Michael (1996 film)

Michael
Michael promotional poster
Directed by	Nora Ephron
Produced by	Sean Daniel Nora Ephron James Jacks Executive Producer: Delia Ephron Jonathan D. Krane Co-Producer: G. Mac Brown
Written by	Nora Ephron Delia Ephron Peter Dexter Jim Quinlan (Story)
Starring	John Travolta Andie MacDowell William Hurt Bob Hoskins Robert Pastorelli Jean Stapleton
Music by	Randy Newman
Editing by	Geraldine Peroni
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date(s)	December 25, 1996
Running time	105 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Gross revenue	$119,718,203
IMDb • Allmovie

Michael is the title of an American fantasy motion picture released in 1996. The film stars John Travolta as the Archangel Michael, who is sent to Earth to do various tasks, including mending some wounded hearts. Contrary to popular depictions of angels, Michael is portrayed as a boozing, smoking, oversexed slob—but a character capable of imparting unexpected wisdom. The cast includes Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Joey Lauren Adams and Robert Pastorelli as people who cross Michael's path. The film was directed by Nora Ephron. The original music score was composed by Randy Newman. The dance scene and other location shots were filmed at the community center of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Cornhill, Texas and on country roads near Walburg, Texas as well as at Texas's Gruene Hall.

Plot Summary

Vartan Malt is the editor of a tabloid called the National Mirror that specializes in unlikely stories about celebrities and frankly unbelievable tales about ordinary folks. When Malt gets word that a woman is supposedly harboring an angel in a small town in Iowa, he figures that this might be up the Mirror's alley, so he sends out three people to get the story — Frank Quinlan, a reporter whose career has hit the skids; Huey Discoll, a photographer on the verge of losing his job (even though he owns the Mirror's mascot Sparky the Wonder Dog); and Dorothy Winters, a self-styled "angel expert" (actually a dog trainer hired by Malt to eventually replace Discoll) . They arrive at the rooming house of Pansy Milbank, who informs them that she does indeed have an angel for a tenant, and introduces them to Michael. Michael has wings like an angel, but the resemblance ends there; Michael loves cigarettes, has an uncontrollable sweet tooth (and a pot belly to match), tends to use a large number of non-angelic phrases, is not much on personal hygiene, and likes to hang out with the ladies. Michael informs his visitors that in Heaven, an angel is allowed to make certain number of "vacations" on Earth, and he's in the midst of one now; trouble is, this is the last one he's entitled to, and he wants to make the most of it. After Pansy unexpectedly dies, Frank and Huey stumble upon a great story idea — if Michael wants to have some fun, why not take him to Chicago, where he can really kick up his heels? Michael reveals that this was his idea from the beginning. The rest of the the film is the experiences that Frank, Huey, Dorothy, Sparky and Michael have while driving to Chicago (Michael refuses to fly). During the trip it is slowly revealed that Michael is an angel whose mission on Earth is to get Frank and Dorothy together despite both having had bad experiences with love. After Sparky is hit by a truck and killed, Michael brings him back to life, but in the process uses up his allotment of miracles and begins to weaken. The group reaches Chicago just in time for Michael to see the Sears Tower (which he has always wanted to see) and disappear. After Frank and Dorothy go their separate ways, Michael returns one more time (this time with Pansy in tow) and successfully get Frank and Dorothy back together for good.

Main cast

• John Travolta - Michael
• Andie MacDowell - Dorothy Winters
• William Hurt - Frank Quinlan
• Bob Hoskins - Vartan Malt
• Robert Pastorelli - Huey Driscoll
• Jean Stapleton - Pansy Milbank
• Teri Garr - Judge Esther Newberg
• Wallace Langham - Bruce Craddock
• Joey Lauren Adams - Anita, Brown's Waitress

Box office totals

• Production Budget: N/A
• Est. Marketing Costs: N/A
• Domestic: $95,318,203 79.6%
• Overseas: $24,400,000 20.4%
• Worldwide: $119,718,203