The infamous Netflix Gnomes, or should I say their cousins the Prime Poltergeists, have struck again.
Whilst cycling through my Movies to Watch list, I stumbled across a title that I had no idea how or why it was there. A literal WTF is this. But a romcom from 1985 is something I’m always down for so away we went.
“The Heavenly Kid” looks and feels cheap. Like a discount version of nearly every other 80s flick of this style can muster. That’s not to say it’s bad. I won’t pretend it’s an icon like “Back to the Future” but it won’t offend your senses either.
A relic from the past
The film opens with the classic Orion Pictures logo and I’m fully invested. It’s the 1960s, and a pair of Greasers are about to race. There’s a crash, an explosion, and a quick death.
We follow Bobby Fontana (Lewis Smith) as he enters the afterlife with the assistance of a motorcycling angel named Rafferty (Richard Mulligan).
It’s a standard comical interpretation of life after death. Bobby is brought to the present time (the early 80s) which is funny on its own as the Greaser reacts to the people and events around him. “Where are we, Mars? He asks Rafferty as he witnesses modern culture in dismay. The angel cooly responds. “No. Ft. Lauderdale.”
Bobby has a mission to complete to reach Heaven – or Uptown as it’s referred to here. He is tasked with helping Lenny (Jason Gedrick) an awkward and bullied teen get some confidence.
The Cast
Lewis Smith is our protag, and while not recognizable does a competent job. The movie is goofy, the writing is thin, and there’s not a deep plot to work with and Smith keeps us smiling.
Same goes for Jason Gedrick. He brings the humor as the nerdy and clumsy Lenny. Its no wonder why he’s picked on, and of courtesy, the bullies are full on 80s. The pairing of Smith and Gedrick works.
I’ve never watched a minute of the sitcom Malcom in the Middle but have always had a weird crush on Jane Kaczmarek, who plays the mom. It was fun to see Kaczmarek here as Bobby’s girlfriend, younger and even more alluring. Mark Metcalf, known for his role on Seinfeld, lends support.
The Tech
The 1980s saw the boom of science/computer type tech for movies. Normally I forgive or even praise practical effects from this era. Here, it’s laughable how bad it is. And it isn’t scarce. It fits the lighter tones of the movie but is eye-popping.
I literally lost count of how many montages we get. Bobby reacting to the afterlife. Bobby watching Lenny get harassed. Lenny trying to buy cool clothes. Bobby failing to impress girls. Bobby and Lenny fixing up an old car etc.
The entire run time is only 80 minutes and half of that is musical montages with a custom made soundtrack that fit the purpose and make you wish it were 1980.
“The Heavenly Kid” is not easily recalled from even the deepest of 80s cinematic minds. It’s not the best, but if you are looking for predictable harmless fun that you haven’t watched before, here it is.
