A romantic fantasy that's far from director Alan Rudolph's usual stamping ground of urban paranoia - which perhaps explains his failure to put any sort of personal stamp on this one.

The story starts around 1946 when Mike (Timothy Hutton) is drowned, and goes to Heaven, where he falls in love with Annie (Kelly McGillis) an 'unborn soul' whom he marries, but loses when she has to be 'born' to an earthling.

Mike appeals to the Heavenly supervisor - an unbilled Debra Winger completely stealing the film as the androgynous Emmett - who gives him 30 years to find Annie (now Ally) on Earth.

Since the ending is always pretty obvious, the film depends heavily on the incidents that fill the lovers' journey on the way, but so little happens that it seems a very long and slow one.

The rest of the acting is forgettable, too, with the exception of a poignant performance by Ann Wedgeworth as Mike's mother.

And the ending is anti-climactic, lacking all sense of joy.