My Blue Heaven (I) (1990) User Reviews

A cute and lovable comedy

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 6/10 · 3 November 2006]

I just watched Blue Heaven and I thought that it was a nice sweet comedy with two of my favorite comedians: Steve Martin and Rick Moranis. They make such a great duo and you can tell that they really enjoy each other's presence. This is the only Steve Martin movie my mom didn't have, so I had to rent it. But I was excited to see Steve Martin as a tough Italin mobster, so I couldn't resist the rental.

My Blue Heaven is about a man, Vinny, aka, Todd, and he's about to go on trial to rat out some Mafia members, but he must be protected from hit men, so that's where Rick's character comes in. He must take care of Vinny and make sure that he isn't arrested or injured, but that's going to be hard since Vinny keeps getting into trouble with the D.A. played by Joan Cussack. Vinny also thinks it's a good idea that she and Rick get together and they do. But Joan is going to try her best to get Vinny busted.

It's predictable, but it is a very adorable movie that I think any Steve Martin fan could appreciate. The cast was great and the story was very funny, I thought it was so cool that it was slightly based on Henry Hill's(who you probably remember from Goodfellas) life. Rick and Steve are just great and I think you'll enjoy this movie.

6/10

Funny movie

[imdb-21622 · 7/10 · 9 December 2009]

I see where some people did not much care for this movie. That's the way it is with comedies. Not everyone has the same sense of humor.

I liked it.

I found Martin's character to be very entertaining. His constant stream of BS is very entertaining. I know it's comedy, so I am not like those people who felt a more traditional gangster actor would have been better. It's his very silly over the top style which I found endearing.

Moranis is OK. He's too typecast for me, always playing a similar role. I thought he was maybe funnier in ghost busters. I don't know. He's a decent actor. It's that whole square role he plays that gets to me a bit. He's supposed to be boring, obviously. But he's maybe too boring.

I found the female cop love interest for Martin to be great. She's cute and she's funny.

Joan Cusack...I have liked her better in other roles. She's hilarious in Grosse Pointe Blank. She's OK in this role.

I liked the silent film style "captions, or whatever you would call them a lot. They added humor to the movie.

In summary, I found the movie very light, very entertaining, and cute. I like that type of movie. If you want something that requires no thought, where your goal as a viewer is just to relax and be amused, this is perfect.

simple, but pretty good

[Mickey Knox · 6/10 · 17 December 2000]

My Blue Heaven is exactly the kind of movie you want to see after a long day of work, when you're just looking for something relaxing to spend your evening with. The movie is pretty simple and predictable, some of the gags are not too funny, but it has its good points. Steve Martin is great as an italian mobster, he plays really great. Some gags are very cool and funny, and the dialogue is many times interesting. In conclusion, a good watch. Vote: 6 out of 10.

under-rated

[dave-346 · 3 May 1999]

In my opinion Steve Martin's most under-rated film, in which he plays an Italian gangster put on a witness protection programme as he awaits to go to court. Martin was born to play this part, and his character's cocky swagger had me laughing every time he appeared! Rick Moranis also stars, and is his usual nerdy self, which is funny enough!

Has Funny Moments

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 27 January 2015]

The mobster Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli (Steve Martin) is under the witness protection program and the FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis) is assigned to take Vinnie and his wife Linda to a house in the suburbs. However their wives leave Vinnie and Barney and the agent gets closer to the gangster and befriends him. Vinnie is a bon vivant and a crook and does not keep the necessary low profile. The District Attorney Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack) arrests him but Barney releases him from jail since he needs to testify against the Mafia. Soon Barney falls in love with Stubbs, but Vinnie gets into many troubles calling the attention of two hit men from the Mafia. The police officer Crystal Rybak (Melanie Mayron) protects him and they also falls in love with each other. In the end, the good-hearted Vinnie becomes a prominent personality in the suburbs.

