uarterback Joseph “Joe” Pendleton (Warren Beatty) is looking fantastic during practice, prompting the coaches to consider putting him in for the Rams during the upcoming Sunday game against Dallas. “I think we’re going to the Super Bowl,” Joe mentions to a reporter, though he’s not the star player, nor has there been a considerable amount of confidence in his performance ever since he endured a knee injury. Trainer Max Corkle (Jack Warden) stops by Joe’s house that evening to wish him a happy birthday – a curiously lonely affair – and to give him the news about his great opportunity to start in the big game.

Unfortunately for Joe, as he goes bicycling the following morning, he’s hit and killed in a tunnel by a car attempting to pass from the opposite side. He awakes in a purgatory-like weigh station, where a plane among the clouds awaits to ferry souls to the next destination. There, Mr. Jordan (James Mason), a head angel of sorts, struggles to convince Joe that he’s supposed to be there, having perished in the car accident. As it turns out, however, an overzealous escort prematurely took Joe to the first stage of the afterlife; he wasn’t supposed to die until 2025. As a result, Mr. Jordan offers up the only feasible solution: he can choose to take over the existence of another man who is about to die.

“I’m dreamin’, huh?” Joe is allowed the opportunity to take over the body – and life – of Mr. Leo Farnsworth, a rather despicable yet wealthy industrialist who is in the process of being murdered. Strangely, Joe witnesses not only the murder but also the culprits, which creates a bizarre situation in that he has the potential to not only reverse and correct the crime, but also to situate himself into an arena of continued murder attempts and the extreme dislike of all the people the former Farnsworth upset – including his cheating wife Julia (Dyan Cannon), and his private executive secretary Tony Abbott (Charles Grodin). Even odder is Mr. Jordan’s guarantee that Joe can take the Farnsworth body for a test drive – and the guardian angel’s continued help with convincing others of the mixup. “It’s only temporary, right?”

Joe isn’t actually interested in Farnsworth or his riches – or even righting wrongs. Instead, he’s instantly infatuated with schoolteacher Betty Logan (Julie Christie), who is one of the many people with grievances against the businessman’s cruel enterprises. With this, a love story grows, though it’s not particularly engaging. And it’s somewhat slow and unbelievable; she just sort of falls for him too, which is rather convenient and easy. Plus, they don’t exhibit convincing chemistry; merely smiling at one another as Dave Grusin’s gentle tunes play isn’t enough to constitute genuine feelings.

The story is an adaptation of the Harry Segall play (previously made into the film “Here Comes Mr. Jordan”), though it’s been updated a touch by Elaine May and Beatty himself, who also co-directs. Unfortunately, the modifications don’t do much; it’s still the same premise, which is largely predictable. And here, it’s toothless; despite the ruthlessness of Farnsworth’s profession and the hatred he inspires, an attention to comedy is at the forefront, which dulls the various dramatic plots. Light laughs essentially negate what is a decidedly strained seriousness surrounding Joe’s confrontation with stockholder and corporate greed, infidelity, and incredulous people who would never give him a chance to do what he does in professional settings. If Joe had abandoned his interests in football to tackle the great injustices of Farnsworth’s underhanded enterprises, this might have been more interesting – perhaps by following along with the concepts of “My Man Godfrey” or “Being There” or even “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” who comes upon sudden affluence and opts for good over evil.

“You must abide by what is written.” Also problematic is the set of ambiguous rules that govern Heaven. A predestined fate appears to control everything, as if the presumed all-powerful head deity preprogrammed humankind with a complete script, which grants the ability to ignore tweaking the little things (such as destroying the lives of background characters for Joe’s happiness, or the stickiness of reincarnation) – though individuals definitely believe that they’re the captains of their own ships. But far more detrimental than the general blandness of the body-swapping, career-swapping, and woman-swapping is the humor, which remains pitifully minimal. Sadly, there are no gut-busting scenes in “Heaven Can Wait”; the jokes are as tepid as the romance, resulting in a tremendously mediocre picture.

– Mike Massie