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{{Short description|1998 film by Brad Silberling}} {{distinguish|The Crow: City of Angels{{!}}''The Crow: City of Angels''|City of Angels (musical)}} {{Good article}} {{Use American English|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox film | name = City of Angels | image = City Of Angels.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[Brad Silberling]] | producer = [[Charles Roven]]<br>[[Dawn Steel]] | screenplay = [[Dana Stevens (screenwriter)|Dana Stevens]] | based_on = {{Based on|''[[Wings of Desire]]''|[[Wim Wenders]]|{{quad}}[[Peter Handke]]|{{quad}}[[Richard Reitinger]]}} | starring = {{Plainlist| * [[Nicolas Cage]] * [[Meg Ryan]] * [[Dennis Franz]] * [[Andre Braugher]]}} | music = [[Gabriel Yared]] | cinematography = [[John Seale]] | editing = [[Lynzee Klingman]] | studio = [[Regency Enterprises]]<br />[[Atlas Entertainment]] | distributor = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] | released = {{Film date|1998|04|10|United States}} | runtime = 114 minutes<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/CVF153283 |title=City of Angels |access-date=August 9, 2017 |website=[[British Board of Film Classification]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809213800/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/city-angels-1970-4 |archive-date=August 9, 2017 }}</ref> | country = United States | language = English | budget = $55 million<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/20/movies/high-costs-of-joe-black-challenge-industry-rule.html |title=High Costs of 'Joe Black' Challenge Industry Rule |last=Weinraub |first=Bernard |access-date=August 9, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 20, 1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810052444/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/20/movies/high-costs-of-joe-black-challenge-industry-rule.html |archive-date=August 10, 2017 }}</ref> | gross = $198.7 million<ref name="BOM City of Angels" /> }} '''''City of Angels''''' is a 1998 American [[romantic fantasy]] film directed by [[Brad Silberling]], and starring [[Nicolas Cage]] and [[Meg Ryan]]. Set in Los Angeles, California, the film is a loose [[remake]] of [[Wim Wenders]]'s 1987 film ''[[Wings of Desire]]'' (''Der Himmel über Berlin''). As with the original, ''City of Angels'' tells the story of an angel (Cage) who falls in love with a mortal woman (Ryan), and wishes to become human to be with her. With the guidance of a man ([[Dennis Franz]]) who has already made the transition from immortality, the angel [[fallen angel|falls]] and begins the human experience. When producer [[Dawn Steel]] saw potential to pursue more story ideas in Wenders's original concept, she and her husband [[Charles Roven]] acquired the rights for an English-language adaptation. After years of delay, they found support from [[Warner Bros.]] and recruited Silberling and screenwriter [[Dana Stevens (screenwriter)|Dana Stevens]] to execute the project. Themes were borrowed from Wenders's work, though the ending was altered, to a more tragic effect. ''City of Angels'' was filmed around California and dedicated to Steel, who died before the premiere. The remake was released to financial success, but mixed reviews, with some critics judging it to be a mawkish adaptation. It was also noted for [[City of Angels (soundtrack)|its soundtrack]], and nominated for several awards, particularly for its performances and soundtrack. ==Plot== <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. --> In [[Los Angeles]], California, Seth is one of many [[angel]]s who watch over humans, protecting them in unseen ways. His main responsibility is to appear to those who are [[near-death experience|close to death]] and [[psychopomp|guide]] them to the next life. During this task, Seth and one of his fellow angels, [[Cassiel]], ask people what their favorite thing in life was. Despite these daily encounters, they have trouble understanding human beings and their ways, as angels lack human senses. While waiting to escort a man undergoing heart surgery to the other world, Seth is impressed by the vigorous efforts of the surgeon, Maggie Rice, to save the ill-fated man's life and her sincere anguish at her failure to do so. Seth soon becomes focused on Maggie and becomes visible to her. They develop a connection, which soon turns to mutual attraction, although she is already involved with one of her colleagues, Jordan Ferris. Seth then meets Nathaniel Messinger, one of Maggie's patients, who senses Seth's presence. He tells him that he, too, had once been an angel. But, as [[free will]] is granted equally to mortals and angels, Nathaniel decided to become human by "[[fallen angel|falling]]". Seth begins to consider being with Maggie, and she learns that he is an angel. [[File:A view of Lake Tahoe from Crystal bay.JPG|225px|thumb|[[Lake Tahoe]] is featured in the film.]] Seth becomes human by jumping from the top of a skyscraper. Immediately upon awakening, he starts to experience many human feelings and sensations that he had never been able to understand, beginning with physical pain. As a human, Seth heads to the hospital to see Maggie but is told she has gone to her uncle's mountain cabin at Lake Tahoe. Penniless and naïve, he cannot pay for the journey and gets mugged. He eventually hitches a ride to [[Lake Tahoe]] and appears, soaked and cold, at Maggie's doorstep. She realizes he has become mortal for her love, and they have sex. The next morning, as Seth is showering, Maggie rides her bicycle to a local store. On her way back, happy and fulfilled, she rides her bicycle with her eyes closed and her arms wide open. Her