Manna From Heaven
MGM — a lighthearted comedic fable about a financial windfall that turns out to be a loan.
Bob Garfield — NPR: “Capra-esque. Charming, charming, charming!”
Dave Kehr — New York Times: “Refreshingly sincere, gentle and good-natured.”
Natalie Hopkinson — Washington Post: “CRITICS PICK! Two feel-good hours of old-timey family entertainment… a much-needed reprieve from the angst, irony and mean-spiritedness that is endemic to modern cinema.”
Liz Smith — New York Post: “A great little movie it is. Dig this cast… Several Oscar winners and nominees and even a Tony citation are in this amazing group. You’ll be hearing more about the Burtons!”
Manna From Heaven is a lighthearted comedic fable about what happens when you get a “gift from God” (a financial windfall), but many years later you find out it was just a loan — and it’s due immediately.
With its star-studded ensemble cast, Manna From Heaven is a delightful and refreshing comedy about rediscovering hope at any age. Through the ensemble comedy’s twists and turns, the characters learn about family, romance, reconciliation, and redemption.
The heartwarming comedy appeals to a wide audience, including young viewers, who know the film’s talented cast through classic and currently popular TV shows (The Partridge Family, Batman, Just Shoot Me, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), as well as older audiences more familiar with the actors through their movies (Oklahoma, The Last Picture Show, etc.).
Starring
- Academy Award winner Shirley Jones (Elmer Gantry, The Music Man, The Partridge Family)
- Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman (The Last Picture Show, Young Frankenstein)
- Academy Award winner Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Star Trek: Deep Space 9)
- Academy Award nominee Seymour Cassel (The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, Faces)
- Tony nominee Harry Groener (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Patch Adams, Crazy For You)
- Ursula Burton (The Office, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Sgt. Bilko)
- Shelley Duvall (The Shining, Popeye, Three Women)
- Jill Eikenberry (L.A. Law, Hide in Plain Sight, The Manhattan Project)
- Faye Grant (State of Grace, V, Internal Affairs)
- Frank Gorshin (Batman, Luck of the Draw, 12 Monkeys)
- Emmy nominee Wendie Malick (Hot in Cleveland, Just Shoot Me, The Emperor’s New Groove)
- Austin Pendleton (Oz, Searching for Bobby Fischer, What’s Up Doc?)
- BTVA Actor of the Year Phil Lamarr (Pulp Fiction, Samurai Jack, Futurama)
Endorsements
Manna From Heaven earned the endorsement and support of Habitat for Humanity, Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis Clubs, the Conference of Catholic Bishops, Rabbi Gellman and Msgr. Hartman of The God Squad, the United Methodist Council, and the Bishop of Buffalo.
More from the press
Ain’t It Cool News: “This movie has it all: a good plot, great characters and performances, hilarious moments, and genuinely touching personal moments… I’m generally pretty cynical, but I still really enjoyed this movie. I wish more good family movies like this came along.”
Patricia Finneran — IFP, NYC: “A wonderful testament to the generosity of the human spirit — something we are all needing right now!”
Carl Gottlieb (Jaws, The Jerk): “Manna From Heaven is a marvel of ingenuity, character and comic invention.”
Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY): “We don’t have enough of these movies. It says something wonderful about family.”
For teachers and group leaders, our free viewing & discussion guide offers background, discussion questions, and activities.
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