Diane Keaton, has created a Gem in "Heaven".....it's one of those flicks that sneaks up on you......and years later, you remember.........

(16 years later).....for me....as a Producer/Director, producing a documentary which has a major universal appeal/connection.....Ms. Keaton's "Heaven" continues to inspire me..........to Dream BIG....while keeping it Simple......

Hats Off to you, Diane! and thank you kindly....for paving the way....

A Terrible Movie

[Vincent_B · 20 June 2004]

This was a complete waste of time. Diane uses "street people" (people chosen at random) to ask a scant few questions about their personal beliefs on Heaven. She might as well had interviewed people in a mental ward. The few theologists that she interviews are never allowed to show any intelligence. The atheistic/agnostic viewpoints are also shot to hell. Between the Q&A mini interviews we are bombarded by black and white cuts from old 1930's sci-fi and a man's voice screaming "Are you afraid to die?".

I would have preferred to have watched a serious debate between top notch doctors of theology and atheism. Most believers in God and Heaven will see this as poor representation of their beliefs, while the rest might pass the whole movie off as satire. Atheists and agnostic people probably won't waste their time let alone get past the title. If you edit out or fast forward through the b&w clips of nonsense the interviews last about 40 minutes.