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 DOWN
TO EARTH
The film is a remake of the 1978 'Heaven Can Wait'. It underscores
a historic and cultural belief in a heaven.
- Review
by David Bruce
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DOWN TO EARTH
(2001)
This page was created on February 18, 2001
This page was last updated on
May 16, 2005
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 Directed
by Chris Weitz and Paul Weitz
Written by Chris Rock, Lance Crouther, Ali LeRoi & Louis C.K.
1978 screenplay (Heaven Can Wait) Elaine May and Warren Beatty
Chris
Rock .... Lance Barton
Regina King .... Suntee
Mark Addy .... Cisco
Eugene Levy .... Keyes
Frankie Faison .... Whitney
Greg Germann .... Sklar
Jennifer Coolidge
Chazz Palminteri .... Mr. King
Produced
by Barry M. Berg (executive), Sean Daniel Kevin Hardesty (associate),
James Jacks, Chris Rock (executive), Michael Rotenberg
Original music by Jamshied Sharifi
Cinematography by Richard Crudo
Film Editing by Priscilla Nedd-Friendly
Rated
PG-13 for language, sexual humor and some drug references.
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Quicktime Trailer
hi-res
23 MB 480x280
med-res
13 MB 320x188
lo-res 6 MB 240x140 |
1. Glitches
- The Roots/Amel Larrieux 2. Just Another Girl - Monica 3. Can You
Tell It's Me - Ginuwine 4. What If I Was White - Sticky Fingaz/Eminem
5. Never Let Go - 3LW 6. Someone To Love You - Ruff Endz 7. Gin
And Juice - Snoop Dogg 8. With You - Son By Four 9. I Think I Like
You - Jordan Brown 10. Up Against The Wall - L-Burna AKA Lazy Bone
11. Dreamed You - Jagged Edge 12. One Time - Jill Scott/Eric Roberson
13. Angel - Kelly Rowland 14. Thug Music Play On - Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
15. Everything Is Everything - Lauryn Hill
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A
story of premature reincarnation.
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SYNOPSIS:
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 It
seems everyone is trying to get into heaven; at least those whose
time is up. For Lance Barton, a struggling comedian and bicycle messenger,
it's the last thing on the mind. His due date upstairs is 50 years
away. In the meantime, he's got big dreams to pursue on Earth, such
as landing a slot at the final Amateur Night Contest at the famed
Apollo Theatre. Lance has one little problem though - he ain't that
funny. |
 Thanks
to an overcautious emissary from heaven, Mr. Keyes (Eugene Levy),
he's going to get hit (literally) with a much bigger problem. Showing
that even God has difficulty finding good help these days, the inept
minion mistakenly plucks Lance from a traffic accident - before it
takes place. Transporting him to the Pearly Gates, or more accurately,
the velvet roped-lines of the hottest club around, the error is finally
addressed by Mr. King (Chazz Palminteri), the streetwise, no-nonsense
head angel who manages the place from his plush windowed office. |
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 Since
returning to his own body on Earth is impossible, the urban dwelling
Lance reluctantly agrees to a normally unthinkable proposal. He'll
occupy the body of a wealthy old white mogul, Charles Wellington,
until a more suitable body can be found.
Strangely
enough, in a Park Avenue penthouse, servants and butlers become
his new homeys as Lance workes on his streetwise comedy routine
for the big Apollo showdown.
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 Living
in the body of a callous old white man would be bizarre enough for
Lance without falling in love with Sontee (Regina King), the beautiful
woman publicly battling Wellington's company at the same time. |
 And
if that wasn't enough, he's got to deal with the love affair between
Wellington's wife (Jennifer Coolidge) and his personal assistant (Greg
Germann), and their plot to have him killed. |
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PHOTO
GALLERY
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Review
by
DAVID BRUCE
The
film is a remake of the 1978 'Heaven Can Wait'. It underscores
a historic and cultural belief in a heaven.
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MOST
RELIGIONS BELIEVE
IN A HEAVEN AND HELL
THE
JEWISH HEAVEN
AND HELL
In the Hebrew Scriptures
we read:
"For as the
new heavens
and the new earth,
which I will make,
shall remain before me,
says the Lord;
so shall your descendants
and your name remain.
From new moon to new moon,
and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh shall come
to worship before me,
says the Lord.
And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people
who have rebelled against me; for their worm shall not die, their
fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to
all flesh.
-Isaiah
66:22-24 NRSV
THE
BUDDHIST HELL
AND NIRVANA
For most Buddhists
there is no Hell except for the one in this life. In a sense, however,
Buddhist do believe in Hell after death. Until one works out their
Karma and attains enlightenment they are doomed to return to the
hell of earthly life via reincarnation. This is called the "hell
of reincarnation." Gotama Buddha viewed all of life as suffering.
Some branches of Buddhism believe that there in not one Hell but
eight. Heaven is Nirvana which can only be reached after death through
enlightenment.
SHINTO
-THE JAPANESE HEAVEN
AND HELL
Traditionally
all dead people's souls went to heaven, and "Yomi T'su Kuni"
was the "land of Darkness," where all wicked things lived.
But when Buddhism gained popularity in Japan the concept of Hell
expanded. It was called Jigoku, the "ground under the ground."
It consisted of eight worlds of fire and eight worlds of ice. There
is a very curious old Japanese proverb:
Judging
by pictures
Hell looks more interesting
Than that other place.
In
addition to the major world religions,
NEARLY
ALL ANCIENT CULTURES BELIEVED IN SOME TYPE OF HEAVEN
AND HELL
The
Babylonians.
The Greeks.
The Romans.
The Egyptians.
Even the Aztecs.
BELIEF
IN
HEAVEN
AND
HELL
IS UNIVERSAL
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THOUGHTS
ON HEAVEN
If
I ever reach heaven, I expect to find three wonders there: first,
to meet some I had not thought to see there; second, to miss some
I had expected to see there; and third, the greatest wonder of all,
to find myself there.
- JOHN NEWTON (1725?1807)
Great
Spirit, give to me A heaven not so large as yours But large enough
for me.
- EMILY ELIZABETH DICKINSON (1830?1886)
Aim
at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get
neither.
- C. S. LEWIS (1898?1963)
Anyone
can devise a plan by which good people may go to heaven. Only God
can devise a plan whereby sinners, who are his enemies, can go to
heaven.
- LEWIS SPERRY CHAFER (1871?1952)
When
you speak of heaven, let your face light up. When you speak of hell?well,
then your everyday face will do.
- CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON (1834?1892)
Heaven
is the place where questions and answers become one.
- ELIE WIESEL
Let
not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto
myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go
ye know, and the way ye know.
-JESUS, The Bible, John 14:1-4 -King James Version
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FUNNY
Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001
From: Kevin
This,
is one Funny Christian friendly movie. Okay, the theology; is questionable.
But I believe, God likes wierd humor.
Kevin
http://community.webtv.net/KevinKunz/JESUSTHEWAY
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OFFICIAL
SITE
Down To Earth ? 2001 Paramount Pictures.
All rights reserved.
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