Vincent Gardenia

Zach is in love. It's the best thing ever to happen to him. It's the worst thing ever to happen to him. Because- for now at least- the person Zach loves the most is himself. Writer/Director Blake Edwards parlays slapstick with battle-of-the-sexes brio in this gag-infused tale of a womanizer who finally grows up. John Ritter plays mid-life-crazy Zach, ready to win back his ex-wife... if he can somehow give up his randy habits. Featuring wall-to-wall verbal and physical wit, Skin Deep tops itself with a scene that, even today, remains glowingly funny and original.

Heaven Can Wait is a romantic fantasy about Joe Pendleton (Warren Beatty), a Los Angeles Rams quarterback who is accidentally summoned to heaven by an overly zealous celestial escort. Pendleton is returned to earth in the body of another man, who is a corporate giant. While practicing to once again play for the Rams, Pendleton must escape attempts on his life while romantically pursuing a beautiful Englishwoman (Julie Christie) who protests the destruction caused to her village by one of his many corporations.

Robert De Niro stars as Bruce Pearson, a baseball player stricken with Hodgkin's disease. During his illness, he befriends the team's star pitcher Henry Wiggin (Michael Moriarty), who not only helps Bruce hide his illness from the materialist owners, but also emotionally supports his dying friend. Moriarty and DeNiro's performances, as well as coach Vincent Gardenia's, are the high points of this tearjerker based on Mark Harris's 1950's novel. Academy Award Nominations: Best Supporting Actor--Vincent Gardenia.