My Blue Heaven (1990 American Film)

''My Blue Heaven'' is a 1990 American crime comedy film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Nora Ephron, and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack. This is the third film in which Martin and Moranis starred together. It has been noted for its relationship to '' Goodfellas'', which was released one month later. Both films are based on the life of Henry Hill, although the character is renamed "Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli" in ''My Blue Heaven''. ''Goodfellas'' was based on the book '' Wiseguy'' by Nicholas Pileggi, while 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.

Plot

Vinnie Antonelli is a former mobster recently inducted into the Witness Protection Program with his wife Linda in the suburbs near San Diego. The two are under the watchful eye of federal agent Barney Coopersmith.

As he is trying to adjust to suburban life, Vinnie easily slips into his usual dishonest ways. In the supermarket, after finding a price gun, he marks down high-end items. Inadvertently stealing a car, Vinnie gets taken into the police station. Assistant DA Hannah Stubbs questions him, and he fabricates a series of elaborate lies to explain himself.

Barney has to swoop in and bail out Vinnie. Flashing his credentials, he insists Hannah cannot arraign him as she wants to due to Vinnie or "Tod's" near-future testimony in mob trials. As Barney is leaving with "Tod," and she is following them out protesting, he calls her a narrow-minded fanatic.

At the shopping center on Thanksgiving, Barney's workmate convinces him to stake out someone who is seeking stolen credit cards, but Barney sees it is "Tod" and sends him home. Meanwhile, "Tod" follows Mrs. Stubbs into a pet store and comes across another ex-mobster.

Vinnie and Barney soon find common ground when they find out both of their wives left them. Linda heads back to New York City because she misses it; Margaret leaves Barney because he is no fun and too methodological.

Introduced to a group of other ex-mobsters, Vinnie finds out the government stipend will be paid only until he testifies. Together, they start hijacking delivery trucks. Alerted to this, Hannah brings "Tod" in for questioning after he is stopped for speeding and contraband is found in his car. While he is spinning his usual tall tale, Barney springs him again as the police did not have a warrant.

Flying to New York City to testify, Vinnie gives Barney the slip, first at the airport, then at the hotel. They end up at a club, where Barney learns to merengue in the tailored suit he is talked into getting. As Vinnie has not been laying low, two mobsters try to take him out, but Barney shoots a chandelier onto them. Both men feel indebted to each other.

Back in San Diego, "Tod" gets Hannah and her sons to go to a baseball game. Inviting Barney as well, he has them sit together. They all enjoy themselves. "Tod" is told by her kids that their baseball field is not so good as it has drainage problems, whereas he suggests they do a fundraiser to pay for it. Barney invites Hannah to a law enforcement cocktail party.

Vinnie meets his kind of woman in the supermarket and they elope in Reno. At the party, Barney shows Hannah the merengue, then they compare notes on how their spouses left them. Taking her home, as the kids are out, he spends the night. The next morning her ex-husband lets himself in, and Barney throws him out.

Although he still has three weeks before his assignment with Vince is completed, Barney and his colleague are put undercover as Canadians, supposedly looking to buy stolen goods from a hijacking ring. As the shipment ends up being a truckload of watercooler bottles, Vinnie disperses them through town, marking them for donations for the little league.

Hannah has Vinnie booked and fingerprinted, but goes along with him to the motel where the fences are waiting. Breaking down their door with officers, they find Barney's FBI sting operation. Hannah insists on using his real name in an indictment, although Barney warns her that he is testifying in New York in three days and she will be summoning many hitmen if she does.

Insisting she is almost always correct, Hannah proceeds. Barney visits Vinnie in his cell, confesses his feelings for Hannah, and is upset that their association has put a rift between them. In court Hannah tries to convince the judge that there is no danger and Vinnie should not be released on bail, when two mafia hitmen open fire.

Crystal, the officer who has had a crush on Vinnie from the start, gets him out of the courthouse, he declares he is in debt to her for life and they kiss. Offering herself to him as a hostage, he drives her to an active worksite. Vinnie has gotten his ex-mob friends to break ground on a new little league ball park. Hannah has to accept defeat.

One year later, everyone is at the town's new ballpark. The new stands are full, and they are selling Vinnie's new book, 'How I Got Here' on the sidelines. He has married Crystal and they have a baby. Barney is the team's coach.

Cast

Production

In late 1987, executive producer-screenwriter Nora Ephron presented the concept for ''My Blue Heaven'' to actress Goldie Hawn, who initially expressed interest in the role of the district attorney. The project was under development at Warner Bros. with Allyn Stewart when a Writers Guild strike lasting twenty-two weeks began in March 1988, causing a delay in Ephron completing the script. In early 1989, Hawn declined the role, but she and her business partner, Anthea Sylbert, retained their positions as executive producer and producer, respectively.

The search for a prominent actor to lead the film commenced, with Steve Martin expressing interest in portraying the FBI agent. However, after Danny DeVito turned down the gangster role, Ephron suggested Martin consider the lead. At one point, Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast as Antonelli but left the project after receiving the lead role in ''Kindergarten Cop''. After Martin agreed to take his place, producers cast Rick Moranis as Coopersmith.

Director Herbert Ross became available due to a delay in a different project, and production commenced in October 1989. Ross aimed to transcend mere escapist comedy, emphasizing the notion that "safety and comfort ie inmiddle-class values," asserting that fundamentally "everyone is middle class," even the gangster, who transforms into a "pillar of the suburban community." Ephron informed Martin that his character was more about hyperactivity than an accent. A pivotal moment in character creation occurred when Martin introduced an old costume from his former nightclub act—a "shiny, silver-gray jacket." Costume designer Joe Aulisi then crafted twenty-two light-colored designer suits in silks and sharkskins, featuring wide shoulders, lapels, and tight trousers to achieve a distinctive "lounge-lizard look."

The fictional town of Fryburg, California, was crafted using various locations, including San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Los Angeles, Atascadero, and Paso Robles, California. Some exterior scenes were filmed at Jack Murphy Stadium and the Hotel del Coronado terrace in San Diego, as well as the entrance of Atascadero city hall. During post-production, the ending of the story underwent a modification to adopt a "kinder, gentler ending."

Music

The film's score was composed by Ira Newborn.
# " My Blue Heaven" (Music: Walter Donaldson, Lyrics: George A. Whiting) – Fats Domino
# "Surfin' U.S.A." (Chuck Berry and Brian Wilson) – The Beach Boys
# " Stranger in Paradise" ( Robert Wright and George Forrest) – Tony Bennett
# "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland) – Billy Hill
# "The Boy from New York City" (John Taylor and George Davis) – The Ad Libs
# "New York, New York" (John Kander and Fred Ebb)
# "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" (Albert von Tilzer and Jerry Northworth)
# "The Star-Spangled Banner" – United States Marine Band

Reception

Box office

''My Blue Heaven'' opened in 1,859 venues on August 17, 1990 and earned $6.2 million in its debut, ranking fourth in the North American box office and second among the week's new releases. It closed with a domestic gross of $23.6 million.

Critical response

Metacritic reports a weighted average score of 35 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.

David J. Fox of ''The New York Times'' said the film was "a truly funny concept and a disappointment on the screen."

See also

* List of media set in San Diego

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:My Blue Heaven (1990 Film)
1990 films
1990 black comedy films
1990s English-language films
American black comedy films
English-language black comedy films
Films about the American Mafia
Films scored by Ira Newborn
Films directed by Herbert Ross
Films set in San Diego
Films shot in San Diego
Mafia comedy films
Films with screenplays by Nora Ephron
Films about witness protection
Warner Bros. films
1990s American films