"My Blue Heaven" is a heartwarming comedy with funny moments. The good story is wasted with the uneven screenplay. Vinnie in the supermarket is hilarious and maybe the best moment of this movie. The conclusion is corny but entertaining. Steve Martin was originally cast as Barney and Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast as Vinnie but he left the production to work in "Kindengarten Cop". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Meu Pequeno Paraíso" ("My Little Heaven")

Light hearted jaunt

[asteinfi2 · 7/10 · 25 June 2005]

This film went completely under the radar in 1990 and it isn't all that bad. Steve Martin hams it up as Vinnie, a mob informant under the Witness protection program, Rick Moranis is the FBI agent assigned to protect him, and Joan Cusack plays Moranis' love interest/Vinnie's enemy as the DA of the suburban town Martin has been relocated to. These three are the best part of the movie. There are definite plot holes, the script gives Martin a couple of one liners but is weak in general, and nothing else really stands out about this movie. WHat made it worth while to watch is the great chemistry between the three leads. Martin gives it his all and is very funny. Moranis has it tougher while trying to be a nerd/FBI agent(unusual combo) but he pulls it off. His face is so expressive its like you can see what he is thinking. This makes the scenes where Martin is making him do something crazy that much better. All in all, its not great but its worth watching with your kids because they will love it and you will be entertained.

Steve Martin as a mobster who straightens out

[goya-4 · 7/10 · 17 October 2000]

Steve Martin plays a mob guy who is placed into the suburbs in a witness relocation program. He soon realizes that though he has left the mob the mob hasn't left him..Rick Moranis plays the skeptical FBI agent. Steve Martin charms the pants off in this movie and does a great job. A fun movie to watch On a scale of one to ten..7

Steve Martin as a wiseguy, as unlikely as De Niro playing a nanny

[policy134 · 1/10 · 7 October 2005]

This has to be the worst film Steve Martin has ever made. He is utterly unbelievable as both an Italian-American and a wiseguy that all other elements in the film which are not bad, just average, gets totally washed out to sea.

It's amazing that Martin's character is based on the same man as Ray Liotta would later immortalize in Martin Scorsese's most brilliant film. His co-star, Rick Moranis, plays just about the same character as in "Honey, I shrunk the kids" and its sequels, so that is not really interesting to watch either but I would rather see a whole movie with that character again and the rather lame love story between him and Joan Cusack than spend it watching Martin squint and squirm his way through every stereotypical mannerism we associate with Wise's.

To be fair, I have never really seen a non-Italian-American give a good performance playing an Italian-American, except Marlon Brando and maybe I am being a little cruel to Martin but he is no Brando. Parodies of Wise's got tired after Brando which essentially was some kind of parody on it's own.

Recapturing a good memory

[KUAlum26 · 8/10 · 10 January 2009]

I saw this movie not long after its release in August,1990. It was a rather important and memorable part of my young life:I was getting ready to move off to college(among other things)and was needing a little distraction. Since I fancied myself as a Steve MArtin fanatic(still kinda do),I felt like I HAD to see this. While I would've never--not then,probably not now,either--thought this to be anything of great work,it's still a blissfully wonderful comedy.

You might be able to take Vincent "Vinnie" Antonelli(Steve Martin,full-tilt commitment to the role)out of organized crime and the big city,but you cannot take the organized crime or big city out of Vinnie,as he frequently goes astray of the law in his witness relocation in a quiet desert community outside of San Diego. The fed assigned him Barney Coopersmith(Rick Moranis,mensch)seems to be woefully unable to keep a leash on his charge,but it's alright because while Vinnie may not sit still in protective custody,he's got a big heart for those around him keeping him out of prison. Naturally,while Vinnie may not be always above board about his actions,he's still pretty good on his word and intentions.

Easy,breezy comedy directed by the late Herbert Ross and penned by Nora Ephron(who seems to be a much better screenwriter than director),it's a film that is as light as air on a subject not normally broached in this manner(even Analyze This! and its sequel,Analyze That! still had a somewhat heavy air in them,albeit still largely tongue-in-cheek). Credit the deft and intentional script and the intensely likable interplay between Martin and Moranis(not to mention the potential love relationship/tension brought on by Joan Cusack as a divorced mom and zealous local DA)for this fact.

