Two of a Kind
In heaven, God (voice of Gene Hackman) returns from a 25-year vacation with a newfound love of Shakespeare, while disdaining the rampant evil on earth. He decides to destroy humanity with a flood and…
Two of a Kind
In heaven, God (voice of Gene Hackman) returns from a 25-year vacation with a newfound love of Shakespeare, while disdaining the rampant evil on earth. He decides to destroy humanity with a flood and start over, despite the insistence of fellow right-hand angels Earl (Scatman Crothers), Charlie (Charles Durning), Gonzales (Castulo Gurrera) and Ruth (Beatrice Straight) that there is still goodness in the world. When God asks for an example of a typical human, they randomly choose Zack (John Travolta), an amateur inventor living in New York City, who needs $13,464 by six o'clock that evening, or loan sharks Stuart (Richard Bright) and Oscar (Vincent Bufano) will remove his ears. Desperate for money, Zack arms himself with a pistol, enters a bank, and demands $15,000 from a teller named Debbie (Olivia Newton-John). She flirts with him as she hands over a bag of money. However, when Zack returns home, he finds the bag filled with blank paper. Debbie enters her apartment and tells her roommates, Terri (Toni Kalem) and Ron (James Stevens), that she was fired for flirting with a bank robber. Their landlord, Mr. Chotiner (Jack Kehoe), enters and demands rent and she pays him for the next two months, using the $15,000 she embezzled from the bank. That evening, the loan sharks chase Zack through the streets. He climbs atop a moving delivery van, but when the vehicle makes an abrupt stop, he becomes airborne and lands on Debbie as she passes by. In heaven, God declares that Zack's behavior proves His point. The angels ask God to spare humanity if Zack sacrifices everything for another person. God makes a counter offer: Both Zack and Debbie must sacrifice everything for each other, or the flood will begin in one week. The angels accept God's terms, certain that the human race is doomed. They descend to earth, where the angel Charlie assumes the identity of a homeless person, Gonzales drives a garbage truck, Ruth drives a taxi, and Earl drives a bus. The Devil, who takes the form of a man and calling himself Mr. Beasley (Oliver Reed), arrives on the scene, certain that Zack and Debbie will soon join him in hell. The angels reverse the chain of events and enable Zack's escape from the loan sharks. The next day, Zack learns of Debbie's thievery from a newspaper story, and locates her address in the telephone book. He follows her to an acting workshop, where Warren Robertson, the instructor, asks her to relive the moment of the robbery. Debbie is unable to give a convincing performance until she recognizes Zack at the back of the room. Her screams of terror elicit a round of applause from the class as Zack runs from the building. Debbie returns home to find Zack waiting in the apartment, but when he demands the stolen money, she can only produce $8,600, as she spent the rest on rent, new clothes and furniture. Zack explains that he owes the money to the loan sharks who financed his latest invention, edible sunglasses. She ridicules the invention, but takes him to dinner at the Plaza Hotel. Over dinner, Debbie tells how she left her native Australia to become a Broadway actress, and of her desire to be cast in the play, Carnaby Street. Zack admits to his only other crime, the burglary of a special effects company to obtain materials for his invention. Beasley brings loan sharks Stuart and Oscar to the dining room and directs them toward Zack. When Stuart threatens Debbie, Zack diverts the loan sharks by running toward the exit. Charlie appears and freezes the action. Beasley admonishes the angel for his interference, but Charlie informs him that God intends to bring all of humanity into heaven in the event of a flood, so there will be no souls entering hell. However, if Zack and Debbie "fall hopelessly in love," both Beasley and the angels win. Beasley ignores the warning, and competes with Charlie in reversing, advancing and freezing the action. God halts the bickering with a brief rainstorm and allows chaos to proceed. Stuart tears at Zack's clothes, releasing the money into the restaurant and causing a riot among the diners. Zack follows Debbie home and a romance develops. After spending the next day together, Debbie discovers that she lost the role in Carnaby Street to another actress. Stuart and Oscar break through the door and demand payment, but Zack insists that all his money was lost at the hotel. Oscar believes him and holds Stuart at gunpoint, allowing Zack and Debbie to escape. Beasley summons police and they are arrested for bank robbery. Detective Staggs (Ernie Hudson) questions Zack and Debbie individually, hoping one will betray the other. Beasley sends a note to the detective, blaming Zack for the special effects burglary. Staggs coerces a confession from Zack by attributing the note to Debbie. Staggs plays the tape-recorded statement for Debbie, but she refuses to incriminate Zack. Despite Debbie's sacrifice, God refuses to cancel the flood until all His demands are met, and warns the angels that only 24 hours remain. The next day, Charlie facilitates Debbie's freedom by destroying the incriminating tape. Although Zack holds no ill feeling toward Debbie, she is unable to forgive him. Beasley considers himself victorious, until Charlie and Ruth convince him of the impending flood, followed by the ascent of all mankind into heaven. That evening, Zack finds Debbie waiting tables in a diner and tries to declare his love, but she refuses to listen. A masked gunman enters and takes Debbie hostage, demanding $11.48 and a helicopter ride to his mother's home in Newark, New Jersey. When Zack learns that police have no intention of meeting the gunman's demands, he comes to Debbie's defense and receives a fatal gunshot wound. Police snipers kill the gunman but are unable to find his body. Debbie declares her love for Zack and he returns to life. Charlie encounters Beasley on the sidewalk and notices the discarded gunman's mask in a nearby trashcan. Although Beasley remains silent, he and Charlie salute each other as allies. Zack and Debbie emerge from the building to a cheering crowd, and Charlie hands them a volume of Shakespeare plays before vanishing. Both Zack and Debbie agree that it has been a "crazy week."
