My Blue Heaven (1990 film)

Not to be confused with the unrelated 1950 film of the same name
My Blue Heaven

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Herbert Ross
Produced by Herbert Ross
Anthea Sylbert
Goldie Hawn (executive)
Nora Ephron (executive)
Andrew Stone (executive)
Written by Nora Ephron
Starring Steve Martin
Rick Moranis
Joan Cusack
Carol Kane
William Irwin
Music by Ira Newborn
Walter Donaldson (theme song)
Cinematography John Bailey
Edited by Robert M. Reitano
Stephen A. Rotter
Distributed by Warner Bros.
(Time Warner)
Release dates
 August 17, 1990
Running time
 97 min.
Language English
Box office $23,591,472 (USA)

My Blue Heaven is a 1990 Mafia comedy film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Nora Ephron and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack. This is the third film Steve Martin and Rick Moranis starred together in.

It has been noted for its relationship to the movie Goodfellas, which was released one month after this film. Both movies are based upon the life of Henry Hill, although the character is renamed "Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli" in My Blue Heaven.

While Goodfellas was based upon the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, the screenplay for My Blue Heaven was written by Pileggi's wife, Nora Ephron, and much of the research for both works was done in the same sessions with Hill.[1]

The movie was filmed primarily in the California cities of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, and the surrounding area, though the nominal setting is a fictional suburb of San Diego, California. Some scenes were shot in San Diego. The film's title comes from the famous song which appears on the soundtrack, performed by Fats Domino.[2]

Plot

Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli (Steve Martin) is a former mobster recently inducted into the Witness Protection Program with his wife, Linda. The two are under the watchful eye of Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis). Vinnie and Barney soon find common ground when both of their wives leave them due to their lifestyles. When he succeeds in getting Vinnie to a suburb in California and a private house, Barney has one more problem: he must make sure the jovial and sometimes mischievous Vinnie conforms to Witness Protection protocol until he is sent to Federal Court to testify against mob kingpins. Doing this is not as simple as it appears to be.

Casting

Originally, Steve Martin was cast to play Barney Coopersmith, with Arnold Schwarzenegger playing the role of Vinnie Antonelli. However, Schwarzenegger was soon thereafter offered the role of Det. John Kimble in Kindergarten Cop, and left the production. Failing to find another suitable "Vinnie" for Martin's Coopersmith, Martin offered to take on the role of Vinnie himself. Producers agreed, and then cast Rick Moranis as Coopersmith, who had originally been considered for the role, but was unavailable until then.[3]

Cast list

Reception

The film took in $23 million at the box office and was received coolly by most critics, with The New York Times saying the film was "a truly funny concept and a disappointment on the screen."[4][5] My Blue Heaven currently holds a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Songs

References

  1. ↑ Hill, Henry (February 2007). Gangsters and Goodfellas: The Mob, Witness Protection, and Life on the Run. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 225–226. ISBN 978-1-59077-129-7.
  2. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen. "Movie Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Compleat Steve :: About Steve :: Actor :: Movies :: My Blue Heaven Page 2". Redknotstudio.com. 1990-08-16. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
  4. ↑ Fox, David J. (1990-08-21). "Exorcist III a Hit With Moviegoers". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  5. ↑ James, Caryn. "My Blue Heaven (1990)". The New York Times.

External links

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