I saw this again recently having bought this on a "Two-fer" disc that was paired with The Man With Two Brains. While I bought the disc primarily to watch THAT film,this add-on was not only a good re-watch(or even,come to think about it,re-re-watch)but brought back a long,pleasant memory or two of film-going.

a pleasant time-passer and nothing more

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 10 June 2007]

This Rick Moranis/Steve Martin film is relatively fun and entertaining, but also quite forgettable--mostly because the film is mostly founded on a single joke that isn't all that funny. Martin plays an obnoxious crook that Moranis has been assigned to protect and it's the standard "buddy film" where two totally dissimilar guys are thrown together with "hillarious results". Generally, while the results are slightly amusing, that's all there really is to the film. Martin hams it up with an over-the-top stereotypical cheap hood performance (which, frankly, isn't too good, since it's so broad and overdone) and Moranis plays a dull befuddled FBI agent. Really, this is only a very slightly better than average time-passer and nothing more. If it comes on TV and you have nothing more important to do, then give it a watch. Otherwise, it's pretty skip-able.

Jon Monsarrat review: one of the worst of Steve Martin's

[johnnymonsarrat · 4/10 · 22 December 2002]

How disappointing. "My Blue Heaven" is incredibly slow-paced and involves very little actual humor. I'm afraid much of the blame must go to Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack, who instead of playing "the straight man" sort of plays goofy unbelievable characters in the straight man role. That's a conflict. The romance I didn't buy at all, the humor comes straight out of kid flicks.

I'm not an arty guy. I don't need a whole lotta humor or drama to keep me happy. I mean, I could bear "Sgt. Bilko" and actually enjoyed "All of Me", other Steve Martin flicks on the bad side. But this is not a low-budget film with some pizazz and cult appeal. Skip it.

Who should see this film:

-- nobody, even if you might think you want to, even on a rainy day

-- mobsters in the witness protection program who can't repent

I'm forced to give "My Blue Heaven" a 4 out of 10.

Such a cute buddy movie

[HotToastyRag · 8/10 · 13 September 2019]

My Blue Heaven is really, really cute. There's nothing particularly original about it, but somehow, Nora Ephron's delightful script still feels fresh. In essence, polar opposites become friends and the "fun one" helps the "uptight one" loosen up and learn how to really live. Rick Moranis is an FBI agent, tasked with relocating a New York mobster, Steve Martin, into a San Diego suburb before he testifies in court. Steve isn't exactly a quiet witness, and Rick spends more time than he'd like keeping him out of trouble.

There are so many sweet elements to this movie, all fitting into the setting and the title. In the quintessential suburb with Little League baseball and friendly grocery store workers, nothing ever goes wrong. The DA, Joan Cusack, isn't used to any crime being committed, so when Steve starts looking for angles, she's quite anxious to throw him behind bars. Scene breaks segment the movie with a little title card telling the audience what's about to happen-"I amaze everyone," or "Mrs. Stubbs has her problems, too," for example-with an instrumental of the title song. The sweetness of the town isn't so saccharine that it gets on the audience's nerves, Steve Martin's gangster persona isn't so over-the-top that he's ridiculous, and Rick Moranis's character isn't so hopeless that the audience thinks he's just a stereotype. In the beginning of the movie, his wife leaves him and criticizes his "system" for eating pancakes; but when Rick explains that he merely likes the bottom pancake to have as much syrup as the top pancake, it makes sense!

Right away, you're rooting for him to find love again and for him and Steve to become friends. Throughout the movie, Steve opens his eyes to the important worlds of fashion, heavy tipping, and dancing, so he's able to sweep the woman of his choice off her feet. There are so many cute scenes highlighting both leads: Steve insists on fingerprinting himself at the police station because he's faster at it than the cop; Rick learns how to merengue and ends up dancing on the beach with Joan!