happiness is cut short when she fails to notice a [[logging truck]] crossing her path and is gravely wounded in the collision. Seth senses that Maggie is in trouble and runs to her aid. He arrives in time for her to tell him she sees the angel who has come to accompany her. Although Seth can no longer see angels, he senses one nearby and frantically begs Maggie not to look at them. She tells him she is not afraid anymore and that when they ask her what her favorite thing in life was, she will say it was Seth, and she then dies. Grieving and alone, Seth is visited by Cassiel. He asks if he is being punished for becoming human, which Cassiel assures him is not the case. Sometime later, Seth expresses his joy in being human and the fact that he has accepted his new life by running into the ocean, feeling the waves at dawn, in sight of the angels. ==Cast== [[File:Nicolas Cage - KirkWeaver.jpg|200px|thumb|[[Nicolas Cage]] stars as Seth.]] * [[Nicolas Cage]] as Seth * [[Meg Ryan]] as Dr. Maggie Rice * [[Andre Braugher]] as [[Cassiel]] * [[Colm Feore]] as Jordan Ferris * [[Dennis Franz]] as Nathaniel Messinger * [[Robin Bartlett]] as Anne * [[Joanna Merlin]] as Teresa Messinger * Sarah Dampf as Susan ==Themes== [[File:A Fallen Angel LACMA M.84.21.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Seth's story invokes the mythology of [[fallen angel]]s.]] ''City of Angels'' invokes the idea of the [[fallen angel]] in Seth's transformation into a human. However, author Scott Culpepper argues this is not related to evil or exile from heaven, and is instead based on [[free will]].{{sfn|Culpepper|2016|p=28}} The fact that Maggie is killed very shortly after Seth's transformation poses the question of whether Seth left "heaven for ashes", but the conclusion is that "the very temporality of relationships, experiences and feelings are what make them meaningful".{{sfn|Culpepper|2016|p=28}} Seth's realization is followed by the concluding scene in which he dives into the ocean, and the otherwise "stoic" Cassiel smiles for him. Sociologists [[Albert Bergesen]] and [[Andrew Greeley]] write that this communicates "not only the glory of being alive ... but the seeming approval by heaven of that choice".{{sfn|Bergesen|Greeley|2017|p=115}} Writer [[Brian Godawa]] interprets the film as having a "humanistic worldview" in which physical experiences humans can enjoy have more value to angels than the spiritual. However, Godawa feels this contradicts [[1 Peter 1]]:12, where "things which angels desire to look into" are spiritual truths in the gospel of the [[Holy Spirit in Christianity|Holy Spirit]].{{sfn|Godawa|2011|p=242}} Encyclopedist Andrew Tate writes Maggie is a surgeon with no spiritual faith and, through Seth, she "learns to trust the invisible", while Seth learns the wonders of life through her.{{sfn|Tate|2011|p=24}} [[File:Paradise Lost 10.jpg|150px|thumb|Professor Christopher R. Miller contrasted ''City of Angels''{{'}} characters to the angels of ''[[Paradise Lost]]''.]] Professor Christopher R. Miller observes Seth's book recommendation for Maggie is [[Ernest Hemingway]]'s ''[[A Moveable Feast]]'', but Miller suggests [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' would have been more interesting. Miller contrasted Milton's epic, in which "angels were matter and spirit" and "sybaritic show-offs", with the depiction of the supernatural beings in the film.<ref name="Miller">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/books/98/05/24/bookend/bookend.html |title=Winging It |last=Miller |first=Christopher R. |access-date=August 15, 2017 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 24, 1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816111541/http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/05/24/bookend/bookend.html |archive-date=August 16, 2017 }}</ref> Tate believes the fact that angels reside in libraries indicates that they represent "an age of reason, order and learning", though these principles led to decline in faith, contemplating Nathaniel's line "They don't believe in us anymore".{{sfn|Tate|2011|p=23}} Miller questions the "no one believes" line, pointing to 1998 [[New Age]] book sales, the play ''[[Angels in America]]'' and the television series ''[[Touched by an Angel]]''.<ref name="Miller"/> On the choice of Los Angeles as a setting, Gabriel Solomons contrasts the depiction of the city as a door to heaven to other films depicting it as a "psychological dead end" or actual hell (as in ''[[Constantine (film)|Constantine]]'').{{sfn|Solomons|2011|p=6}} However, Professor Jeff Malpas says that, whereas ''Wings of Desire'' was informed by Berlin, Los Angeles, sometimes known in real life as the "City of Angels", "provides nothing more than a convenient location".{{sfn|Malpas|2008|p=150}} ==Production== ===Development=== Director [[Brad Silberling]] praised [[Wim Wenders]]' 1987 Franco-German film ''[[Wings of Desire]]'', calling it "truly the most incredible cinematic experience of observation of human detail".<ref name="Kenny">{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Silberling |first2=Brad |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |work=[[Wings of Desire]] |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> Silberling, while acknowledging Wenders' film was meant as a tribute to [[West Berlin]], remarked that it became "a larger human discussion".<ref name="Kenny"/> In 1989, at the initiative of producer [[Dawn Steel]],<ref name="Albers"/> her company reached out to Wenders to purchase the rights for an adaptation.