Down to Earth (2001 film)
Down to Earth is a 2001 American fantasy-comedy film directed by Chris and Paul Weitz and written by Chris Rock, Lance Crouther, Ali LeRoi and Louis C.K. It is the third film based on Harry Segall's stageplay "Heaven Can Wait", preceded by "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (1941) and "Heaven Can Wait" (1978). The film stars Chris Rock as Lance Barton, a comedian who is killed before his time on Earth is through. He is given another chance to continue his life, but in the body of a rich middle-aged white man. The  film was released on 16 February 2001, and grossed $71 million against its $30 million budget. Plot. Lance Barton (Chris Rock) is a struggling comedian who is quite funny and confident in his personality, but is unable to bring his talent across in front of an audience. After being booed off stage one night, he hears about an opportunity from his manager, Whitney Daniels (Frankie Faison), at the Apollo Theater, which is having a farewell show due to its imminent closing. He is hoping to get a chance to prove himself in front of a real audience, when  on his way home riding a bike, Lance is distracted by Sontee Jenkins (Regina King). Not paying attention, he is hit by a truck and is instantly killed. Lance is brought up to Heaven, where he meets the angels, King (Chazz Palminteri) and Keyes (Eugene Levy), who reveal that Lance has been taken before his time, and though his body had been destroyed by the truck, they can help Lance return to Earth. After sorting through many bodies, they find Charles Wellington III (Brian Rhodes), an extremely rich businessman freshly drowned in his tub by his wife (Jennifer Coolidge) and  assistant, Winston Sklar (Greg Germann). Lance is reluctant until he discovers that Sontee, the woman he saw before his death, is protesting Charles by handcuffing herself to a coffee table in his penthouse, demanding Charles' presence. Seeing this as a chance to get to know her, Lance makes a deal with King to temporarily lend Charles' body until a more suitable body is found. Soon after, Charles returns from death, but with the witty soul of Lance inside him. Everyone except for the angels and him sees him as the middle-aged, rich, white Charles. Although Charles was unpopular in  the past, the public and those closest to Charles start to notice a change in his personality. He transforms from a snobbish billionaire to a philanthropist, including giving the maid Wanda (Wanda Sykes) a raise. Despite recent events, Lance continues to follow his comedy dreams through Charles, contacting his old manager Whitney and convincing him that he is Lance reincarnated. Through many humorous moments and issues, he gets Sontee to fall in love with him. All too soon, Mrs. Wellington and Sklar's plans to murder Charles succeed, as he is shot and killed by a hired assassin. Fulfilling the  deal Lance and King set up earlier, King and Keyes then send Lance to return yet again to Earth as Joe Guy, a great comedian and more acceptable candidate, who will die in a car accident. Joe returns from this accident unscathed, now with Lance's soul. After pulling off a successful performance at the Apollo and reconnecting with Whitney, King and Keyes inform Lance that after their current conversation, he will not remember them or his past lives, but his personality will remain. After they leave, he reconnects with Whitney again, and proceeds to get Sontee to fall in  love with him again, after meeting her in the theater for the first time as Joe Guy. Reception. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a score of 20% based on reviews from 96 critics, with the consensus: "A toned down Chris Rock fails to bring a limp script to life as the movie moves from one gag to the next." At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film received an average score of 34 based on 28 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Box office. The film grossed $64.2 million  in the United States, plus $7 million outside the US, for a combined gross of $71.2 million. Soundtrack. A soundtrack containing hip hop and R&B music was released on 20 February 2001 by Sony Music Entertainment. It peaked at 71 on the "Billboard" 200 and 64 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.