A Little Bit of HeavenMovie Reviews

Poster art for "A Little Piece of Heaven"

Oh No!

Avg. Critic Score: 14 out of 100 Overwhelming dislike Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

Iffy for 14+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

50

Miami Herald | Connie Ogle
You should know right up front that even if you realize you're being manipulated you are probably going to weep anyway. Read full review
50

ReelViews | James Berardinelli
What's missing is honesty. It has been supplanted by artifice. Read full review
45

Movieline | Stephanie Zacharek
The tiniest bit of Hudson's wrinkly-crinkly cuteness goes a long way, and in A Little Bit of Heaven, watching her waste away becomes slow torture. She's like an adorbs Camille. Read full review
25

San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle
In the long history of bad movies about bad illnesses, A Little Bit of Heaven just might be the worst. Read full review
25

Slant Magazine | Andrew Schenker
Unsurprisingly for a film detailing terminal disease, this is a largely solemn affair, often verging on morbidity in its elongated deathwatch. Read full review
20

The Hollywood Reporter | Frank Scheck
An awkward mixture of melodrama and whimsical romantic comedy that should make the briefest of appearances in theaters before, like its main character, moving on to other planes. It might serve a valuable purpose if it at least prompts viewers to finally schedule those long delayed colonoscopies. Read full review
16

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
Terminal colon cancer has never looked more fetching than in the critically ill romantic-disease comedy A Little Bit of Heaven. Read full review
0

New York Post | Lou Lumenick
With the abysmal A Little Bit of Heaven, Kate Hudson's possibly unprecedented losing streak remains unbroken: She hasn't made a good movie since Almost Famous, 12 long years ago. Even Nicolas Cage can't say that. Read full review
0

Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea
As far as director Nicole Kassell and writer Gren Wells are concerned, the C in Big C must stand for cute. The film reaches into the pits of moviegoing hell when it finds Marley on a celestial white couch, ringed in billowing white curtains, communing with God. And God is embodied by Whoopi Goldberg. Read full review
0

Rolling Stone | Peter Travers
Droolingly stupid weepie. Useful tip: The movie dies way quicker than she does. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for A Little Bit of Heaven on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Bizarre combo of terminal cancer weepy and sexy romcom.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that A Little Bit of Heaven is a "dying with cancer" drama, complete with spiritual overtones and a command to live life to its fullest, because you never know when it's going to end. Although the subject matter is mature, there's a lot of humor in the film -- as well as a fair bit of language ("s--t," "ass," "bitch") and sexuality (plenty of kissing and a few love scenes, including one that shows a man's naked rear). There's a strong theme of repairing damaged relationships, saying final goodbyes, and showing people how much you love and appreciate them, all of which is rooted in the main character's (Kate Hudson) decision to die without regrets. God is represented humorously as Whoopi Goldberg (everyone gets to see God as they imagine); overall the movie puts a positive spin on faith and believing in a higher power.

Families can talk about why so many dramas feature dying characters. How do movies portray people who are dying?
How are sexual relationships depicted in A Little Bit of Heaven? How does Marley's attitude toward love change as her prognosis worsens?
Are movies about dying characters appropriate for younger audiences? Were you surprised by the fact that Marley doesn't get better? What are some other movies that handle death in a touching manner?

The good stuff

Positive messages: As you would expect from a movie about someone dying of cancer, A Little Bit of Heaven's overriding message is to seize the day and open yourself up to the possibility of love and commitment.
Positive role models: Marley is tenacious and free-spirited, but she only opens herself up to the possibility of love when she's dying. Her initial fear of commitment transforms into an ability to recognize and find love, even if it's short-lived. She goes through all the stages of grief associated with dying and is able to say her final goodbyes before finally passing away. Marley's best friends, Peter and Sarah, stand by her at every turn, even though Renee finds it too difficult (as a pregnant mother) to deal with the certainty of Marley's death. Marley's mother is always there for her, even when Marley criticizes her and is cruel.

What to watch for

Violence: No violence, but it might be disturbing for some viewers to watch a movie about a dying character.
Sexy stuff: Lots of kissing and a couple of love scenes. At the beginning of the movie, Marley makes it clear that she believes in having casual, no-strings-attached sex. She texts a guy over for a booty call; sexual noises and thumping are heard. She's shown in bed wearing a bra, and he's shirtless. Marley and Julian have sex after one date –- there's lots of kissing, a darkly lit scene of them in bed, and then in the morning he gets out of bed and shows his naked behind. In a humorous scene, Marley and a male escort make loud noises so that a neighbor will think they're having sex. Julian tells a couple of dirty jokes.
Language: Several uses of "s--t," "ass," "bitch," and "t-ts," plus milder language like "hell" and "damn." Marley makes a couple of cultural jokes to Dr. Goldstein about him being Mexican and Jewish, like "What do you want to eat, gefilte fish tacos"?
Consumerism: Marley mentions the powerful connotations of Trojan condoms' logo/name in an advertising meeting with a fictional rival condom brand. In one sequence, Marley takes her best friends and mom on a shopping spree, where they discuss splurging on Louis Vuitton and Prada purses, Jimmy Choo shoes, etc.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Grown-ups drink socially (wine, beer, cocktails) at restaurants, bars, clubs, and dinner parties.

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