City of Angels (film)

City of Angels is a 1998 film about an angel watching over Los Angeles who begins finding his job difficult as he falls in love with a beautiful heart surgeon. She becomes interested in him, and soon his not-quite-mortal state seems a barrier rather than a gift. A choice must be made between celestial duty and earthly love. It is a remake of Wim Wenders' 1987 German film Wings of Desire, which was set in Berlin.
 * Directed by Brad Silberling. Written by Dana Stevens, Wim Wenders, Peter Handke, and Richard Reitinger.

She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one. taglines

Maggie Rice

 * Something happened in that room. I got this jolt that... something bigger is out there. Something bigger than me, bigger than you. Does that sound crazy?
 * No dying yet, Mr. Messinger. Not until you give me Seth's phone number.
 * We fight for people’s lives, right? Do you ever wonder who it is we're fighting with?
 * [to Seth] When they ask me what I liked best, I'll tell them, it was you.
 * I don't understand a God who would let us meet, if there's no way we could ever be together.

Seth

 * Some things are true whether you believe in them or not.
 * I would rather have had... one breath of her hair... one kiss of her mouth... one touch of her hand... than eternity without it. One.

Others

 * Nathaniel Messinger: [to Seth] I can't see you, but I know you're there.
 * Ann: Never date a guy who knows more about your vagina than you do.
 * Susan: What good would wings be if you couldn't feel the wind on your face?

Dialogue

 * Susan: Where are we going?
 * Seth: Home.
 * Susan: Can Mommy come?
 * Seth: No.
 * Susan: She won't understand.
 * Seth: She will someday.


 * Seth: Can I ask you something?
 * Susan: Yes?
 * Seth: What did you like best?
 * Susan: Pajamas.


 * Seth: The little girl asked if she could be an angel.
 * Cassiel: They all want wings.
 * Seth: I never know what to say.
 * Cassiel: Tell them the truth. Angels aren't human. We were never human.
 * Seth: What if I just make her a little pair of wings out of paper?


 * Maggie: Are you a visitor? Who are you visiting?
 * Seth: You.


 * Seth: Are you in despair?
 * Maggie: I lost a patient.
 * Seth: You did everything you could?
 * Maggie: I was holding his heart in my hand when he died.
 * Seth: Then he wasn't alone.
 * Maggie: Yes, he was.
 * Seth: People died.
 * Maggie: Not on my table.
 * Seth: People died when their bodies give out.
 * Maggie: It's my job to keep their bodies from giving out. Or what am I doing here?
 * Seth: It wasn't your fault, Maggie.
 * Maggie: I wanted him to live.
 * Seth: He is living. Just not the way you think.
 * Maggie: I don't believe in that.
 * Seth: Some things are true whether you believe them or not.


 * Seth: Hello Maggie! It's nice to see you again.
 * Maggie: It's weird to see you again.
 * Seth: Weird is nice.


 * [Maggie meets Seth at the library]
 * Maggie: Do you come here a lot?
 * Seth: I live here.
 * Maggie: What do you do?
 * Seth: Read.
 * Maggie: No, I mean, your work.
 * Seth: Oh, I am a messenger
 * Maggie: What kind of messenger? Like a bike messenger?
 * Seth: No, I am a messenger of God.


 * Maggie: Why do you wear the same clothes all the time? Why won't you give me your phone number? Are you married?
 * Seth: No.
 * Maggie: Are you homeless?
 * Seth: No.
 * Maggie: Are you a drummer?


 * Seth: You're a good doctor.
 * Maggie: How do you know?
 * Seth: I have a feeling.
 * Maggie: Yeah, well that's pretty flimsy evidence.
 * Seth: Close your eyes. Just for a second... what am I doing?
 * Maggie: You're... touching me.
 * Seth: How do you know?
 * Maggie: Because I feel it.
 * Seth: You should trust that. You don't trust it enough.


 * Seth: Why do people cry?
 * Maggie: What do you mean?
 * Seth: I mean... what happens physically?
 * Maggie: Well... umm... tear ducts operate on a normal basis to lubricate and protect the eye and when you have an emotion they overreact and create tears.
 * Seth: Why? Why do they overreact?
 * Maggie: [pause] I don't know.
 * Seth: Maybe... maybe emotion becomes so intense your body just can't contain it. Your mind and your feelings become too powerful... and your body weeps.


 * Seth: Let's go.
 * Maggie: Where?
 * Seth: Anywhere.
 * Maggie: What'll we do?
 * Seth: Anything.


 * Nathaniel: Listen, kid: He gave these bozos the greatest gift in the universe - you think He didn't give it to us, too?
 * Seth: Which gift?
 * Nathaniel: Free will, brother. Free will.


 * Seth: What's that like? What's it taste like? Describe it like Hemingway.
 * Maggie: Well, it tastes like a pear. You don't know what a pear tastes like?
 * Seth: I don't know what a pear tastes like to you.
 * Maggie: Sweet, juicy, soft on your tongue, grainy like a sugary sand that dissolves in your mouth. How's that?
 * Seth: It's perfect.


 * Maggie: Who- What are you?
 * Seth: I came to take Mr. Balford... and I saw you. I couldn't take my eyes off you. How you fought for him. And you looked right at me... like I was a man.
 * Maggie: "To take Mr. Balford"?
 * Seth: I was there. We are always there in every room.
 * Maggie: What are you talking about?
 * Seth: I was there in the stairwell... when you cried for your patient. And I touched you, remember?
 * Maggie: Why are you doing this?
 * Seth: Because I'm in love with you.


 * Nathaniel: Seth knows no fear, no pain, no hunger, he hears music in the sunrise. But he'd give it all up, he loves you that much.
 * Maggie: I don't understand.
 * Nathaniel: He can fall, he can give up eternity and become... one of us, human.
 * Maggie: How do you know so much?
 * Nathaniel: Because... I did it.
 * Nathaniel: Because... I did it.


 * Mack Truck driver: Where are you headed?
 * Seth: Tahoe!
 * Mack Truck driver: Reno.
 * Seth: Tahoe!
 * Mack Truck driver: I'm going to Reno!
 * Seth: I'm going to Tahoe!
 * Mack Truck driver: Well, hop in, we'll figure it out when we get there.


 * Maggie: What happened?
 * Seth: Free will.

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 * Seth: Why did He do this?
 * Cassiel: I don't know.
 * Seth: Am I being punished?
 * Cassiel: You know better than that.

<hr width="50%"/> (last lines)
 * Cassiel: If you knew what was going to happen, would you still have done it?
 * Seth: I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it. Just one.

Taglines

 * She didn't believe in angels until she fell in love with one.
 * What if angels walked amoung us, and one of them fell in love with us?

Cast

 * Nicolas Cage - Seth
 * Meg Ryan - Dr. Maggie Rice
 * Andre Braugher - Cassiel
 * Dennis Franz - Nathaniel Messinger
 * Colm Feore - Jordan Ferris
 * Robin Bartlett - Anne
 * Joanna Merlin - Teresa Messinger
 * Sarah Dampf - Susan