<ref>{{cite AV media |last1=Kenny |first1=J.M. |last2=Wenders |first2=Wim |date=2009 |title=The Angels Among Us |medium=Blu-ray |work=[[Wings of Desire]] |publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]]}}</ref> However, production was delayed, as Steel took the project to [[The Walt Disney Company]] and [[Turner Entertainment]] before finally settling at [[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="Mermelstein">{{cite news |last=Mermelstein |first=David |date=April 5, 1998 |title=The remake as a risky take on a classic |volume=147 |page=17 |work=[[The New York Times]] |issue=51118 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/05/movies/film-the-remake-as-a-risky-take-on-a-classic.html |url-status=live |access-date=August 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170814063655/http://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/05/movies/film-the-remake-as-a-risky-take-on-a-classic.html |archive-date=August 14, 2017}}</ref> Silberling secured the position of director after his success with the 1995 film adaptation of ''[[Casper (film)|Casper]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/feb/16/features.review |title=The family that grieves together... |last=Ojumu |first=Akin |access-date=July 16, 2017 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=February 16, 2003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402210008/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/feb/16/features.review |archive-date=April 2, 2017 }}</ref> While Steel's husband [[Charles Roven]] said she "felt that there was another movie in the idea for ''Wings of Desire''", screenplay drafts by various authors dissatisfied her.<ref name="Mermelstein"/> She subsequently selected [[Dana Stevens (screenwriter)|Dana Stevens]] as screenwriter.<ref name="Wilmington">{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/04/10/caught-in-the-middle/ |title=Caught in the Middle |last=Wilmington |first=Michael |access-date=August 9, 2017 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=April 10, 1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809202514/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-04-10/entertainment/9804100018_1_angels-solveig-dommartin-wings |archive-date=August 9, 2017 }}</ref> Stevens professed admiration for Wenders' original and believed she could "capture its essence", while reconsidering its [[nonlinear narrative]]. She also defended the California setting, saying "Los Angeles is metaphorically more representative of America than any other city ... It has every personality, and I like the idea of angels being among all these different ethnic cultures".<ref name="Mermelstein"/> [[File:US-CA-SanFrancisco-PublicLibrary-Atrium-2012-06-27T120042.jpg|250px|thumb|[[San Francisco Public Library]] was a filming location.{{sfn|Marcus|2015|p=206}}]] Star [[Nicolas Cage]] said that moving the setting from Berlin in the time of the [[Berlin Wall|Wall]] to Los Angeles demanded story changes, with heavier focus on romance.<ref name="Mooney"/> Silberling and Cage noted the project followed other angel-themed films, such as ''[[Michael (1996 film)|Michael]]'' and ''[[The Preacher's Wife]]'', both released in 1996. They were unimpressed with these earlier films, and drew angel wings in the ''City of Angels'' screenplay to identify parts they felt needed improvement.<ref>{{cite magazine |editor-last=Cagle |editor-first=Jess |title=City of Angels |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=February 20–27, 1998 |issue=419–420 |page=64 }}</ref> Though Silberling did not use the black-and-white the angels see in the original ''Wings of Desire'' and ''[[Faraway, So Close!]]'', the remake does borrow the idea of angels inhabiting libraries.{{sfn|Tate|2011|p=23}} Wenders and his crew also developed the costume design of overcoats for angels, with Wenders telling Silberling they experimented with costumes during production before deciding on this look.<ref name="Kenny"/> The ending of the story was altered, so Maggie is killed, a less happy conclusion than the original. Silberling equated this to a scene in ''Wings of Desire'' where the angel protagonist goes to the side of a motorcyclist near death.<ref name="Albers">{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/kulturspiegel/d-7927749.html |title=Hat Hollywood ein Herz für Engel? |last=Albers |first=Markus |access-date=July 16, 2017 |work=[[Der Spiegel]] |date=June 29, 1998 |language=de |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029183759/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/kulturspiegel/d-7927749.html |archive-date=October 29, 2017 }}</ref> Silberling claimed there was minimal supervision from Warner Bros. throughout writing and filming, due to priority given to the [[Batman in film|''Batman'' film franchise]].<ref name="Albers"/> ''City of Angels'' was the last film produced by Steel and Roven before her death, and it is dedicated to her.<ref name="Ehrman">{{cite web |last=Ehrman |first=Mark |title=Stars Are Out for 'Angels,' Dawn Steel |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-10-ls-37786-story.html |access-date=July 10, 2017 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=April 10, 1998 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816230931/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/10/news/ls-37786 |archive-date=August 16, 2016 }}</ref> ===Casting=== Originally, Silberling envisioned employing novice actors in the lead roles, but acknowledged performers with the level of recognition of Cage and [[Meg Ryan]] would attract support for the production.<ref name="Albers"/> After having completed [[action film|action-oriented]] roles in ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]],'' ''[[Con Air]]'' and ''[[Face/Off]]'', Cage was eager to star in a more profound film when he received Stevens' screenplay. He agreed to accept the role, noting the spiritual issues in the story and the impact it had on him, but not elaborating on his own beliefs.