Michael (1996)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Nora Ephron

Writers (WGA):

Peter Dexter (story) &
Jim Quinlan (story) ...

Release Date:

25 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

He's an angel... Not a saint.

Plot:

Two tabloid reporters checking out a report of the Archangel Michael living with an old woman find that it's true. But that's not the only surprise.

Plot Keywords:

Tabloid | Reporter | Archangel Michael | Iowa | Angel

Cast

John Travolta	...	Michael
Andie MacDowell	...	Dorothy Winters
William Hurt	...	Frank Quinlan
Bob Hoskins	...	Vartan Malt
Robert Pastorelli	...	Huey Driscoll
Jean Stapleton	...	Pansy Milbank
Teri Garr	...	Judge Esther Newberg
Wallace Langham	...	Bruce Craddock
Joey Lauren Adams	...	Anita
Carla Gugino	...	Bride
Tom Hodges	...	Groom
Catherine Lloyd Burns	...	Evie
Richard Schiff	...	Italian Waiter
Calvin Trillin	...	Sheriff
Donald J. Lee Jr.	...	Court Bailiff

MPAA:

Rated PG for a mild barroom brawl, some language and sensuality.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Austria:U | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 (w) | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate no. 34653)

Filming Locations:

Austin, Texas, USA

Company:

Turner Pictures (I)

Goofs:

Errors in geography: When all of them are driving to downtown Chicago to see the Sears Tower, there's a shot of the car driving down the highway. Then in the next scene you see them driving down another highway with the lake on the left, and the John Hancock Tower in front of them. This is impossible because the first highway is I-90 and the other highway is Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Route 41). There is no direct way to go from I-90 to U.S. 41.

Quotes:

Michael: I'm not that kind of angel.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Yes Man (2008)

Soundtrack:

Feels Like Home

Lovely Capraesque Comedy Drama

It has been quite some time since I last saw this film. However, the amazingly low IMDB score has prompted me to jot down a few thoughts and memories I have regarding this under-appreciated masterpiece.

I find it appalling that this film would score so poorly in this arena. It is a wonderful, life affirming story with a positive message. Perhaps this is what we have come to. The comedy is not gross enough, the message too sentimental and the meaning too simple for modern "sophisticated" audiences. Well, I for one, absolutely loved every minute of it. It is easily Andie MacDowell's best performance. William Hurt is fantastic as the cynic who comes around in the end and the whole supporting cast does a wonderful job. Of course, John Travolta is superb. This is one of my favorite roles Travolta has played and it is simply resplendent. I would have to say this is in my top twenty of comedy-dramas ever. I just happen to love the way the film unapologetically illustrates how wonderful life is. How even the little things that we take for granted, like pie, are fantastic and how we should enjoy every minute like it was our last.

For a much more detailed and well written review see the fine work of jhclues who echoes my feelings about the movie so much that I feel it would be redundant of me to restate, probably poorly, all that they have already committed to page.

It is also interesting that so many people really hated it. I wonder if they weren't just put off by the "less than traditional" view of a religious subject.