Michael (1996)
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36% of critics liked it
(36 reviews) -
52% of users liked it
(108,285 ratings)
There are angels among us, and they like lots of sugar in their coffee, in writer-director Nora Ephron's comic fantasy Michael. Vartan Malt (Bob Hoskins) is the editor of a tabloid called the National Mirror that specializes in unlikely stories about celebrities and frankly unbelievable tales… More There are angels among us, and they like lots of sugar in their coffee, in writer-director Nora Ephron's comic fantasy Michael. Vartan Malt (Bob Hoskins) 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 right up the Mirror's alley, so he sends out three people to get the story -- Frank Quinlan (William Hurt), a reporter whose career has hit the skids; Huey Discoll (Robert Pastorelli), a photographer on the verge of losing his job (even though he owns the Mirror's mascot, Sparky The Wonder Dog); and Dorothy Winters (Andie MacDowell), a self-styled "angel expert." They arrive at the rooming house of Patsy Millband (Jean Stapleton), who informs them that she does indeed have an angel for a tenant, and introduces them to Michael (John Travolta). 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 a 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. Frank and Huey then stumble on 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 was written in part by Jim Quinlan, himself a one-time reporter, though with a much more respectable tabloid than the Mirror -- he wrote for the Chicago Sun-Times. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Nora Ephron
- Written By
- Peter Dexter, Jim Quinlan, Nora Ephron, Delia Ephron, Pete Dexter
- Genres
- Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy
PG,
- In Theaters
- Dec 25, 1996 Wide
- On DVD
- Jun 10, 1997
- Studio
- WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES
Critic Reviews
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Emanuel Levy, Variety
Travolta's charismatic presence is the only positive element in Nora Ephron's flawed romantic fable marred by rough narrative spots and scattered direction, again showing that Ephron lacks the most basic technical skills.
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
Not much in the way of laughs or anything else.
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Nell Minow, Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies
Some moments as lovely as the smell of cookies, especially the dance number.
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Clint Morris, Film Threat
Travolta magic is sprinkled everywhere
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Frank Ochieng, Movie Eye
A cloying and cloudy romantic comedy in which Travolta dons angelic wings. Michael is innocuously whimsical but wasteful
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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John Travolta
as Michael
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Andie MacDowell
as Dorothy Winters
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William Hurt
as Frank Quinlan
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Bob Hoskins
as Vartan Malt
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Robert Pastorelli
as Huey Driscoll
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Jean Stapleton
as Pansy Milbank
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Teri Garr
as Judge Esther Newberg
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Blue Deckert
as Joe
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David Harrod
as Mal
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Tom Hodges
as groom
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John Hussey
as minister
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Wallace Langham
as Bruce Craddock
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Donald J Lee Jr
as court bailiff
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Peyton E. Park
as old geezer
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Richard Schiff
as Italian Waiter
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Tracy Doyle
as reporter
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Joey Lauren Adams
as Anita
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Jane Lanier
as Suzanne
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Joann Fregalette Jansen
as Tammy
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Calvin Trillin
as sheriff
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Catherine Lloyd Burns
as Evie
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Mark Nutter
as counterman
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Dianne Dreyer
as Jennifer
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Margaret Travolta
as Reporter
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Carla Cugino
as bride
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David Bernstein
as reporter
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Betsy Sokolow
as reporter
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Deborah Nunez
as woman
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Dell Aldrich
as woman
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Kay Colvin
as woman
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James Garrell
as old geezer
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Tim Harrison
as slacker
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Daniel Mimura
as slacker
- Carla Gugino
- Andie Mac Dowell