<ref name="Mermelstein"/> Ryan also agreed to accept the role of Maggie, remarking "I don't know if angels are floating around, but the idea that there's a guiding force is something I embrace".<ref name="Mermelstein"/> [[Andre Braugher]], an actor on the television series ''[[Homicide: Life on the Street]]'', was able to work on the project while ''Homicide'' was on break before the beginning of its [[Homicide: Life on the Street (season 6)|sixth season]].{{sfn|Kalat|2011}} His new co-star [[Dennis Franz]] was also starring on a police procedural series, ''[[NYPD Blue]]''.{{sfn|Kalat|2011}} ===Filming=== [[File:BofA.jpg|150px|thumb|The [[Bank of America Plaza (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles Bank of America]] was used for the falling scene.]] Cage said that with this role, he had to switch from his regular methods of constant movements to trying to be "effective" while often still.<ref name="Mooney">{{cite news |first=Joshua |last=Mooney |title=City of Angels |newspaper=The Hour |date=April 10, 1998 |location=[[Norwalk, Connecticut]] |page=C1}}</ref> He remarked on having to adopt the mindset of a child, and act impressed by commonplace experiences such as feeling rain or sunlight.{{sfn|Malone|2010|p=162}} A rig for the camera was built for the scene where the angelic Seth sees Maggie look in the mirror, and the crew shot the mirror without the actors for one take so Cage's reflection could be edited out from the take with both.<ref name="Nelson"/> Other special effects involved a "going to the light" [[afterlife]] depiction, in which Seth walks with a little girl, played by Sarah Dampf, who has died. After cinematographer [[John Seale]] shot the scene in a hallway, [[Sony Pictures Imageworks]]' [[John Nelson (visual effects artist)|John Nelson]] increased the brightness to end in white, adding splinters of light.<ref name="Nelson">{{cite AV media|last=Nelson |first=John |title=The Making of the Visual Effects for City of Angels |publisher=Sony Pictures Imageworks |date=1998 |medium=DVD }}</ref> Some of the film was shot at [[Lake Tahoe]]'s surrounding areas and [[Kern County]].{{sfn|Medved|Akiyama|2007|p=334}} The "falling" scene was partially shot at the [[Bank of America Plaza (Los Angeles)|Los Angeles Bank of America]], while Cage was placed on a moving rig over a [[Chroma key|bluescreen]].<ref name="Nelson"/> Ryan's death scene was filmed on Old Mill Road in [[Crestline, California]].{{sfn|Medved|Akiyama|2007|p=334}} The library scenes were shot at [[San Francisco Public Library]].{{sfn|Marcus|2015|p=206}} For angel scenes shot at [[Malibu Beach]], though the characters are not physical beings, it was decided that the angels would have briefly visible footprints to avoid the perception that the sand was too hard to leave imprints. Thus, Nelson erased the footprints soon after they are first seen.<ref name="Nelson"/> [[File:Malibu Beach - panoramio (2).jpg|250px|thumb|Scenes were shot at [[Malibu Beach]].]] ===Music=== {{Main|City of Angels (soundtrack)}} The [[film score|score]] was composed by [[Gabriel Yared]], often using three notes to convey ascent. Pop [[synthesizer]]s, pianos and strings were used for the three-note compositions where the angels observe Los Angeles, where the child in the prologue dies and where Seth experiences Maggie's despair, respectively.{{sfn|Laing|2007|pp=35-36}} Yared also employed violins and celli, sometimes using one to accompany a line of [[voice-over]] dialogue and another for follow-up dialogue.{{sfn|Laing|2007|p=42}} Choirs and distant voices reminiscent of [[Jürgen Knieper]]'s ''Wings of Desire'' score can be heard.<ref name="Albers"/> The soundtrack debuted at number 23 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart on the issue dated April 18, 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The Billboard 200 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=August 1, 1998 |volume=110 |issue=16 |page=84 |publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mQ4EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22city+of+angels%22+billboard+200&pg=PA82 |access-date=January 28, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029183759/https://books.google.com/books?id=mQ4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA82&dq=%22city+of+angels%22+billboard+apr+1998&hl=en&sa=X&ei=YnToUq__GIWvkAePr4H4Cg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=%22city%20of%20angels%22%20billboard%20200&f=false |archive-date=October 29, 2017 }}</ref> Its two singles, the [[Goo Goo Dolls]]' "[[Iris (song)|Iris]]" and [[Alanis Morissette]]'s "[[Uninvited (song)|Uninvited]]", were released to U.S. radio in March and were still receiving substantial radio airplay by August.<ref name="YahooMusic">{{cite web |url=http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12039296 |last=Rosen |first=Craig |title='City' A Set-Up For New Alanis, Goo Goo Dolls Albums |work=[[Yahoo! Music]] |date=August 27, 1998 |access-date=November 11, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614124544/http://music.yahoo.com/read/news/12039296 |archive-date=June 14, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> While composing "Iris" for the film, songwriter [[John Rzeznik]] described feeling inspired to write the lyrics from the point of view of a character, rather than in his own voice.