Give this movie a shot. It's very funny, and it's got that lovely, clean '90s charm that movies made today don't have. After this, rent Little Shop of Horrors for a fun weekend marathon!

Martin and Moranis at their prime.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 7/10 · 24 July 2006]

This movie is from the period when Rick Moranis and Steve Martin were still at the very top of the comedy-genre. This movie shows both of them in top-form and they make this movie a fun and certainly above average one.

It's not the most clever or best comedy movie even written but the movie does serve its purpose. There are quite many different plot-lines. It doesn't make the movie confusing to watch but it does make it a little bit less interesting to watch at times. Therefor the move never really reaches the level of true greatness but it still is a bit of a forgotten and certainly underrated comedy that deserves some more recognition.

This movie features Steve Martin in one of his best and most entertaining roles. He is perfect as the ex-gangster, who now is in the witness protection program. He goes perfectly over-the-top as the Italian wise-guy. Rick Moranis' role is a bit smaller (too small) but not any less entertaining because of that. Moranis and Martin form a pretty good and funny comical duo, mainly because the two characters are very different from each other. The movie also has a really strong supporting cast, with some big and well known respected names in it.

It's a movie that really mostly relies on its two main character. They make the movie and its comedy moments work. The movie doesn't really have that many memorable moments, although the dance sequences are definitely fun, original and amusing. Its more the sort of movie that amuses and entertaining throughout its entire running time, without making a too big or lasting impression. The movie tries to be clever at moments with its story but it only succeeds partly in this. The story is too messy and too disconnected to make it really fully work.

There are too many issues with this movie to really regard it as a great comedy classic. The story is not always told in the most interesting way and not everything in the movie really connects with each other. Also the ending was a bit of a disappointment. It was like they wanted to solve every plot line and problems in the last ten minutes in just a couple of sequences. It made the ending a bit of a too easy and unsatisfying one.

Overall an entertaining, bit of underrated comedy, that is fun to watch, mainly thanks to Martin and Moranis who were both in top shape at the time of this movie.

7/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Bad Hair, Bad Suit, Bad Character... Bad Comedy

[drqshadow-reviews · 2/10 · 17 January 2018]

Life in the witness protection program for a loud-mouthed ex-mafia informant (Steve Martin) and his boring, buttoned-up FBI minder (Rick Moranis). Strangely, this serves as a counterpoint of sorts to Martin Scorsese's epic Goodfellas, and not just in the similar topic and release window. Both were actually based on the life of the same man, mobster turned stool pigeon Henry Hill, although My Blue Heaven takes some artistic license in casting him as a plucky, golden-hearted screwball. Yet, despite Martin's best efforts to be the loudest man in the room (he's certainly the loudest dressed) there's very little to see here. We watch him bristle at the prospect of a subdued retirement away from the bright lights, toy with the idea of starting his own operation in town, tease the local cops and... nothing. No growth, no conflict, no excitement. Even when he's literally under fire from spurned former conspirators, there's no tension in the air. It just feels like bad slapstick. Vacant and dull, pointless and meaningless, it's offensive in the lengths it takes to be inoffensive. I'm not sure why I did this to myself.

Smart Comedy

[tfrizzell · 20 August 2001]

Steve Martin is a mobster turned informant in the U.S. Witness Protection Program, but his dishonest habits are hard to break in this clever little comedy. Director Herbert Ross uses a smart screenplay, talented performers, and a great premise to make "My Blue Heaven" work a lot better than most films of its genre. Rick Moranis is the FBI agent who tries to protect Martin from mafia hitmen and more dangerously himself. Joan Cusack is priceless as a local district attorney who wants to get Martin for every little offense he commits while awaiting his court date to testify. William Hickey is also good as one of Martin's shady friends. A good little film overall. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

amusing

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 26 December 2021]

Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli (Steve Martin) is in witness protection waiting to testify against the mob. His case is handled by FBI agent Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis). Barney is a by-the-book agent. He follows every line of the book which is why his wife leaves him for a young baseball pitcher. Vinnie refuses to go straight and Barney has to save him from DA Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack). Vinnie finds many other former associates in witness protection and they decide to go back into the crime business.

