A Night in Heaven 1983
Directed by
John G. Avildsen
Made by
20th Century Fox
A Night in Heaven Plot Summary
Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for A Night in Heaven (1983). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.
Rick Monroe is a loud, confident jock at a Florida community college in Titusville, known for his quick lines and easy charm. After delivering a final report filled with a cheap joke, his prim and proper instructor, Faye Hanlon, calls him out, flunks him, and forces him to retake the course, setting a charged dynamic in motion between mentor and student.
Meanwhile, Whitney Hanlon, a rocket scientist who has just been laid off from NASA, watches a marriage that once felt solid begin to fray. Faye’s sister, the free-spirited Patsy, visits from Chicago to lift her sister’s spirits and drags her to a male strip club where the show features a performer billed as “Ricky the Rocket”—the very same Rick who works there on the side to cover his tuition.
When Rick spots Faye in the crowd, he delivers a bold lap dance and seals the moment with a kiss, blurring the lines between teacher and student and awakening a mutual attraction neither seems prepared to admit. The next day at a school function, Rick tries to secure another chance at his final, while Faye, drawn by unresolved tension and the thrill of forbidden desire, flirts back and allows the possibility of something more to linger.
Faye and Patsy plan to meet near Patsy’s hotel, but Patsy has been duped into seeing another performance by Ricky the Rocket, and the night takes a new turn as Rick’s double life begins to collide with reality. At Patsy’s hotel, Faye arranges a ruse by calling Whitney and lying that she and Patsy are staying there together, hoping to navigate the confusing maze of feelings that have sprung up.
Back at the hotel, Rick’s onstage persona bleeds into his private life. He returns with a girlfriend named Slick, and the room becomes a scene of betrayal as Faye discovers Rick in bed with both partners. The shock of being used and humiliated drives her to retreat, while Rick is left to confront the fallout of his choices.
The story ramps up as Whitney, returning from a failed job interview, tracks down the hotel, finds Rick exiting the room, and forcibly drags him to a small dock. At gunpoint he drags Rick to a skiff, orders him to strip, and, when Rick pleads, grows angry that Rick did not follow orders exactly. Whitney then shoots holes in the skiff, leaving a naked Rick aboard as it sinks into the river.
With the danger passed but the emotional damage clear, Faye returns home to find Whitney waiting. She apologizes, and he forgives her, setting the stage for a quiet, if tentative, reconciliation as they confront their problems and decide how to move forward together.
A Night in Heaven Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of A Night in Heaven (1983) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Rick gets flunked after final report
Rick Monroe, an outspoken jock at a Florida community college, is mocked for a joke in his final report. His prim and proper speech professor, Faye Hanlon, chides him and declares he will have to repeat the course. The confrontation sets the stage for a volatile teacher-student dynamic.
Faye's marriage is in a slump
Faye Hanlon is in a slump in her marriage after her husband Whitney, a rocket scientist, is laid off from NASA. The strain between them colors her mood and decisions. This personal upheaval makes her more susceptible to outside attention.
Patsy brings Faye to a male strip club
Patsy arrives from Chicago and takes Faye to a local strip club to lift her spirits. The show features a performer called 'Ricky the Rocket,' who is actually Rick in disguise. The night foreshadows the dangerous entanglement to come.
Ricky the Rocket gives Faye a lap dance
During the performance, Rick spots Faye in the crowd and gives her a very special lap dance, ending with a kiss. The attraction between them becomes undeniable, despite the impropriety of the situation. The club setting intensifies the secret pairing.
Next-day encounter at a school function
The following day, Faye and Rick cross paths at a school function. Rick begs for another chance at his final, but Faye rebuffs him at first. He senses her interest and begins flirting, complicating their dynamic.
Patsy’s hotel meet-up turns into deception
Faye arranges to meet Patsy near Patsy's hotel, only to learn Patsy has been duped into seeing another performance by 'Ricky the Rocket.' The deception hints at Rick's double life and starts smudging boundaries. Faye's judgment begins to blur as she contemplates what she wants.
Patsy leaves the room; Faye lies to Whitney
Patsy returns home a day early and turns over use of her hotel room to Faye. Faye calls Whitney and lies that she and Patsy are staying at Patsy's hotel together. The arrangement sets up a dangerous trap for Rick's next moves.
Faye and Rick have sex in the hotel
Back in Faye's room, she and Rick reconnect and have sex, rekindling a dangerous affair. Faye's defenses slip as the power dynamic tilts in Rick's favor. Rick's double life becomes a tangled web.
Rick brings Slick into the room
Rick invites his girlfriend Slick to the room, and she has sex with him as well, further betraying Faye. The room turns into a stage for multiple infidelities. Faye remains in the dark about the full scope of Rick's loyalties.
Faye discovers the betrayal in the shower
Faye finds Rick and Slick in the shower, humiliated by the double betrayal. She leaves the room in a daze, realizing she has been deeply deceived. The incident becomes a turning point in their relationship.
Whitney confronts Rick at the hotel
Whitney returns home from a failed job interview to find Patsy gone and Rick leaving the hotel. He travels to the hotel and catches Rick as he exits, fueling his anger with a dangerous plan. The confrontation foreshadows the violent resolution to come.