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Siegler |first=Dylan |title='Dizzy' Track Listing |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |date=September 5, 1998 |page=123 | publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc. }}</ref> Music author [[John Braheny]] wrote that Rzeznik's composition in "Iris" follows a [[musical form|form]] where a melody, represented by A, is given [[Repetition (music)|AAA repetition]], with an added repeating chorus lyric.{{sfn|Braheny|2006|p=87}} ==Release== In [[test screening]]s, Silberling said the film had favorable reactions, though with some confused viewers.<ref name="Albers"/> ''City of Angels'' had its debut at Los Angeles' [[Mann Theatres]] on April 8, 1998. The screening was held to benefit the Dawn Steel Putting Girls in the Picture Fund, in honor of Steel, who died in December 1997. Silberling, Roven and the stars were in attendance.<ref name="Ehrman"/> The film's wider release in the United States took place during the weekend,<ref name="Tribune"/> distributed by [[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="Holden"/> [[Warner Home Video]] published a special edition [[DVD]] in December 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Top DVD Sales |date=January 23, 1999 |page=84 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref> In 2014, Warner Home Video released a [[Blu-ray]] in [[Blu-ray#A|Region A]], with [[audio commentary]] from Silberling, Roven and Stevens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/62458/city-of-angels/ |title=City of Angels (Blu-ray) |last=Spurlin |first=Thomas |date=February 4, 2014 |access-date=August 8, 2017 |work=[[DVD Talk]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808233914/http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/62458/city-of-angels/ |archive-date=August 8, 2017 }}</ref> ==Reception== ===Box office=== The film opened first in the box office, making $16.1 million in its opening weekend.<ref name="Tribune">{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1998/04/13/city-of-angels-flies-at-box-office/ |title='City Of Angels' Flies at Box Office |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=April 13, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703015737/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1998-04-13/news/9804130111_1_studio-estimates-friday-to-sunday-period-box-office |archive-date=July 3, 2017 }}</ref> It displaced ''[[Lost in Space (film)|Lost in Space]]'', which was first in the box office for one week, after overtaking ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'', first for 15 weeks. ''Titanic'' ranked third behind ''City of Angels'' and ''Lost in Space''.<ref>{{cite news |title=City of Angels' Takes Wing in Heavenly Opening Weekend |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 13, 1998 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-apr-13-ca-38767-story.html |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404124317/http://articles.latimes.com/1998/apr/13/entertainment/ca-38767 |archive-date=April 4, 2014 }}</ref> ''City of Angels'' reached the $100 million mark by October 26, 1998.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Woods |first=Mark |title='Angels' wings past $100 million |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=October 26, 1998 |volume=372 |issue=11 |page=15}}</ref> It finished its run after grossing $78,685,114 in North America and $120 million in other territories, for a total of nearly $200 million.<ref name="BOM City of Angels">{{cite web |url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cityofangels.htm |title=City of Angels |website=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=April 7, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090920184424/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=cityofangels.htm |archive-date=September 20, 2009 }}</ref> Writer [[Craig Detweiler]] concluded the remake drew more viewers than the original.{{sfn|Detweiler|2017}} ===Aggregated critical reception=== [[Meg Ryan]] received positive reviews for her performance. The film has a 58% score on [[Rotten Tomatoes]] based on 60 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site's consensus states: "''City of Angels'' may not tug the heartstrings as effortlessly as it aims to, but the end results will still leave more than a few viewers in tears."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/city_of_angels/ |title=City of Angels (1998) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=January 17, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830121014/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/city_of_angels |archive-date=August 30, 2017 }}</ref> The film has a rating a 54 out of 100 on [[Metacritic]] based on 22 reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/city-of-angels |title=City of Angels Reviews |website=Metacritic |access-date=January 17, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322141800/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/city-of-angels |archive-date=March 22, 2017 }}</ref> ===Professional critical reception=== [[Roger Ebert]] gave ''City of Angels'' three stars, saying Meg Ryan was at her best here, but the film was "more of a formula story" than the original ''Wings of Desire'', and that many of its qualities were lifted from there.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/city-of-angels-1998 |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=City of Angels |work=Rogerebert.com |date=April 10, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602121204/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/city-of-angels-1998 |archive-date=June 2, 2017 }}</ref> In ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', [[Emanuel Levy]] positively reviewed Cage as "endlessly resourceful" and Ryan as "terrifically engaging".