Two of a Kind
Comedy,Fantasy,Music
Film Details
In heaven, God (voice of Gene Hackman) returns from a 25-year vacation with a newfound love of Shakespeare, while disdaining the rampant evil on earth. He decides to destroy humanity with a flood and start over, despite the insistence of fellow right-hand angels Earl (Scatman Crothers), Charlie (Charles Durning), Gonzales (Castulo Gurrera) and Ruth (Beatrice Straight) that there is still goodness in the world. When God asks for an example of a typical human, they randomly choose Zack (John Travolta), an amateur inventor living in New York City, who needs $13,464 by six o'clock that evening, or loan sharks Stuart (Richard Bright) and Oscar (Vincent Bufano) will remove his ears.
Desperate for money, Zack arms himself with a pistol, enters a bank, and demands $15,000 from a teller named Debbie (Olivia Newton-John). She flirts with him as she hands over a bag of money. However, when Zack returns home, he finds the bag filled with blank paper.
Debbie enters her apartment and tells her roommates, Terri (Toni Kalem) and Ron (James Stevens), that she was fired for flirting with a bank robber. Their landlord, Mr. Chotiner (Jack Kehoe), enters and demands rent and she pays him for the next two months, using the $15,000 she embezzled from the bank.
That evening, the loan sharks chase Zack through the streets. He climbs atop a moving delivery van, but when the vehicle makes an abrupt stop, he becomes airborne and lands on Debbie as she passes by. In heaven, God declares that Zack's behavior proves His point.
The angels ask God to spare humanity if Zack sacrifices everything for another person. God makes a counter offer: Both Zack and Debbie must sacrifice everything for each other, or the flood will begin in one week. The angels accept God's terms, certain that the human race is doomed.
They descend to earth, where the angel Charlie assumes the identity of a homeless person, Gonzales drives a garbage truck, Ruth drives a taxi, and Earl drives a bus. The Devil, who takes the form of a man and calling himself Mr. Beasley (Oliver Reed), arrives on the scene, certain that Zack and Debbie will soon join him in hell.
The angels reverse the chain of events and enable Zack's escape from the loan sharks. The next day, Zack learns of Debbie's thievery from a newspaper story, and locates her address in the telephone book. He follows her to an acting workshop, where Warren Robertson, the instructor, asks her to relive the moment of the robbery.
Debbie is unable to give a convincing performance until she recognizes Zack at the back of the room. Her screams of terror elicit a round of applause from the class as Zack runs from the building. Debbie returns home to find Zack waiting in the apartment, but when he demands the stolen money, she can only produce $8,600, as she spent the rest on rent, new clothes and furniture.
Zack explains that he owes the money to the loan sharks who financed his latest invention, edible sunglasses. She ridicules the invention, but takes him to dinner at the Plaza Hotel. Over dinner, Debbie tells how she left her native Australia to become a Broadway actress, and of her desire to be cast in the play, Carnaby Street.
Zack admits to his only other crime, the burglary of a special effects company to obtain materials for his invention. Beasley brings loan sharks Stuart and Oscar to the dining room and directs them toward Zack. When Stuart threatens Debbie, Zack diverts the loan sharks by running toward the exit.
Charlie appears and freezes the action. Beasley admonishes the angel for his interference, but Charlie informs him that God intends to bring all of humanity into heaven in the event of a flood, so there will be no souls entering hell. However, if Zack and Debbie "fall hopelessly in love," both Beasley and the angels win.
Beasley ignores the warning, and competes with Charlie in reversing, advancing and freezing the action. God halts the bickering with a brief rainstorm and allows chaos to proceed. Stuart tears at Zack's clothes, releasing the money into the restaurant and causing a riot among the diners.
Zack follows Debbie home and a romance develops. After spending the next day together, Debbie discovers that she lost the role in Carnaby Street to another actress. Stuart and Oscar break through the door and demand payment, but Zack insists that all his money was lost at the hotel.
Oscar believes him and holds Stuart at gunpoint, allowing Zack and Debbie to escape. Beasley summons police and they are arrested for bank robbery. Detective Staggs (Ernie Hudson) questions Zack and Debbie individually, hoping one will betray the other.
Beasley sends a note to the detective, blaming Zack for the special effects burglary. Staggs coerces a confession from Zack by attributing the note to Debbie. Staggs plays the tape-recorded statement for Debbie, but she refuses to incriminate Zack.
Despite Debbie's sacrifice, God refuses to cancel the flood until all His demands are met, and warns the angels that only 24 hours remain. The next day, Charlie facilitates Debbie's freedom by destroying the incriminating tape. Although Zack holds no ill feeling toward Debbie, she is unable to forgive him.
Beasley considers himself victorious, until Charlie and Ruth convince him of the impending flood, followed by the ascent of all mankind into heaven. That evening, Zack finds Debbie waiting tables in a diner and tries to declare his love, but she refuses to listen. A masked gunman enters and takes Debbie hostage, demanding $11.48 and a helicopter ride to his mother's home in Newark, New Jersey.
When Zack learns that police have no intention of meeting the gunman's demands, he comes to Debbie's defense and receives a fatal gunshot wound. Police snipers kill the gunman but are unable to find his body. Debbie declares her love for Zack and he returns to life.
Charlie encounters Beasley on the sidewalk and notices the discarded gunman's mask in a nearby trashcan. Although Beasley remains silent, he and Charlie salute each other as allies. Zack and Debbie emerge from the building to a cheering crowd, and Charlie hands them a volume of Shakespeare plays before vanishing.
Both Zack and Debbie agree that it has been a "crazy week.".