Product Details

• Actors: Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Mary Stuart Masterson, Eric Roberts, Teri Hatcher
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: New Line Home Video
• DVD Release Date: October 7, 2003
• Run Time: 132 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000AZT79
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,957 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Heaven's Prisoners" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

When he emerged from film school in the mid-1980s, director Phil Joanou was touted as the next Steven Spielberg, perhaps because Spielberg took him on as a protégé briefly. Since then, it's been "Phil who?" thanks to a series of mediocre thrillers like this one. Based on one of a series of novels by James Lee Burke about a troubled ex-cop named Dave Robicheaux, this film sat on the shelf for a couple of years before finally being released in 1995. Alec Baldwin plays Robicheaux, a recovering alcoholic who has put life on the New Orleans police department behind him--until a plane crashes in the lake next to his house. He rescues a young Central American girl from the wreck and adopts her--and winds up involved in a gumbo of drug running and dirty dealing involving an old pal named Bubba. Tip-off that this movie should have gone straight to video: Bubba is played by Eric Roberts. Redeeming feature (at least for men, who are all dogs, as everyone knows): a Teri Hatcher nude scene. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

HEAVEN'S PRISONERS - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The movie would be much better if followed the book:, April 27, 1999

By 

"aeloz" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heaven's Prisoners [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Now, I know the above sounds cliche, but in this case, it's really true. I give the movie four stars for atmosphere and for really trying. I watched this movie twice and enjoyed it both times, for the cinematography alone-- which captures everything from the dense, powerful nature of the Louisiana swamps and bayous; to the gothic power of Louisiana Roman Catholic churches; to the cracked, decaying but colorful beauty of New Orleans itself. And where the movie stuck to the book, it was a very good adaptation. Baldwin falls a bit short in his characterization of Robicheaux, looking more often like he was having "digestive" problems than internal angst, but he obviously loves the character and does his best to depict a very internalized personality. Eric Roberts, by no means matching the physically imposing power of the novel's Bubba Rocque, gives his character the dark, attractive charisma and vitality that author James Lee Burke so often infuses the "gray" characters Robicheaux encounters in the novels, and adds some fun and zing to it, as well. Teri Hatcher is damn nasty, beautiful and seductive in the femme fatale role, and Masterson pulls off her role with just the right amount of sympathy and sass (though physically, each actress matches her opposite character in the novel, but it's not a problem here). It's unfortunate that Kelly Lynch doesn't give Robicheaux's doomed wife such memorable character, but in the novel series the character has one entire book behind her before her tragic end. The real problems come with the Hollywood ending-- why they did this instead of the more realistic and affecting ending in the novel, I'll never know (I recommend you read the book to find out-- it's a much more satisfying and telling conclusion). And the connection to the Giacano family, a recurring Robicheaux nemesis in some of the novels, but not the one on which the movie based, was unnecessary. However, the highly action-packed trolley car and rooftop chase, a purely cinematic addition to the novel's plot does work, very well, in my opinion. These kind of additions are needed for the big screen and I appreciated it. Lastly, the production was very good (Baldwin was one of the producers of the film), just as in Baldwin's "The Shadow" movie, which suffered ultimately from a poor script, and I have to commend him-- this movie very much seemed a labor of love. I wish this film had been more successful, because seeing other installments of James Lee Burke's Robicheaux series on the big screen would be very welcome to me, but alas, despite the "good ol' college try" this will never be. But do pick up the movie and watch it for what it does offer, and then get hold of the Burke novels and you'll really be in for a treat.

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Try to Bring a Great Book to Screen, August 9, 2000

By 

Shogun Len "tokieyasu" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heaven's Prisoners [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I have read all of James Lee Burke's David Robicheaux novels. They are fantastic and I highly recommend them to anyone looking for some good reading.

While reading the books I have often tried to pictures which actors could play Robicheaux. A few come to mind: Bruce Willis, Tommy Lee Jones, Harrison Ford and Alec Baldwin. In fact, Baldwin was the guy I pictured the most in the role. And I was amazed to find out he actually was starring and producing the film.

For whatever reasons the film does not fully work. The acting, casting and direction are great. But the film just does not cut it.

If you are fans of the books, the movie is interesting just to see visually what we have been picturing in all these novels. If you are unfamiliar with the books you will find the movie average at best.

My advice is to read some of the books and then check out the film.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better then Jole Blone, February 22, 2005

By 

J. F Kopeck "jkopeck9" (Parkville, Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heaven's Prisoners (DVD)

This is an outstanding movie-if- you know how to watch it! The Cajun life is very different from what most folks think and this flick was made to the Cajun Standard. We ain't talken Miami Vice here. Even the inbred,line bred villins did an exceptional job. Eddie Keech and Victor Ramono looked as if they were born with 8 count shrimp in their mouth. The BB King Blues music in the bars was alright but there could of been some Androux Bordoux music instead as so the movie could really live up to what they were trying to reproduce. I think all the cast did a good job (next time use some Buyoo stand-ins). Overall this movie is about the best Cajun movie around. I put it right up there with the 1974 hit "Hard Times"with Charles Bronson and Robert Tessier!
"ENJOY"