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/city-of-angels-2-1200453464/ |last=Levy |first=Emanuel |title=Review: 'City of Angels' |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=April 6, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628083544/http://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/city-of-angels-2-1200453464/ |archive-date=June 28, 2017 }}</ref> In ''[[The Christian Science Monitor]]'', Jennifer Wolcott compared it to ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'' (1990) and ''[[Contact (1997 American film)|Contact]]'' (1997) as a U.S. film that could explore religion and love, highlighting Maggie's realization that her life will continue after the death of her blood cells, and that love is more than "a chemical reaction".<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Wolcott |first=Jennifer |title='City of Angels' explores faith |magazine=[[The Christian Science Monitor]] |date=April 17, 1998 |volume=90 |issue=99 |page=B1 }}</ref> ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]'' reviewer Roger Hurlburt praised the acting, direction and "profound" feelings, and advised readers, "don't forget the [[Kleenex]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1998-04-10/entertainment/9804080276_1_angel-seth-maggie |last=Hurlburt |first=Roger |title=What Happens When An Angel Falls in Love |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |date=April 10, 1998 |access-date=August 15, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816110141/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1998-04-10/entertainment/9804080276_1_angel-seth-maggie |archive-date=August 16, 2017 }}</ref> Wenders was satisfied with the adaptation of his work, remarking, "It's done with respect, with a sense of discovery all its own".<ref name="Mermelstein"/> ''[[The New York Times]]''{{'s}} [[Stephen Holden]] wrote the standard romantic clichés were "sumptuously" displayed, Cage resembled a [[serial killer]] more than an angel, and he preferred Ryan.<ref name="Holden">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D02E2D9143DF933A25757C0A96E958260 |last=Holden |first=Stephen |title=Film Review; Heaven, He's From Heaven, But His Heart Beats So . . . |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 10, 1998 |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808233752/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9D02E2D9143DF933A25757C0A96E958260 |archive-date=August 8, 2017 }}</ref> [[David Denby]] wrote in ''[[New York (magazine)|New York]]'' that unlike Berlin, Los Angeles offers "the sunlit paradise" where people do not need convincing as to how nice life can be.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/2538/ |last=Denby |first=David |title=To Live and Fly in L.A. |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=20 April 1998 |access-date=August 8, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170909092336/http://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/2538/ |archive-date=September 9, 2017 }}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film a C, with Owen Gleiberman describing it as "a hymn to sappiness".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/article/1998/04/16/city-angels/ |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |title=City of Angels |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=April 16, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809040315/http://ew.com/article/1998/04/16/city-angels/ |archive-date=August 9, 2017 }}</ref> [[CNN]]'s Paul Clinton dismissed the remake as a "schmaltzy" and "vapid" version of ''Wings of Desire''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9804/10/review.city.of.angels/ |last=Clinton |first=Paul |title=Review: 'City of Angels' has no spirit |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=April 10, 1998 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525123703/http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9804/10/review.city.of.angels/ |archive-date=May 25, 2010 }}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s Michael O'Sullivan dismissed it as "a mawkish debasement of its source material", asking "When will Hollywood learn to leave well enough alone?"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/cityofangelsosullivan.htm |last=O'Sullivan |first=Michael |title='City of Angels': Clipped 'Wings' |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=April 10, 1998 |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510163749/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/cityofangelsosullivan.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2017 }}</ref> Michael Wilmington gave it two and a half stars in the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', enjoying the appearance of the film but concluding it feels "forced and mechanically weepy".<ref name="Wilmington"/> Writing for ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'', William Thomas credited Silberling for "a fresh eye", but felt the film fell short in "philosophical claptrap".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.empireonline.com/movies/city-angels/review/ |last=Thomas |first=William |title=City Of Angels Review |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |date=January 1, 2000 |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711070454/http://www.empireonline.com/movies/city-angels/review/ |archive-date=July 11, 2017 }}</ref> [[Andrew Johnston (critic)|Andrew Johnston]] writing in [[Time Out New York]] concluded: "In the final reel, what began as a philosophical study of death and longing becomes a blatant tearjerker, but even then the accumulated momentum sweeps you along. Mainstream films are seldom more lyrical."