Cold Heaven 1991

Thriller

Mystery

Drama

Box Office

$99K

Runtime

105 mins

Language

English

Directed by

Nicolas Roeg

Made by

Test your knowledge of Cold Heaven with our quiz!

Cold Heaven Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Cold Heaven (1991). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Marie Davenport is a lapsed Catholic who is having an affair with Daniel Corvin, unbeknownst to her husband Alex Davenport. The trio travels to Mexico for a medical conference, and while swimming in a bay near Acapulco, Alex Davenport is struck by a passing motorboat. He is rushed to the hospital and dies during emergency surgery.

The following morning, Marie learns that Alex’s body has vanished before an autopsy could take place. Meanwhile, Daniel Corvin learns of Alex’s death and tells his girlfriend Anna Corvin about the affair. Marie returns to Los Angeles as authorities launch a search for the missing body, grappling with a growing sense of guilt and the consequences of the hidden romance.

Marie then receives an anonymous message—she assumes from Daniel—urging her to travel to a Carmel-by-the-Sea hotel she had visited with him in the past. After visiting a local convent, she returns to her hotel room to find Alex seemingly alive. He recounts his memory of the day, describing a waking moment in the hospital morgue, only to appear dead again. The strange sequence unsettles Marie and pushes her to seek guidance from the church.

In conversation with Monsignor Cassidy, Marie recounts her apostasy following her mother’s death and shares a vision she had the year before while staying in Carmel-by-the-Sea: standing on the ocean cliffs above two ponds, the Virgin Mary emerges from the water and instructs her to tell a priest that a sanctuary be rebuilt for the convent. The revelations deepen the mystery surrounding Alex’s return and Marie’s own spiritual crisis.

Daniel arrives in Carmel-by-the-Sea and meets Marie at the hotel, where she explains that Alex has come back and is seemingly alive. Torn between her renewed bond with Alex and her lingering ties to Daniel, Marie tells Daniel she cannot be with him any longer, even as he agrees to assist by performing a medical examination of Alex. The plan shifts to moving Alex to a hospital in San Francisco for further care.

Father Niles follows, attempting to speak with Marie, but she refuses him. When Daniel leaves briefly, Marie visits Alex in the hospital, where he reacts with violence, vomiting blood. Comforted by Father Niles, she confesses that she and Daniel plotted the boating accident and sees Alex’s return as a second chance granted by God.

Back in Carmel-by-the-Sea, Sister Martha Sister Martha prays on the cliffside where Marie had her vision. A fierce wind sweeps across the cliffs, and a cross appears embedded in the rock, intensifying Marie’s fear and doubt. Meanwhile, though he seemed to be dying, Alex wakes in the hotel, his head wound inexplicably healed, and the collision between faith, guilt, and miracle continues to thread through the lives of everyone involved.

Marie returns to the hotel, where Daniel arrives moments later. He pursues her, but she is drawn back to Alex, and they share a fragile embrace as a defeated Daniel departs. As the day ends, Father Niles sits on the edge of the cliff, watching the sun set over the sea, leaving the story with a haunting sense of unresolved mystery and the possibility that faith, fate, and forgiveness are still in motion.

Cold Heaven Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Cold Heaven (1991) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Marie and Daniel's Affair

Marie Davenport, a lapsed Catholic, begins an ongoing affair with Dr. Daniel Corvin, keeping it secret from her husband. The relationship strains her moral compass even as she plans to reveal the truth at the right moment.

Before the medical conference in Mexico Los Angeles

Medical Conference in Mexico

Marie and Alex attend a medical conference together, with Marie intent on telling him about the affair. The professional trip sets the stage for a personal reckoning that will unfold far from home.

During the conference Mexico (conference)

Accident in Acapulco Bay

While swimming in Acapulco Bay, Alex is struck by a passing motorboat. He is rushed to the hospital with a massive head laceration and dies during emergency surgery.

That day Acapulco, Mexico

Autopsy Delayed and Body Disappears

The hospital notifies Marie that Alex's autopsy will be performed, but his body disappears before the procedure can begin. Authorities begin a frantic search to locate him and uncover what happened.

The following morning Acapulco hospital

Daniel Breaks the News to Anna

Daniel learns of Alex's death and breaks the news to his girlfriend Anna, who becomes furious at the situation. The revelation compounds the tangle of infidelity and guilt surrounding the lovers.