It's an amusing idea. These are some of the greatest comedic actors of the era. It's funny for a little while especially with the addition of Joan Cusack. At some point, Steve Martin's overly broad comedic character does wear on me. One is never going to take this seriously but I don't know if it's wacky enough to be truly funny. It's mildly amusing but it never gets more than a few chuckles.

What Martin did best

[SusanAdebisi · 7/10 · 3 August 2006]

Unfortunately It's difficult to erase Steve Martin's recent abysmal C.v but this Is very amusing, he plays the Ignorant, delusional eejit as well as anyone as this the man with 2 brains & the brilliant Bowfinger showcase. I saw "bringing down the house" a week later and the un-natural, rubbish humour Is miles away from this highly entertaining turn.

As a despicable mafia sellout Martin Is great In being as low-life as humanly possible. Resorting to the cheapest shot whenever cornered he does It all with a stupid smirk and pithy comeback. Slightly poking fun at Goodfellas In plot Martin's jumped up, jokey mafioso personna makes My blue heaven perfect drunk Friday night fare.

This is a wonderful, fun, almost dark comedy.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 28 September 2003]

My Blue Heaven is a wonderful example of Steve Martin's diversity as a comedic actor. I love his devil-may-care attitude in this one and his relationship with Rick Moranis's character's is absolutely hilarious.

Martin plays Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli, a low-level mob figure who is turning state's evidence against a bigger gangland figure. He is in the witness protection program, and assigned to Barney Coopersmith (Rick Moranis), an FBI agent who is chomping at the bit to do some "real detective work."

I won't go into the plot, but it is quite enjoyable to watch.

One of my favorite Steve Martin movies.

It rates a 7.2/10 from...

the Fiend :.

My cousin Vinnie relocates

[jotix100 · 5/10 · 29 November 2005]

Heaven help those communities that are chosen as a haven for criminals that are cooperating with the government. Most of them are out of the way, and in the case of this movie, Vinnie Antonelli, the FBI's witness from hell, sticks out like a sore thumb!

This film had the right ingredients going for it. Where did it go wrong?, one will never know! With a talent like Herbert Ross directing, and a screen play written by Nora Ephron, one of the best women in the business, as a writer and a director, it sounded like the perfect team to make this film a winner. Not having seen it when it first came out, and having heard it was not worth the effort, we decided to watch it when it was shown on cable recently.

Steve Martin is a genius in his own right. That said, like some other funny men, without the reining power of a good director, Mr. Martin tends to overdo his roles. This is unfortunate because when he is good, he is excellent. The problem with the film is that we don't buy the idea this jerk, Vinnie, has any redeeming qualities. In fact, he goes into his own criminal activities, which seems to be possible. We have heard how a famous criminal, Sammy "The Bull" Gravano, doing this type of thing while in protective custody, with a new identity getting into drug trafficking!

The film will not add anything to Mr. Martin's resume, or to Joan Cusak, Bill Irwin, Karol Kane and the rest.

Don't say you weren't warned.

One Of Martn's Funnier Efforts

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 2 November 2006]

At the time of its release, I thought this might be Steve Martin's best work. He's done so many good things that I wouldn't say what's his best anymore but he is very good in here. His Italian hoodlum accent is funny and the unique character he plays, "Vinnie Antonelli" is very entertaining to see and hear.

This isn't a laugh-out-loud-type of comedy but a pleasant one all the way through with good subtle humor. The first half of the story was much better than the second half. It gets cornier as it goes on. Martin's supporting cast - Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack - don't quite cut it as an FBI man and district attorney, respectively, being ridiculous clown-type characters but, hey, this isn't supposed to be taken seriously. Moranis' "Barney Coppersmith" is stupid but likable and Cusack's "Hannah Stubbs" is overly silly.

