Two of a Kind (1983 film)
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| Two of a Kind | |
|---|---|
 Movie poster for Two of a Kind |
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| Directed by | John Herzfeld |
| Produced by | Roger M. Rothstein Joe Wizan |
| Written by | John Herzfeld |
| Starring | John Travolta Olivia Newton-John |
| Music by | Patrick Williams |
| Cinematography | Fred J. Koenekamp |
| Editing by | Jack Hofstra |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
| Release date(s) | December 16, 1983 |
| Running time | 88 min. |
| Country |  United States |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Two of a Kind is a 1983 romantic comedy film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. The original music score was composed by Patrick Williams.
The film has Travolta as an inventor and Newton-John as a bank teller. It is up to both criminally-minded individuals to save the Earth from God's destruction.
This film was the pop singer Newton-John's third attempt at a big budget movie, but which turned out to be an even bigger bomb than her previous film, Xanadu. This film also marked the start of a huge downturn in Travolta's movie career, which wouldn't rebound until 1994 with his starring role in Pulp Fiction. This film was the antithesis of Travolta's and Newton-John's previous film together, Grease, one of the biggest box office successes in movie history. The film was salvaged by a platinum soundtrack which yielded three singles for Newton-John:
- "Twist of Fate" - No. 5 Pop (her last of 15 Top 10 Pop hits)
- "Take a Chance" - No. 3 AC (B-side to "Twist of Fate")
- "Livin' in Desperate Times" - No. 31 Pop
The album was further bolstered by the appearance of "Ask the Lonely", a song rock group Journey had initially intended for their multi-platinum 1983 album Frontiers but which was only available on the soundtrack album, and Patti Austin's "It's Gonna Be Special", which wasn't a major pop hit but peaked at #15 on the R&B charts and #5 on the Dance charts in 1984.
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[edit] Plot summary
During a golf match in Heaven, four angels — Charlie, Earl, Gonzales, and Ruth — have been in charge of Heaven for the last 25 years. But their game is interrupted by God, who has now returned to the office and doesn't like what he sees down on Earth. God wants to order up another flood and start all over again, but the angels persuade God to reconsider, reasoning that if a typical Earth man can reform, it would prove that all mankind is capable of it.
God agrees to the scheme, and the typical Earth man selected by the angels is Zack Melon — a failed inventor who, threatened by loan sharks, decides to hold up a bank. Zack points his gun at bank teller Debbie Wylder who ostensibly gives him all the money. But when Zack peers into the sack after the robbery, he sees that Debbie has substituted bank deposit slips for the cash and has kept the money for herself. Zack tracks her down to reclaim his stolen money and the two, naturally, fall in love.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- Nominated: Worst Picture
- Nominated: Worst Actor (John Travolta)
- Nominated: Worst Actress (Olivia Newton-John)
- Nominated: Worst Director (John Herzfeld)
- Nominated: Worst Screenplay (John Herzfeld)
[edit] Main cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| John Travolta | Zack Melon |
| Olivia Newton-John | Debbie Wylder |
| Charles Durning | Charlie |
| Oliver Reed | Beasley |
| Beatrice Straight | Ruth |
| Scatman Crothers | Earl |
| Richard Bright | Stuart |
| Toni Kalem | Terri |
| Ernie Hudson | Detective Skaggs |
| Jack Kehoe | Mr. Chotiner |
| Robert Costanzo | Captain Cinzari |
| Castulo Guerra | Gonzales |
| Gene Hackman | God (uncredited) |
