Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (1997): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is a 1997 crime comedy directed by Thomas Jahn, starring Til Schweiger as Martin Brest, Jan Josef Liefers and Rutger Hauer. It runs 1 hour 28 minutes and earned $214,139 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 28m (88 min)
- Director
- Thomas Jahn
- Original language
-
German - Studio
- Mr. Brown Entertainment
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door About?
The premise of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Martin and Rudi, two terminal cancer patients, meet in a hospital room. To escape their fate they drown their desperation in tequila, then, drunk and still in pajamas, embark on a final road trip. They steal a 1960s Mercedes convertible, belonging to a gang of criminals who chase them to retrieve a hidden weapon and the car’s contents.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- buddy
- policeman
- car theft
- gangster
- shootout
- last wish
- brain tumor
- beach
- bank robbery
- friendship
- female rear nudity
- death
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- criminal
- police
- mobster
- rainy night
- gun
- neo noir
- germany
- car
- escape
- taxi driver
- bank
- mercedes the car
- psychologist
- reference to martin brest
- local blockbuster
- gas station robbery
- borderline psychotic
- male protagonist
- actor co producer co writer
- man wears pajamas
- nurse
- dubbed version
- escape from a hospital
- reference to rudolf wurlitzer
- cameo appearance
- car chase
- cadillac the car
- convertible car
- seizure
- hitman
- emblematic character name
- parking lot
- pursuit
- producer cameo appearance
- caper crime
- sea
- hospital
- cancer
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Cast & Characters
Til Schweiger leads the cast as Martin Brest, with Jan Josef Liefers as Rudi Wurlitzer and Rutger Hauer as Curtiz. Directed by Thomas Jahn; 28 actors are credited in all.
- Director Thomas Jahn
-
Til Schweiger as Martin Brest - Jan Josef Liefers as Rudi Wurlitzer
-
Rutger Hauer as Curtiz - Cornelia Froboess as Martin's Mother
Also Starring in Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
· 24 more- Moritz Bleibtreu Abdul
- Huub Stapel Frankie 'Boy' Beluga
- Corinna Harfouch Ward B Nurse
- Hark Bohm Police Psychologist
- Hannes Jaenicke Police Officer
- Christiane Paul Boutique Saleslady
- Ralph Herforth Waiter
- Tyron Ricketts Plainclothes Policeman #2
- Sönke Wortmann Director
- Tobias Schenke Boy
- Leonard Lansink Schneider
- Thierry van Werveke Henk
- Markus Knüfken Police Officer
- Willi Thomczyk Car Dealer
- Jenny Elvers Ward A Nurse
- Vladimir Weigl Harald Rohwitz
Show all 28 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Florian Fitz Police Officer
- Xenia Seeberg Police Officer at Hotel
- Bernd Hoffmann Dr. Wortmann
- Muriel Baumeister Emergency Room Nurse
- Wolfgang Kaven Dr. Graf
- Jürgen Becker Gas Station Attendant
- Helen Duval Madam
- Christoph Ott Police Officer at Elevator
More from Thomas Jahn
More films directed by Thomas Jahn: Einstein, The Lost Samaritan and 80 Minutes.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Plot Summary
What happens in Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Two patients, Martin Brest Til Schweiger and Rudi Wurlitzer Jan Josef Liefers, learn they each have untreatable diseases with only a short time left. Over a few drinks, Martin explains that in heaven they will spend all their time talking about how beautiful the sea will be, and he realizes the urgency of showing Rudi the world before time runs out.
Drunk and still in their pajamas, they steal a baby blue Mercedes-Benz W113 classic roadster from a crime boss, Curtiz [Rutger Hauer], and set out on a final mission to see the sea. A gun found in the glove compartment adds a dangerous edge as they rob several small shops along the way, and they uncover a stash worth a million deutsche marks in the car’s trunk.
Full summary
The whole story of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, scene by scene
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Box Office
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door grossed $214,139 worldwide. $5,710 came from the US and Canada and $208,429 (97%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$214.1K
- US & Canada
- $5.7K
- International
- $208.4K
How Well Do You Know Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What are the first names of the two terminally ill friends who embark on the road trip?
Cars in Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
35 cars on screen, including the 1978 Ford Capri MkIII and the 1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL W113.
-
1978 Ford Capri MkIII Main role -
1967 Mercedes-Benz 230 SL W113 Main role -
1956 Cadillac Sedan DeVille Important role -
1983 Ford Sierra MkI Important role
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Also Known As
20 alternative titles, including “Knocking on Heaven's Door” and “Paradis Express”.
- Also known as
-
- Knocking on Heaven's Door
- Paradis Express
- Batendo na Porta do Céu
- Dostuchat'sja do nebes
- Թակելով երկնքի դռները
- Takelov erknqi drnery
- Достучаться до небес
- Klepání na nebeskou bránu
- 敲开天堂的门
- Cennetin Kapısında
- A mennyország kapujában
- Llamando a las puertas del cielo
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- 노킹 온 헤븐스 도어
- Достукатися до небес
- Pukając do nieba bram
- Klopanie na nebeskú bránu
- Грукаючы ў нябесную браму, სამოთხის კარზე კაკუნი
- ノッキン・オン・ヘブンズ・ドア
- Beldžiant į dangaus vartus
- Да почукаш на райските врати
Seen Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?
Movies Like Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Knock, Three Crazy Jerks and The Survivors.
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door FAQ: Cast & Box Office
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door runs 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes).
When was Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door released?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was released on February 20, 1997.
Who directed Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door was directed by Thomas Jahn.
More films by Thomas Jahn Who is in the cast of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door stars Til Schweiger as Martin Brest, Jan Josef Liefers as Rudi Wurlitzer and Rutger Hauer as Curtiz, among 28 credited actors.
How much did Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door make at the box office?
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door grossed $214,139 worldwide ($5,710 domestic, $208,429 international).
Does Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door have a post-credit scene?
No. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door in?
The original language of Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door is German.
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