Well, this film wasn't completely spectacular, more like an elevated rom-com with a superb, white cast.
Apparently, after you die, you board a giant white plane in the sky and finish your journey. Joe Pendleton's (Warren Beatty's) problem is that he was taken prematurely, by some over-zealous escort (Buck Henry) and can't return to his actual body because he's been cremated (so maybe I shouldn't get cremated after all) so he's placed inside billionaire Leo Farnsworth and initially is livid as Farnsworth is a total racist asshole, set to destroy an entire village by building another, perhaps unnecessary factory, which is how he meets Betty Logan (Julie Christie). However, Joe was a quarterback and is desperate to get back to fighting shape, so he vows to change how his millions of companies are run and then trains like a fool, buys the Rams for a price far, far more than they are worth and nearly makes it back, only to have it all dashed away again as Leo's wife, Julie (Dyan Cannon) and executive secretary, Tony (Charles Grodin) finally succeed in killing him. So he's given another body, that of Rams quarterback Tom Jarrett (the one who replaced him in the role), and he's memory's erased but he gets the girl anyway.
Now, despite the unconventional plotline, the idea is good and does have several good twists and the acting is good but I feel the film could have made a bigger impact if Joe focused more on changing Leo's businesses for the good of all people, not just focus on his own desires as he was finally in the position to do something good. Still, Joe did his research, studying the pamphlets as though they were his play book, but can he really trust the board to change the entire corporation without his input? However, you do kind of just have to go with it and the journey is an interesting one, even though I would have done this film differently. Grade: B+
Side Notes:
-Vincent Gardenia is the bizarre detective investigating Leo's disappearance and focuses his questioning largely on Leo's sudden dislike of hats.
-You could easily compare running a company to winning a football game.
-Julia's reaction upon seeing her husband is actually alive is just great.
-Jack Warden is also great as Max Corkle, Joe's trainer and was rewarded with an Oscar nomination as was Beatty and Cannon. None of them won.
-I don't see how Tony thought he was going to get away with shooting Leo, his final plan was just ridiculous.
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