‘Heaven Can Wait’ With Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, and Van Lathan
May 27, 2025 · Heaven Can Wait (1978) · Comedy · Fantasy · Romance · 1:54:57 · ▶ Listen on Spotify
Categories
Apex Mountain
Bill SimmonsJulie Christie — Julie Christie had her apex mountain in 1965 with Best Actress win for Darling and starring in Dr. Zhivago, then maintained a strong career through Shampoo before stepping back▶ 19:48
Hall of Fame Plaque
Van LathanJulie Christie belongs in the 'Foreign Hall of Fame' alongside Monica Bellucci, Judi Dench, and young Helen Mirren▶ 20:56
Most Rewatchable Scene
Bill SimmonsThe last 10 minutes of the movie, particularly the scene with Christie when it goes dark and she says 'you're the quarterback'▶ 52:25
Den of Thieves Benihana Award
Chris RyanMentioned Joe's place in Topanga as an alternative that probably gained the most value▶ 57:09
What's Aged the Best
Bill SimmonsVincent Gardenia's performance, the Dave Grusin score, overtime Super Bowl concept, and Leo Farnsworth as an asshole rich guy billionaire archetype▶ 1:00:26
Chris RyanCalifornia New Age wellness culture - drinking whey liver shakes and alfalfa sprouts▶ 1:02:17
Butch's Girlfriend Award
Bill SimmonsTwo Rams quarterbacks dying in the span of three months - the statistical improbability of this plot point▶ 1:09:35
Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award
Chris RyanMr. Jordan's quote about individual likelihood being right invented Jim Rome culture and debate culture▶ 1:21:04
Van LathanThe horror aspects of the movie - people being shown who are about to die like Final Destination, and idea for a sequel where Joe Pendleton's soul fights back against Tom Jarrett▶ 1:19:02
Casting What-Ifs
Bill SimmonsCary Grant — Discussed Warren Beatty wanting Cary Grant for Mr. Jordan ($1M offer declined), Diane Keaton as first choice but wanted Julie Christie due to personal feelings, and other directors considered (Arthur Penn, Mike Nichols, Peter Bogdanovich)▶ 1:24:21
Chris RyanClint Eastwood — Agreed about Super 70s casting difficulties with recurring names, discussed the star system requiring bankable names like Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford to get movies made▶ 1:25:01
Van LathanClint Eastwood — Noted the difficulty of 70s casting what-ifs with same 30 actors always mentioned, discussed Clint Eastwood's absence from typical casting rumors due to his independent cachet▶ 1:25:15
Is This Movie Better With
Bill SimmonsDoes Ryan Rucco impression, doesn't propose a specific actor/character from the list that would improve the movie▶ 1:43:33
Probably Unanswerable Questions
Bill SimmonsWhat happens to Tom Jarrett the next day - likely gets CT from Super Bowl hit, ends up eating through a straw by 1992▶ 1:48:27
Van LathanWhat happens to Corkle - gets committed the next day, becomes alcoholic, tries to tell people about the supernatural events but no one believes him, goes crazy▶ 1:48:56
Movies Referenced (51)
| Title (year) | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonnie and Clyde (1967) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 11:44 |
| Midnight Run (1988) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | ▶ 49:14 |
| Seems Like Old Times (1980) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 49:24 |
| Bruce Almighty (2003) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 3 | Van Lathan | ▶ 1:53:18 |
| Basic Instinct (1992) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 57:47 |
| Boogie Nights (1997) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:37 |
| Every Which Way But Loose (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 28:57 |
| Good Time (2017) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 46:07 |
| Grease (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | ▶ 28:54 |
| Misery (1990) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | ▶ 13:03 |
| Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 29:04 |
| Superman (2025) | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 12:55 |
Directors Referenced (8)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Beatty | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 66 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | Heaven Can Wait | ▶ 0:39 |
| Clint Eastwood | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven | ▶ 29:47 |
| George Clooney | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | The Ides of March, Michael Clayton | ▶ 10:59 |
| Jim Rome | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Chris Ryan | The Longest Yard, Space Jam | ▶ 1:21:15 |
| Peter Bogdanovich | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | The Last Picture Show | ▶ 1:26:48 |
| Arthur Penn | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Bonnie and Clyde | ▶ 1:26:47 |
| Michael Mann | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans | ▶ 1:41:41 |
| Mike Nichols | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | The Graduate | ▶ 1:26:47 |
Actors Referenced (76)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Warden | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 19 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping | ▶ 27:04 |
| Charles Grodin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 18 | Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan | Midnight Run | ▶ 17:38 |
| James Mason | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | North by Northwest | ▶ 39:42 |
| Julie Christie | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 13 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | Don't Look Now | ▶ 1:13 |
| Buck Henry | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 11 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | The Graduate | ▶ 27:00 |
| Dave Grusin | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | The Firm, The Graduate | ▶ 13:00 |
| Robert Redford | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 7 | Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid | ▶ 9:09 |
| Burt Reynolds | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 5 | Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons | Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit, Striptease | ▶ 5:09 |
| Eva Green | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan | Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven | ▶ 1:21:50 |
| Helen Mirren | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Chris Ryan, Van Lathan | Gosford Park | ▶ 21:06 |
| Jerry Jones | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan | ▶ 45:03 | |
| Magic Johnson | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 4 | Van Lathan, Bill Simmons | ▶ 45:34 |
Writers Referenced (5)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam McKay | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Van Lathan, Chris Ryan | Don't Look Up, The Other Guys | ▶ 10:52 |
| Elaine May | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 2 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 27:06 | |
| Agatha Christie | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Chris Ryan | ▶ 1:15:45 | |
| Robert Towne | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Chinatown, Mission: Impossible | ▶ 27:11 |
| Roger Ebert | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | ▶ 30:08 |
Cinematographers Referenced (1)
| Name | Links | Mentions | Mentioned by | Known For | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lotfi El Gorda | IMDb ↗Lb ↗ | 1 | Bill Simmons | Aquaman, Noah | ▶ 1:05:02 |