The skiff showdown: Rick is abducted
Whitney abducts Rick at gunpoint, taking him to a skiff at a nearby dock and forcing him to strip. He is furious that Rick disobeyed orders. Whitney shoots holes in the skiff, leaving Rick naked as it sinks.
Faye and Whitney begin to reconcile
Faye returns home to find Whitney waiting, apologizes, and is forgiven. They begin to talk through their problems rather than avoiding them. The moment marks a potential path toward reconciliation.
Final resolution: they commit to working things out
In the final moment, the couple decide to stay together and actively work on their marriage. They acknowledge the damage done but choose to move forward with honesty and effort. The film closes on a note of tentative, but hopeful, reconciliation.
A Night in Heaven Characters
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Rick Monroe (Christopher Atkins)
A popular community college jock who also works as a male stripper to pay tuition. He exudes confidence and charm, often crossing lines to get what he wants, including pursuing Faye while treating the situation as a game. Beneath the bravado, he can be reckless and self-serving, driven by momentary desires.
Faye Hanlon (Lesley Ann Warren)
An outspoken, prim speech professor whose marriage is strained by Whitney's NASA layoff. She is tempted and challenged by Rick's advances, and she must navigate professional boundaries and personal longing. Her choices reveal a clash between duty and desire, with far-reaching consequences.
Whitney Hanlon (Robert Logan)
A rocket scientist who has just been laid off from NASA, facing job insecurity and anger. He reacts with jealousy and control, leading to a drastic act that exposes the fragility of trust. His actions intensify the central conflict and compel others to confront the consequences of their choices.
Patsy (Deborah Rush)
Faye's free-spirited sister visiting from Chicago, bringing a lively energy that accelerates the Florida drama. She exposes the Chicago connection and influences the course of events, including introducing Faye to new experiences.
Slick (Sandra Beall)
Rick's girlfriend who becomes part of the sexual dynamic surrounding the hotel and strip club storyline. She represents a casual, self-serving facet of the affair and adds tension to Rick and Faye's evolving relationship.
A Night in Heaven Settings
Learn where and when A Night in Heaven (1983) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
early 1980s
Set in the early 1980s, the film reflects a period of shifting social mores and evolving personal relationships. The era's attitudes toward sexuality and ambition shape the characters' choices and the consequences they face. Economic context, like NASA layoffs, underscores the pressures driving the characters' actions.
Location
Titusville, Florida, Chicago, Illinois
The story centers on a Florida college town setting in Titusville, with scenes that move to a hotel atmosphere used by Patsy and Faye. The campus environment frames Rick's student life and Faye's teaching world, while the hotel and club scenes introduce a contrasting nightlife backdrop. Patsy's origin from Chicago links the Florida tale to a distant family dynamic that complicates the relationships.
A Night in Heaven Themes
Discover the main themes in A Night in Heaven (1983). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.
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Betrayal
Deception threads through the plot as Rick pursues Faye while keeping secrets from those around him. Faye's marital strain and Rick's double life collide, leading to a cascade of distrust and emotional fallout. The theme explores how pride and secret motives can corrode trust in intimate relationships.
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Temptation
The professor-student dynamic and Rick's nightlife entangle desire with moral boundaries, testing loyalty and professional ethics. Temptation exposes insecurities and prompts reckless decisions that threaten reputations and futures. The narrative treats temptation as a destabilizing force with real consequences.
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Consequences and Forgiveness
After the confrontation and deception comes a reckoning that forces characters to face the fallout of their choices. The conclusion centers on forgiveness and a chance at renewed commitment, rather than simple escape from accountability. The film suggests growth comes from acknowledging mistakes and choosing to rebuild trust.
A Night in Heaven Spoiler-Free Summary
Discover the spoiler-free summary of A Night in Heaven (1983). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.
In the humid heat of a Florida college town, a quiet student‑teacher routine masks a world that pulses after dark. Rick Monroe is a charismatic jock whose swagger carries him from lecture hall to the stage of Heaven, the city’s hottest dance club, where he adopts the flamboyant persona of “Ricky the Rocket” to keep his tuition afloat. By day he blends into the background of a community college, yet by night he becomes the magnetic center of a dimly lit stage, hinting at a restless desire for something beyond the ordinary.
Across town, Faye Hanlon teaches at the same college, her disciplined exterior a thin veil over a marriage that has grown stale. Her husband, Whitney Hanlon, a former rocket scientist now grappling with unemployment, struggles to reconnect with the woman he once knew. Their shared history is a fragile balance of intellectual respect and unspoken yearning, set against the backdrop of a fading domestic routine that feels both familiar and suffocating.
The arrival of Patsy, Faye’s free‑spirited sister from Chicago, injects a reckless dose of escapism. Her invitation to a night out at Heaven promises a break from the monotony, and the club’s electric atmosphere becomes a crucible where personal secrets begin to surface. The encounter between teacher and student flares quietly, each aware that the line between professional duty and forbidden attraction is dangerously thin.
As the characters navigate the glittering yet gritty nocturnal scene, the film swirls with a sensual, slightly tense tone that explores the pull between duty and desire. The story asks whether the promise of a passionate night can illuminate hidden cravings or simply deepen the cracks already present in the lives of those who dare to step out of the shadows.
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