That morning Los Angeles

Marie Returns Home as the Search Intensifies

Marie returns to her home in Los Angeles while authorities continue the search for Alex's body. The lack of answers deepens her sense of isolation and secrecy.

The following morning Los Angeles

Anonymous Message to Carmel-by-the-Sea

Marie receives an anonymous message she assumes is from Daniel, directing her to a hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea. The summons pulls her away from Los Angeles toward the last place associated with their affair.

The following morning Carmel-by-the-Sea

Convent Visit and the Hotel Meeting

Before proceeding, Marie visits a local convent in Carmel-by-the-Sea to seek guidance. She then returns to her hotel room, where she is stunned to find Alex alive.

That evening Carmel-by-the-Sea

Alex Reappears and Recounts the Day

Alex recounts his memory of that day and awakens after seeming dead. The surreal revival leaves Marie both relieved and unsettled, questioning the nature of life and faith.

That night Hotel room, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Marie Confesses to Father Niles

Exhausted, Marie confesses to Father Niles that she and Daniel orchestrated the boating accident to kill Alex. She interprets Alex's return as God giving her a second chance, intensifying her inner conflict.

That night Hotel/hospital in Carmel-by-the-Sea

Transfer Plan to San Francisco

The couple decides to move Alex to a hospital in San Francisco due to his declining condition. They begin making arrangements while Father Niles continues to press for answers.

Shortly after the confession On the road toward San Francisco

Relapse and a Retreat to the Convent

After Alex is released from the hospital, he and Marie spend an evening together, but he wakes thrashing and bleeds again. Marie calls Father Niles for help and retreats to the Carmel convent for sanctuary.

That night Carmel-by-the-Sea, then the convent

Cliff Vision and the Marian Symbol

Sister Martha prays on the cliff, and a wind-swept cross is suddenly revealed embedded in the cliffside. The vision echoes Marie's earlier experience of the two ponds and Mary’s instruction about rebuilding a sanctuary.

That night Cliffs near the Carmel convent

Alex Heals and a Final Reunion

In the morning, Alex wakes at the hotel with his head wound miraculously healed. Marie and Alex reconnect, and Daniel arrives but is left defeated as the embrace confirms their bond.

Morning after the relapse Hotel room, Carmel-by-the-Sea

Final Moment: Father Niles at Sunset

In the closing image, Father Niles sits on the edge of the cliff and watches the sun set over Carmel-by-the-Sea. The scene leaves questions about faith, guilt, and the possibility of miracles unresolved.

Evening Cliff overlooking Carmel-by-the-Sea

Cold Heaven Characters

Explore all characters from Cold Heaven (1991). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Marie Davenport (Theresa Russell)

Marie is a lapsed Catholic whose affair with Daniel destabilizes her marriage to Alex and triggers a crisis of faith. She oscillates between guilt and defiance, seeking spiritual solace while bending moral boundaries. Her decisions drive the plot's tension, and her evolving beliefs culminate in a choosing between earthly passion and spiritual redemption.

💔 Infidelity 🙏 Faith 🕊️ Guilt

Alex Davenport (Mark Harmon)

Alex is a respected doctor whose death during a boating accident sets off the central mystery. His alleged return from death tests the boundaries between medicine and miracle. He becomes a catalyst for Marie's crisis, forcing others to confront the fragility of life.

🏥 Doctor ⏳ Return 🧭 Mystery

Daniel Corvin (James Russo)

Daniel is Marie's lover and a doctor who delivers the news of the affair to Anna. His charisma masks a willingness to manipulate circumstances for desire, and he participates in a plan that seeks to resolve tension through drastic means. He embodies rationalism clashing with faith.

💞 Affair 🔎 Secrets

Father Niles (Will Patton)

Father Niles is a confidant and priest who echoes the church's authority while offering Marie spiritual guidance. His presence anchors the religious dimension of the story and his advice becomes a moral compass in moments of crisis.

⛪ Faith 🗝️ Confession

Anna Corvin (Julie Carmen)

Anna is Daniel's girlfriend who embodies the personal stakes of the affair and the anger that follows. She represents the human consequences of illicit relationships and the pressure to confront the truth when secrets surface.