The language is very tame, especially for a PG-13 film. It's just a nice lighthearted comedy, worth a look or two. I saw it three times and by then, that was enough. The DVD version I saw wasn't a whole lot better than the tape with poor surround sound and a so-so transfer.

Good Comedy!

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 22 December 2016]

Steve Martin, Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack star in this 1990 comedy. Martin (Planes, Trains & Automobiles) plays mobster, Vinnie Antonelli who is in the witness protection program. Moranis (Ghostbusters) plays Barney Coopersmith, a square, FBI agent who is assigned to protect Vinnie in a suburban town in California. Vinnie starts off getting into some trouble, but betters himself trying to help Barney build his self-confidence as well as help provide for the community. Cusack (In & Out) plays D.A., Hannah Stubbs who finds romance with Barney. Daniel Stern (Home Alone), Carol Kane (The Princess Bride), Bill Irwin (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and the late, William Hickey (Tales from the Darkside: The Movie) are also featured. I've always enjoyed this film and Martin and Moranis are great together. I recommend this good comedy.

Goodfellas II

[deanofrpps · 1/10 · 3 August 2007]

I would have believed this to have been the worst movie of all time until I read that this was supposed to be the life story of mobster-rat Henry Hill whose mob career was featured in Goodfellas.

The opening premise is that gangster Vincent 'Vinnie' Antonelli (Steve Martin)'s garishly dressed wife joined Vinnie in Witness Protection so that Vinnie could get a house. Poor Vinnie doesn't even know how to use a lawn mower. While Vinnie struggles with the concept of mowing the lawn, Steve Martin flubs Brooklynese, massacring the entire dialect so incomprehensibly that the average affectionado of the tongue of Kings (Kings County that is) couldn't fathom a word Martin was trying to say. Someone might have told poor Steve that Italians lead all others in home ownership and tenderly care for the humblest plot.

Yet Vinnie finds a suburban Eden a little too disquietly quiet. He teams up with a few other exiled mobsters in reversion to their sordid games, only to be rescued from local law enforcement by the FBI. To that extent the movie gives an accurate picture if not often with comical overtones, of Witness Protection. Hill in various TV interviews acknowledges having lapsed despite attempts of the FBI to bail him out of new trouble by relocating him.

Vinnie faces a formidable adversary in local prosecutor Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack) who is constantly frustrated in ridding the town of Vinnie.

Poor Execution by Martin of the Brooklyn accent, the uncharitable view of Italians, and giddy silliness about a serious problem: Federally Supported and Funded Crime Waves through Witness Protection won a *** 1 *** rating from me.

Vinnie in this movie

Pure Heaven.

[MovieAddict2016 · 10/10 · 6 October 2003]

After a car is stolen by a gangster:

"And where did you learn to jump start a car?" "I had to learn to jump start ambulances to get invalids to the dialysis machines."

• Joan Cusack and Steve Martin, "My Blue Heaven."

There's a lot of fun to be found in "My Blue Heaven," a simple little comedy with only good intentions. I find it almost impossible to dislike - it has little offensive material, it isn't a stupid, recycled movie packaged with marketable trimmings. Instead, it is a joyful little flick that knows it is no Oscar winner but still tries to entertain its audience. And it does. "My Blue Heaven" is pure heaven for anyone who appreciates fine comedy - it's a little bit wacky, a little bit goofy, and very, very funny.

Steve Martin is perfectly cast as the wild and crazy Vincent Antonelli, a Mafia informer who has been entered into the Witness Protection Program. His wife wants no part of their new, cheery life in a suburban America so she leaves him early on. Rick Moranis is equally well-cast as Barney Coopersmith, the FBI agent assigned to protect Vinnie and make sure his new life is suitable to his comfort.

