Pssst, want to check out Pennies from Heaven in our new look?
Information
- Year
- 1981
- Runtime
- 108 min.
- Director
- Herbert Ross
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Musical
- Rating *
- 6.5
- Votes *
- 3,796
- Checks
- 798
- Favs
- 39
- Dislikes
- 9
- Favs/checks
- 4.9% (1:20)
- Favs/dislikes
- 4:1
Top comments
-
Siskoid
How very weird! I was eventually completely sold on Pennies from Heaven (the 1981 feature version), but it took a while. What you're faced with: A period musical in which Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters, among others, lipsynch to 1930s musical numbers (but... but... you had Bernadette Peters RIGHT THERE!!!), with ludicrous dance numbers (not a bad thing) going on in the characters' minds. And it's depressing as hell, contrasting the happy-ever-after escapism of musicals with the harsh reality of Depression-era Middle America. And once you realize that's what's going on, that it is essentially a deconstructionist piece, it starts to make sense and though a very black comedy, fun in its way. It takes the tropes of those old musical comedies and gives them a realistic spin, so the cad isn't so charming, the love affairs not so romantic, and the endings not so happy. In fact, everyone you would care for in a normal movie, you probably won't. Pennies From Heaven might even push the ugliness over the line, at times, but it has a way of getting its teeth into you. 5 years ago -
-
estiedelruth
This may be an interesting way to link modern with the classics. The musical numbers were cleverly done although quite silly at times. If the storyline had been a little classier or more typically 1930s then this would have been a much more enjoyable film. 10 years 11 months ago
Friends
Login to see which of your friends have seen this movie!In 1 official list
-
This movie ranks #740 in Jonathan Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema
Jonathan Rosenbaum's Ess…
740