Heaven Must Wait (2001)

Heaven Must Wait (original title Diggity: A Home At Last, also known as Diggity's Treasure) comes off as a Hallmark made-for-TV movie. It probably got into my queue because it is loosely related to Christmas, since an annual village fete (show) nearly gets cancelled. The plot in this movie bangs around like loose game pieces in a box, trying to be a number of things and not always connecting. Still, it does often get its message through, sometimes clumsily and sometimes deftly, and this will be enough for viewers who prefer family values and even an understated Christian message. I was not bothered by Andrew McCarthy's accent; sure, it was a pastiche of Boss Hogg, J.R., and Forrest Gump, but the show must go on. I paid much more attention to all the movie's quizzical circumstances. (In the first scene, Andrew's character, Raymond, is apparently an incompetent yutz who loses his apartment and livelihood. In the third scene, seemingly within the hour, he learns he has inherited property in England, and accepts a passport and a one-way air ticket. Supposedly the "long-lost" and "sole surviving" heir to a deed that goes back 500 years, he bumbles into the English country town and promptly strikes a gentleman's agreement with their version of Jimmy Stewart's scheming Mr. Potter. However, as he develops instantaneous bonds with the townsfolk, esp. the kindhearted Gypsy family that lives on his property, he considers kinder alternatives that keep them guessing.) Most interesting is Max Dolbey as Diggity, an "orphan boy" who lives in the church but talks to an angel named Felicia about becoming an angel himself. From the first moment, he has to point out the obvious attraction between Raymond and his bed-and-breakfast hostess, Rachel, to the pair. (This movie is very circumspect about attraction: The couple never kisses, embraces, or even proposes in so many words before Rachel says Yes, and then all happiness breaks loose.) Aside from the movie's climactic scenes, some tense moments occur as a bully repeatedly threatens two boys (and a guinea pig), but no animals (or boys) are harmed. Mild comic moments occur throughout the film, redeeming the cookie-cutter story with originality. I liked it, and even got emotional during the climax, but then I am a parent. Enjoy! 3 stars. (7-9-2017)