Barney's wife has just left him, too. She complains that he is too anal-retentive. She even mentions that he has a technique for getting equal amounts of butter on his waffles. Meanwhile, Vinnie soon tires of his new life and resorts to crime - first little things, such as marking down prices on meat in the local grocery store - which results in the best single line in the entire film, when a perky employee greets Vinnie. His response is a four-letter-word that isn't nearly as (c)rude as it seems it would be at first. Soon he meets up with old partners and crime and they form a new crime syndicate - much to the chagrin of a female police officer named Hannah Stubbs (Joan Cusack), who seems to be the perfect match for Barney Coopersmith.

Hannah is unable to prosecute Vinnie because he is a Federal Witness. At first she and Barney hate each other. Then they grow closer. Vinnie watches on with joyful interest. And what makes this movie so enjoyable, in part, is the chemistry between Martin and Moranis.

It's their first film together since "Parenthood." They're a good duo, and Martin is so out of character here you start to forget it's even him playing an Italian mobster. Compare Vincent Antonelli to Neal Page (Martin's character in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"), and the difference in not only attitude but mannerisms and levels of intensity is clearly evident. Martin can play the middle-class American white male especially well, but this film clearly shows that he has not left his wacky background in such films as "The Jerk" far behind.

"My Blue Heaven" came out the same year as "Goodfellas" (1990). It was impeccable timing - at the end of "Goodfellas" we are left with the penetrating image of Ray Liotta's character Henry Hill outside a suburban home in a cheery neighborhood which, remarkably, looks exactly like the neighborhood in "My Blue Heaven." It could be argued that "My Blue Heaven" is an immediate sequel in some senses. Where "Goodfellas" left off "My Blue Heaven" starts - it just throws in some comedy. Which is why I don't understand its small impact when it first arrived in theaters. (Suffice to say, it sorta flopped.)

I own this film on a VHS tape I purchased for $4.99 at Wal-Mart. I found it lying in the bottom of a discount video barrel with no-name titles. There are comedic gems that have gained respect over the years, and then there are comedic gems that have slipped by unnoticed. "My Blue Heaven" wasn't very noticed upon its release in 1990, the few critics who saw it seemed not to pay any attention to it. Funny how some of the most joyful comedies slip by. My Blue Heaven" is a few laughs short of a comic masterpiece.

4.5/5.

"The way I look at it, this is where you go when you die."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 14 April 2019]

Steve Martin gets to play the 'wise guy' aspect of his role two different ways in this picture. First off, he really is a wise guy in the accepted vernacular of a former Mafia gangster, now in the witness protection program in order to testify in a pair of criminal cases. In the second case, his blatantly ridiculous story telling and excuses for bad behavior cast him as a wise guy who thinks he can get away with lying through his teeth. He's cast here opposite his FBI contact Barney Coopersmith, portrayed by Rick Moranis in a decidedly understated role. I was expecting more from Moranis in the way of his character Louis Tully in "Ghostbusters", so his demeanor in this film kept me constantly off balance. The only time he seemed to let his hair down was in that nightclub number where he and Martin displayed some significant dance moves that thoroughly stunned me. For me, that was the best part of the picture. Otherwise this is a relatively cornball story that gets it's humorous kicks in whenever it can, as Vinnie Antonelli (Martin) takes the town of Fryburg for a bunch of suckers with his Little League donation scheme, and turns it around to become a hero in the community. Fans of Steve Martin in his heyday will take some pleasant grins from the film, but you'll have to pick your spots.

A strawman-mafia type average comedy

[Horror-yo · 5/10 · 21 March 2017]

This is a strange case of more comedic content covering up for the fact the plot is very thin and the events pretty unimportant in how they engage the viewer. The film at no point makes it interesting to know how what's going to happen will go down, and the viewer is rather pleasantly distracted by the on screen humorous embellishment of the various successive scenes rather than what they actually depict for the story.

As more specific criticism, Martin is slightly out of place: his NY accent is passable if we're being nice and surely another good comedian of the time could've played that role. Moranis on the other hand, seemed perfect for such a role and did indeed play just right all the time. Cusack does very well in her nerdy old girl role and certainly adds to the experience on her own.

A special mention to the character Kirby (actor Bill Irwin) with his hilarious and spontaneous dance moves.