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‘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

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Categories

Apex Mountain

Bill Simmons▶ 19:48Julie 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
Bill Simmons▶ 1:31:12Warren Beatty: 'I personally would say Shampoo, because after Shampoo he could do anything he wanted' — which produced this movie — though Reds (the Oscar) was argued; Julie Christie's apex stays 1965; Grodin's is Midnight Run; Jack Warden probably not; the Rams' first LA iteration yes.
Chris Ryan▶ 1:32:06On Beatty, noted he does Reds and then doesn't really do anything with it until Ishtar; called Heaven Can Wait 'the most famous' metaphysical body-swap movie; agreed Grodin's apex is Midnight Run (with his talk show after).
Van Lathan▶ 1:33:10Argued Dyan Cannon's Apex Mountain is arguably being a Showtime Lakers superfan ('so many people know her' from that and the NBA commercial); on metaphysical body-swap movies, concluded 'it's probably Big — Big probably sets the tone', while noting this is the movie many of those are mimicking.

Hall of Fame Plaque

Bill Simmons▶ 20:51Julie Christie is not in the Hall of Fame
Van Lathan▶ 20:56Julie Christie belongs in the 'Foreign Hall of Fame' alongside Monica Bellucci, Judi Dench, and young Helen Mirren

Most Rewatchable Scene

Bill Simmons▶ 52:25The last 10 minutes of the movie, particularly the scene with Christie when it goes dark and she says 'you're the quarterback'
Chris Ryan▶ 53:36Training montage football practice, watching Grodin get sacked
Van Lathan▶ 52:49The scene where he's convincing Max, with honorable mention to the boardroom scene

Den of Thieves Benihana Award

Bill Simmons▶ 57:08Leo Farnsworth's house (the Filoli Mansion)
Chris Ryan▶ 57:09Mentioned Joe's place in Topanga as an alternative that probably gained the most value

What's Aged the Best

Bill Simmons▶ 1:00:26Vincent Gardenia's performance, the Dave Grusin score, overtime Super Bowl concept, and Leo Farnsworth as an asshole rich guy billionaire archetype
Chris Ryan▶ 1:02:17California New Age wellness culture - drinking whey liver shakes and alfalfa sprouts
Van Lathan▶ 1:01:38The popularity of backup quarterbacks and environmental causes themes

Butch's Girlfriend Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:09:35Two Rams quarterbacks dying in the span of three months - the statistical improbability of this plot point
Chris Ryan▶ 1:10:11Julia Christie's hair and vibe - specifically her unflattering 70s haircut

Stephen A. Smith Hottest Take Award

Bill Simmons▶ 1:21:39Julie Christie was the hottest British lady that ever lived
Chris Ryan▶ 1:21:04Mr. Jordan's quote about individual likelihood being right invented Jim Rome culture and debate culture
Van Lathan▶ 1:19:02The 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

Casting What-Ifs

Bill Simmons▶ 1:24:21Cary 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)
Chris Ryan▶ 1:25:01Clint 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
Van Lathan▶ 1:25:15Clint 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

Is This Movie Better With

Bill Simmons▶ 1:43:33Does Ryan Rucco impression, doesn't propose a specific actor/character from the list that would improve the movie
Chris Ryan▶ 1:42:48John Gruden doing commentary on Joe Pendleton and the Rams organization

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Bill Simmons▶ 1:48:27What happens to Tom Jarrett the next day - likely gets CT from Super Bowl hit, ends up eating through a straw by 1992
Van Lathan▶ 1:48:56What 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

Coach Finstock Life Lesson

Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:43There's a reason for everything. There's always a plan.

Best Double Feature

Bill Simmons▶ 1:50:59Shampoo — Shampoo - mid-70s Beatty double feature
Chris Ryan▶ 1:51:12Fletch — Fletch - same kicking around rich people, L.A. vibe
Van Lathan▶ 1:51:16Meet Joe Black

Who Won the Movie

Bill Simmons▶ 1:51:42Warren Beatty — Beatty

Movies Referenced (53)

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan▶ 11:44IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Midnight Run (1988)

5 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan▶ 49:14IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dick Tracy (1990)

4 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 8:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Seems Like Old Times (1980)

4 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 49:24IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Bruce Almighty (2003)

3 mentions · Van Lathan▶ 1:53:18IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Foul Play (1978)

3 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 29:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Basic Instinct (1992)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 57:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Boogie Nights (1997)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 12:37IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Death Wish (2018)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 1:52:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Every Which Way But Loose (1978)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan▶ 28:57IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Ghost (1990)

2 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 1:05:28IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Grease (1978)

2 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons▶ 28:54IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Directors Referenced (8)

Warren Beatty

66 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for Reds, Heaven Can Wait▶ 0:39IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Clint Eastwood

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Million Dollar Baby, Gran Torino, Unforgiven▶ 29:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

George Clooney

5 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for The Ides of March, Good Night, and Good Luck., Michael Clayton▶ 10:59IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jim Rome

2 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for The Longest Yard, Space Jam▶ 1:21:15IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Peter Bogdanovich

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Last Picture Show, Paper Moon▶ 1:26:48IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Arthur Penn

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Bonnie and Clyde, The Miracle Worker▶ 1:26:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Michael Mann

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Insider, Collateral, The Last of the Mohicans▶ 1:41:41IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Mike Nichols

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?▶ 1:26:47IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Actors Referenced (76)

Jack Warden

19 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for 12 Angry Men, All the President's Men, While You Were Sleeping▶ 27:04IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Charles Grodin

18 mentions · Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons, Van Lathan · Known for Midnight Run▶ 17:38IMDb ↗Lb ↗

James Mason

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for North by Northwest▶ 39:42IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Julie Christie

13 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Don't Look Now, Fahrenheit 451▶ 1:13IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Buck Henry

11 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for The Graduate, Catch-22▶ 27:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Dave Grusin

7 mentions · Bill Simmons, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Firm, The Graduate▶ 13:00IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Redford

7 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for The Natural, Ordinary People, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid▶ 9:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Burt Reynolds

5 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Bill Simmons · Known for Boogie Nights, Smokey and the Bandit, Striptease▶ 5:09IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Eva Green

4 mentions · Bill Simmons, Chris Ryan · Known for Casino Royale, Kingdom of Heaven▶ 1:21:50IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Helen Mirren

4 mentions · Chris Ryan, Van Lathan · Known for The Queen, Gosford Park▶ 21:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Jerry Jones

4 mentions · Van Lathan · Known for The Long Goodbye, Dolemite▶ 45:03IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Magic Johnson

4 mentions · Van Lathan, Bill Simmons · Known for Brown Sugar▶ 45:34IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Writers Referenced (5)

Adam McKay

2 mentions · Van Lathan, Chris Ryan · Known for Don't Look Up, The Other Guys, Vice▶ 10:52IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Elaine May

2 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Primary Colors▶ 27:06IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Agatha Christie

1 mentions · Chris Ryan · Known for Witness for the Prosecution▶ 1:15:45IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Robert Towne

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Chinatown, Mission: Impossible, The Last Detail▶ 27:11IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Roger Ebert

1 mentions · Bill Simmons▶ 30:08IMDb ↗Lb ↗

Cinematographers Referenced (1)

Lotfi El Gorda

1 mentions · Bill Simmons · Known for Aquaman, Noah▶ 1:05:02IMDb ↗Lb ↗