💬 Words 🔥 Passion

Monsignor Cassidy (Richard Bradford)

Monsignor Cassidy is the ecclesiastical authority figure who oversees Marie's crisis and the church's response to the miracles and visions. He embodies tradition and control in a story where faith is both tested and contested.

🏛️ Religion 👁️ Authority

Sister Martha (Talia Shire)

Sister Martha is a young nun who prays on the cliffside and witnesses the events from a spiritual vantage point. She embodies contemplation, mercy, and the possibility of divine signs that guide the convent and Marie.

🌊 Vision 🕊️ Faith

Cold Heaven Settings

Learn where and when Cold Heaven (1991) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

Acapulco, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Los Angeles, San Francisco

The action spans a sun-soaked Acapulco bay, a cliffside town in Carmel-by-the-Sea with a contemplative convent, and the urban medical hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco. These settings anchor the drama between a holiday tragedy and the weighty religious and medical worlds that drive the characters. The coastal California backdrop provides beauty and isolation, shaping the characters' choices and the story's tension.

🏖️ Coastal 🌊 Ocean 🏙️ Urban

Cold Heaven Themes

Discover the main themes in Cold Heaven (1991). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

✝️

Faith vs Doubt

The film centers on Marie's spiritual struggle after apostasy and visions, testing her beliefs against real miracles and the church's authority. The Carmel-by-the-Sea sequence and the Virgin Mary vision push characters to weigh faith against doubt and personal guilt. The appearance of a seeming miracle forces characters to confront what they truly believe and what they are willing to commit for faith.

💔

Love and Guilt

Marie and Daniel's affair destabilizes the marriage and triggers a chain of dangerous decisions, including a supposed murder plot. Guilt saturates Marie as she confronts the consequences of desire versus duty. The narrative uses romantic betrayal to explore mercy, forgiveness, and the costs of hidden truths.

🕊️

Miracle / Resurrection

Alex's sudden revival after death and the mysterious disappearance of his body fuel a sense of supernatural possibility. The hospital, morgue, and cliffside visions create an atmosphere where life and death feel unsettled and uncertain. The film uses these moments to question fate, divine intervention, and whether second chances come with a price.

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Cold Heaven Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Cold Heaven (1991). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In a world that flickers between the ordinary and the uncanny, the sun‑baked coastline of Acapulco and the mist‑shrouded cliffs of Carmel‑by‑the‑Sea become more than just backdrops—they pulse with a quiet, unsettled energy. A medical conference summons a trio of strangers to a foreign shore, setting the stage for a story that balances the sterile precision of modern science with the lingering whisper of ancient faith. The atmosphere is contemplative yet tense, inviting viewers to linger on the spaces where certainty slips away.

Marie Davenport is a charismatic but spiritually adrift woman whose life has been marked by loss, secrecy, and an uneasy relationship with the Church. While still navigating the fallout of an affair with Daniel Corvin, she is thrust into a crisis that forces her to confront the fragile foundations of her belief. Her husband, Alex Davenport, a steady presence in her world, meets a sudden, inexplicable end that ripples through her already cracked sense of self, leaving her teetering on the edge of doubt and hope.

The film weaves Marie’s inner turmoil with a series of haunting visions and enigmatic encounters. A convent perched on a cliff and a sudden, vivid apparition of the Virgin Mary hint at a deeper, almost otherworldly thread that ties her personal guilt to a larger, unseen plan. Early conversations with Monsignor Cassidy and later whispers from Father Niles suggest that the path to redemption may be as labyrinthine as the rocky coastline itself, while Sister Martha’s quiet prayers echo the lingering question of whether miracles are divine gifts or reflections of broken hearts.

As the narrative unfolds, the story lingers on the delicate balance between faith and forgiveness, the pull of past transgressions, and the possibility that an impossible return could be a chance for spiritual renewal. The tone remains meditative, inviting the audience to feel the weight of unanswered prayers and the gentle, yet unsettling, promise that something beyond the visible world may be at work.

Can’t find your movie? Request a summary here.

Movies with Similar Twists and Themes

Uncover films that echo the narrative beats, emotional arcs, or dramatic twists of the one you're exploring. These recommendations are handpicked based on story depth, thematic resonance, and spoiler-worthy moments — perfect for fans who crave more of the same intrigue.