Strong and Moving!

Pretty Good

Excellent but underrated film

Admirable film.

First off, learn how TO spell------in the way that you used it, it is 'to' not 'too'----also, regardless of being able to enjoy a film for pure entertainment value or actually looking at a film's script, direction, etc., this one (Heavenly Kid) was just plain horrible! Being a 'movieminister' I think you should watch this one again. It had a lot of potential, the plot was primary and the acting was below local live theater quality, but it had moments of endearing cuteness. But, overall, there is good reason why it has become lost in the shelves of even the most sub-par video stores. Of course there has been many good little movies that have suffered such a fate. But, this one's fate is well deserved. Everyone has their guilty pleasure movies that they think were great for one reason or another. But, to say that panning this movie for bad script, etc. is (I think the word you used was--)'ridiculous' is just plain silly and one sided. Some people can enjoy a movie for pure entertainment value and still look at it in a critical way----there is nothing 'ridiculous' about that.

One of the best moments in the film is both times when Bobby is in the car about to run over the cliff, where he shouts his infamous "Oh Sh..!" catchphrase, adding hilarity to what would usually be considered a tragic situation. I think the movie is one of the classics of the 80s, from the cheesy special effects to the even cheesier dialogue. But it has a good lesson in the end, even though it is curtailed by endless attempts at visual amazement. The actress who plays Bobby's love interest doesn't seem to age a day from the first scene to the last, which supposedly takes place over at least 17 years. Even funnier is how the entire handcuff scene and locked door scene during the races are never explained. Grade A storytelling!

Truly terrible 80s teen flick about a greaser from the 60s (Lewis Smith) dying in a car crash. To get into heaven he has to help this total nerd (Jason Gedrick) in the 80s to become a stud.The plot is totally predictable, the humor is either childish or PG-13 raunchy and the acting truly sucks. But...this movie was so incredibly bad I couldn't stop watching! Smith's acting is so terrible it's actually fascinating to watch. Gedrick (a very good actor) is totally miscast and the poor guy looks embarrassed for most of the movie. In small roles Jane Kaczmarek and Richard Mulligan shine...but it's not enough to save this. The script is beyond belief--it has such ridiculous twists and turns that I actually thought they were kidding! Cliches that were being laughed out of theatres in the 1950s are dredged up and presented with straight-faced sincerity. Seriously, did the screenwriters REALLY think this was a clever funny little movie? Did they really think throwing old, hoary cliched situations at the audience was a good idea? SPOILER AHEAD!!!! I almost stopped watching when it was revealed that Gedrick's mother was Smith's lover in the past. Come on! We're really supposed to take that seriously? It's just a prime example of lazy script writing. SPOILER OVER!!!!Worth seeing as a prime example of how NOT to do a teen comedy. This was a huge bomb in 1985--it's easy to see why. I'd love to know what Gedrick and Smith think of this film now.

There were a lot of great flicks that came out in the mid to late 80s. Many of them (most directed by John Hughes) went down as classics. Others were overlooked and underrated. Some became sleeper hits (John Cusack flicks) and still get heavy play in my VCR, especially during the Summer. "Heavenly Kid", however, is one of my faves that not too many people have heard of. It's a pretty straight forward story that could have been lifeless, but struck an emotional chord with me due to the acting and the sentimental value of the whole thing. It's also a great father-son story done from a different and original take.Bobby is your typical badass, black leather jacket wearing, cigarette smoking, drag racing, babe magnet who is killed in a game of chicken. This happens within the first five minutes of the movie and the next thing you know, Bobby is on the train to heaven. Upon getting there, he's presented with a small problem. They won't let him in unless he plays guardian angel and gets his wings. So it's back to earth for Bobby. He's sent back approximately seventeen years later to help a young geek get his life straight and to give the kid a little self-esteem. This is a wholly enjoyable film that anyone can enjoy. Although, some may complain that the ending is predicatable, they would be disappointed if it ended any other way.