Seven Minutes in Heaven (film)

Seven Minutes in Heaven
Directed by	Linda Feferman
Written by	Jane Bernstein Linda Feferman
Produced by	Sheila Goodwin Fred Roos Mark Silverman (associate prod.)
Starring	Jennifer Connelly Byron Thames Maddie Corman
Cinematography	Steven Fierberg
Edited by	Marc Laub
Music by	Robert Kraft Songs by Josie Aiello
Production companies	Fifteen Zoetrope Studios Warner Bros.
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	May 9, 1985
Running time	88 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Seven Minutes in Heaven is a 1985 teen film directed by Linda Feferman and starring Jennifer Connelly in one of her first film roles.

Plot

The film focuses on three Ohio teens—high school sophomores Natalie, Jeff, and Polly. Jeff is having trouble getting along with his stepfather Gerry. After an argument, he storms out of the house and goes over to Natalie’s house. Natalie agrees to let Jeff stay at her house for a few days while her father is away on business (her mother is deceased).

Natalie and Jeff’s friend Polly is upset that her crush, James Casey, is pursuing Natalie and not her. But she then meets professional baseball player and underwear model Zoo Knudsen. Polly and Zoo meet and talk and, while trying to avoid an obsessive fan, take cover in a lingerie store. Posing as an engaged couple, Zoo buys Polly a negligee. Later that night, Polly and Zoo make out in his car. Zoo asks her how old she is, and she says she is 18. Before he drives off, Zoo tells Polly to come to New York City and watch one of his games. Polly later writes Zoo a fan letter and puts the negligee under her pillow.

Jeff’s mother talks to his football coach and convinces him to kick Jeff off the football team as punishment for leaving home. She also runs into Jeff in person and tries to convince him to come home, but he refuses.

Natalie and Casey begin to spend more time together. One evening, Polly goes over to Natalie’s house. She finds Jeff sitting outside in a sleeping bag, to give Natalie and Casey some privacy. Polly then leaves, assuming that Natalie and Casey are having sex. Later, Polly hears back from Zoo in the mail and receives a signed photo, but is disappointed when the letter turns out to be a typed, generic fan-response letter.

Frustrated over Zoo, and jealous of Natalie’s relationship with Casey (and believing Natalie is no longer a virgin), Polly gets into a fight with Natalie. Natalie storms out of Polly’s house. Polly then tries to seduce Jeff, to lose her virginity and become more experienced before she meets Zoo again. They start to get intimate, but Jeff walks away when Polly talks about Zoo.

During a fire drill, Polly points out to Jeff, within hearing distance of Natalie, that Casey is flirting with their classmate Lisa. Casey then confesses that he never really stopped seeing Lisa. Natalie, heartbroken, tells Casey to leave her alone. She later lashes out at Jeff, crushed that Jeff didn’t tell her that Casey and Lisa were still together the whole time.

Natalie wins an academic writing competition and goes to Washington D.C. She meets the Vice President, her state senator, and Williams, a White House Aide. Williams takes Natalie sight-seeing and tries to kiss Natalie, but she avoids the gesture. He then asks her to go back to his place, but Natalie declines and suggests they visit the Washington Monument.

Polly goes to New York City to watch Zoo play in a baseball game. She causes a commotion when she climbs onto the dugout and pulls out the negligee to get Zoo’s attention. While being detained by police, Bill, a professional photographer, pretends to know Polly to keep her from getting in trouble. Bill lets Polly stay at his apartment for the night and agrees to drive her to the airport the next morning.

Natalie’s father arrives home and discovers that Jeff has been living with Natalie for the past several days. Natalie and Polly run into each other at the airport and reconcile. Jeff’s mother is called by Natalie’s father, arrives at Natalie’s house, and demands that Jeff come home. Natalie comes home and is confronted by her father and Jeff’s mother. Natalie apologizes to her father but expresses her dislike of him being away from home so often. Her father apologizes too.

Jeff and his mother talk on Natalie’s porch. Jeff says that he is thinking about moving to California to be with his dad, but his mother reminds him that his father doesn’t even have a home or a job. Jeff reminds her that Gerry is not his father; she replies that Gerry is the only father he will ever really have.

Sometime later, Jeff is outside his house playing basketball with Gerry. Natalie and Polly roller skate down the street and pull Jeff away. The three friends make their way down the street, smiling, holding hands.

Cast

• Jennifer Connelly as Natalie Becker
• Byron Thames as Jeff Moran
• Maddie Corman as Polly Franklin
• Alan Boyce as James Casey
• Michael Zaslow as Bob Becker, Natalie's father
• Polly Draper as Aileen Moran Jones, Jeff's mother
• Marshall Bell as Gerry Jones, Jeff's stepfather
• Lauren Holly as Lisa
• Billy Wirth as Zoo Knudsen
• Margo Skinner as Mrs. Franklin
• Terry Kinney as Bill the Photographer
• Denny Dillon as Aunt Gail
• Paul Martell as White House Aide
• Michael Higgins as Senator Peterson
• Matthew Lewis as Polly's Father

Filming locations

Some scenes were filmed in and around Montclair High School in Montclair, New Jersey, US and Mamaroneck High School in Mamaroneck, New York. Interior school scenes were filmed inside Nutley High School in Nutley, New Jersey.

Home media

Seven Minutes In Heaven was released on DVD in July 7, 2010.

External links

• Seven Minutes in Heaven at IMDb
• Seven Minutes in Heaven at Rotten Tomatoes