Michael (1996)

Michael is a 1996 American fantasy film directed by Nora Ephron. The film stars John Travolta as the Archangel Michael, who is sent to Earth to do various tasks, including mending some wounded hearts. The cast includes Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins, Joey Lauren Adams and Robert Pastorelli as people who cross Michael's path. This was the last Turner Pictures film to be distributed by New Line Cinema; Warner Bros. distributed the home video release of Michael (1996) and the theatrical release of Fallen (1998).

The original music score was composed by Randy Newman. The dance scene and other location shots were filmed at the community center of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Cornhill, Texas, and on country roads near Walburg, Texas, as well as at Texas's Gruene Hall.

Contrary to popular depictions of angels, Michael is portrayed as a boozing, smoking slob – yet capable of imparting unexpected wisdom.

The same year Travolta appeared in another film, Phenomenon, also as a character with supernatural powers who profoundly affects those around him.

Synopsis

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 folkspersons. When Malt gets word that a woman is supposedly harboring an angel in a small town in Iowa, he figures that this might be 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 Driscoll (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" (actually a dog trainer hired by Malt to eventually replace Driscoll).

Actors