<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johnston|first=Andrew|date=April 16, 1998|title=City of Angels|journal=Time Out New York}}</ref> In 2012, ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' included it in its Top ten On-Screen Depictions of Heaven list, for its portrayal of the "go toward the light" afterlife experience.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://entertainment.time.com/2012/04/09/top-10-on-screen-depictions-of-heaven/slide/city-of-angels/ |last=Skarda |first=Erin |title=Top 10 On-Screen Depictions of Heaven |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=April 6, 2012 |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801153427/http://entertainment.time.com/2012/04/09/top-10-on-screen-depictions-of-heaven/slide/city-of-angels/ |archive-date=August 1, 2014 }}</ref> In his ''2015 Movie Guide'', [[Leonard Maltin]] gave it two and a half stars, judging it "still intriguing" though losing much of the atmosphere of the original.{{sfn|Maltin|2014}} That year, ''[[Indiewire]]'', in reviewing remakes, called ''City of Angels'' "a sickly bastardization" of its source material, though remarking Wenders himself was unable to duplicate its success with his 1993 sequel, ''[[Faraway, So Close!]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiewire.com/2015/04/10-movie-remakes-involving-auteur-directors-265323/ |title=10 Movie Remakes Involving Auteur Directors |last=Staff |access-date=July 16, 2017 |work=[[IndieWire]] |date=April 7, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809000420/http://www.indiewire.com/2015/04/10-movie-remakes-involving-auteur-directors-265323/ |archive-date=August 9, 2017 }}</ref> In 2017, [[MSN]] included it in its 20 All-Time Worst Movie Remakes list, acknowledging it as a financial hit but "a schmaltzy tearjerker" compared to the poetry of the original.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.msn.com/en-my/entertainment/gallery/the-20-all-time-worst-movie-remakes/ss-BBCmCjJ#image=7 |title=The 20 all-time worst movie remakes |publisher=[[MSN]] |date=September 6, 2017 |access-date=July 10, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808234923/https://www.msn.com/en-my/entertainment/gallery/the-20-all-time-worst-movie-remakes/ss-BBCmCjJ#image=7 |archive-date=August 8, 2017 }}</ref> ===Accolades=== ''[[City of Angels (soundtrack)|City of Angels: Music from the Motion Picture]]'' received nominations at the [[41st Annual Grammy Awards|41st Grammy Awards]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/1999/music/news/grammy-nominations-list-page-1-1117489943/ |title=Grammy Nominations List – Page 1 |last=Staff |date=January 5, 1999 |access-date=August 21, 2017 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170821205017/http://variety.com/1999/music/news/grammy-nominations-list-page-1-1117489943/ |archive-date=August 21, 2017 }}</ref> and the film received nominations and awards at ceremonies honoring cinema: {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col"| Award ! scope="col"|Date of ceremony ! scope="col"| Category ! scope="col"| Recipient(s) ! scope="col"| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |- !scope="row" | [[ASCAP Award]] | rowspan="1" | 1999 | Top Box Office Films | ''City of Angels'' | {{won}} | rowspan="1" |<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gazettereview.com/2016/12/happened-nicolas-cage-news-updates/ |title=What Happened to Nicolas Cage – News & Updates |last=Carter |first=Brooke |date=December 29, 2016 |access-date=July 8, 2017 |work=Gazette Review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103125156/http://gazettereview.com/2016/12/happened-nicolas-cage-news-updates/ |archive-date=January 3, 2017 }}</ref> |- !scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]] | rowspan="2" | 1999 | Favorite Actor – Drama/Romance | {{sortname|Nicolas|Cage}} | {{won}} | {{sfn|Riggs|2000|p=76}} |- | Favorite Actress – Drama/Romance | {{sortname|Meg|Ryan}} | {{nom}} | rowspan="1" | {{sfn|Riggs|2004|p=278}} |- !scope="row" | [[Golden Globe Award|Golden Globes]] | rowspan="1" | [[56th Golden Globe Awards|January 24, 1999]] | [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]] | "[[Uninvited (song)|Uninvited]]" by [[Alanis Morissette]] | {{nom}} | rowspan="1" |<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/film/city-angels |title=City of Angels |access-date=July 2, 2017 |publisher=[[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703015848/http://www.goldenglobes.com/film/city-angels |archive-date=July 3, 2017 }}</ref> |- !scope="row" rowspan=2| [[MTV Movie Awards]] | rowspan="2" | [[1999 MTV Movie Awards|June 5, 1999]] | [[MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo|Best On-Screen Duo]] | {{sortname|Nicolas|Cage|nolink=1}} and Meg Ryan | {{nom}} | rowspan="2" |<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/38043/there-s-something-about-mtv-movie-awards |title='There's Something About' MTV Movie Awards |last=Ryan |first=Joel |date=April 20, 1999 |access-date=July 7, 2017 |work=[[E! News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170708035501/http://www.eonline.com/news/38043/there-s-something-about-mtv-movie-awards |archive-date=July 8, 2017 }}</ref> |- | [[MTV Movie Award for Best Song from a Movie|Best Movie Song]] | "[[Iris (song)|Iris]]" by [[Goo Goo Dolls]] | {{nom}} |- !scope="row" | [[Satellite Awards]] | rowspan="1" | [[3rd Golden Satellite Awards|January 17, 1999]] | [[Satellite Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] | {{sortname|Gabriel|Yared}} | {{nom}} | rowspan="1" | {{sfn|Laing|2004|p=164}} |- !scope="row" rowspan=3| [[Saturn Award]]s | rowspan="3" | [[25th Saturn Awards|June 9, 1999]] | [[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]] | ''City of Angels'' | {{nom}} | rowspan="3" | {{sfn|Riggs|2004|p=278}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-mar-10-ca-15714-story.html |title=Arts And Entertainment Reports From The Times, News Services and the Nation's Press |last=Snow |first=Shauna |date=March 10, 1999 |access-date=August 21, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160614202759/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/10/entertainment/ca-15714 |archive-date=June 14, 2016 }}</ref> |- | [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]] | {{sortname|Meg|Ryan|nolink=1}} | {{nom}} |- | [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] | {{sortname|Dennis|Franz}} | {{nom}} |- |} ==See also== * [[List of films about angels]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== * {{cite book |last1=Bergesen |first1=Albert |last2=Greeley |first2=Andrew |chapter=Angel Angst and the Direction of Desire |title=God in the Movies |location=London and New York |publisher=Routledge |date=2017 |isbn=978-1351517218 }} * {{cite book |last=Braheny |first=John |title=The Craft & Business of Songwriting |publisher=Writer's Digest Books |location=Cincinnati, Ohio |edition=Third |date=2006 |isbn=1582974667 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/craftbusinessofs00brah }} * {{cite book |last=Culpepper |first=Scott |chapter=No More Mr. Nice Angel |title=The Supernatural Revamped: From Timeworn Legends to Twenty-First-Century Chic |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |date=2016 |isbn=978-1611478655 }} * {{cite book |last=Detweiler |first=Craig |chapter=10. Wings of Desire |title=God in the Movies: A Guide for Exploring Four Decades of Film |publisher=Brazos Press |date=2017 |isbn=978-1493410590 }} * {{cite book |last=Godawa |first=Brian |title=Hollywood Worldviews: Watching Films with Wisdom & Discernment |publisher=InterVarsity Press |date=2011 |isbn=978-0830869534 }} * {{cite book |last=Kalat |first=David P. |chapter=Andre Braugher |title=Homicide: Life on the Streets- the Unofficial Companion |publisher=St. Martin's Press |date=2011 |isbn=978-1429938792 }} * {{cite book |last=King |first=Mike |chapter=Ghosts, Angels and the Afterlife |title=Luminous: The Spiritual Life on Film |publisher=McFarland |date=2014 |isbn=978-1476613239 }} * {{cite book |last=Laing |first=Heather |title=Gabriel Yared's The English Patient: A Film Score Guide |publisher=Scarecrow Press |date=2004 |isbn=0810849658 }} * {{cite book |last=Laing |first=Heather |title=Gabriel Yared's The English Patient: A Film Score Guide |url=https://archive.org/details/gabrielyaredseng00lain |url-access=registration |publisher=Scarecrow Press |date=2007 |isbn=978-1461658818 }} * {{cite book |last=Malone |first=Aubrey |title=Sacred Profanity: Spirituality at the Movies |publisher=Praeger |location=Santa Barbara, California, Denver and Oxford |date=2010 |isbn=978-0313379222 }} * {{cite book |last=Malpas |first=Jeff |chapter=Wim Wenders: The Role of Memory |title=Cinematic Thinking: Philosophical Approaches to the New Cinema |location=Stanford, California |publisher=Stanford University Press |date=2008 |isbn=978-0804758000 }} * {{cite book |last=Maltin |first=Leonard |title=Leonard Maltin's 2015 Movie Guide |publisher=Penguin |date=2014 |isbn=978-0698183612 }} * {{cite book |last=Marcus |first=Laura |chapter=The Library in Film: Order and Mystery |title=The Meaning of the Library: A Cultural History |location=Princeton and Oxford |publisher=Princeton University Press |date=2015 |isbn=978-1400865741 }} * {{cite book |last1=Medved |first1=Harry |last2=Akiyama |first2=Bruce |title=Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoer's Guide to Exploring Southern California's Great Outdoors |publisher=St. Martin's Press |date=2007 |isbn=978-1429907170 }} * {{cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television |volume=31 |publisher=Cengage Gale |date=2000 |isbn=0787646369 }} * {{cite book |last=Riggs |first=Thomas |title=Contemporary Theatre, Film and Television |publisher=Cengage Gale |date=2004 |isbn=0787671010 }} * {{cite book |last=Solomons |first=Gabriel |title=World Film Locations: Los Angeles |publisher=Intellect Books |date=2011 |isbn=978-1841504858 }} * {{cite book |last=Tate |first=Andrew |chapter=Angels |title=Encyclopedia of Religion and Film |publisher=ABC-CLIO |date=2011 |isbn=978-0313330728 }} == External links == {{Wikiquote|City of Angels}} * {{IMDb title|0120632|City of Angels}} {{Wings of Desire}} {{Brad Silberling}} {{Wim Wenders}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:City Of Angels}} [[Category:1990s romantic fantasy films]] [[Category:American remakes of German films]] [[Category:American romantic fantasy films]] [[Category:Atlas Entertainment films]] [[Category:Existentialist films]] [[Category:Films about angels]] [[Category:Films based on works by Peter Handke]] [[Category:Films scored by Gabriel Yared]] [[Category:Films directed by Brad Silberling]] [[Category:Films produced by Charles Roven]] [[Category:Films with screenplays by Dana Stevens]] [[Category:Films set in Los Angeles]] [[Category:Films shot in California]] [[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]] [[Category:Films shot in San Francisco]] [[Category:Regency Enterprises films]] [[Category:Warner Bros. films]] [[Category:Wim Wenders]] [[Category:Films produced by Dawn Steel]] [[Category:1990s English-language films]] [[Category:1990s American films]] [[Category:Angels in popular culture]] [[Category:English-language romantic fantasy films]] [[Category:Teen Choice Award winning films]]
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