City of Angels

An unseen guardian watches life unfold across Los Angeles, until a brilliant heart surgeon catches his eye and unsettles his calm. Seth, a celestial being who tends to the city from above, begins to crave a life he cannot fully inhabit. He senses the electricity of Maggie Rice, a fiercely compassionate doctor whose resolve and warmth draw him in despite the distance between heaven and earth. Rather than stay invisible, he weighs trading his incorporeal existence for a mortal future spent by her side. What follows is a tender, complicated romance that challenges the boundaries between the divine and the human, without revealing every road the lovers might take. The city becomes their arena for a forbidden, shimmering love tonight.

Released in 1998, City of Angels was directed by Brad Silberling with a screenplay by Dana Stevens. It reimagines Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire for an American audience, anchoring a celestial premise in a romantic drama with a dreamy feel.

From a budget of 55 million, the film went on to earn approximately 198,685,114 dollars worldwide, becoming a solid commercial success for a romantic fantasy. Its earnings helped confirm a broad appeal for angelic love stories in late 90s cinema.

Musically the film left a mark through its soundtrack, especially the Goo Goo Dolls hit Iris, which became inseparable from the movie and the era. The blend of luminous city imagery and mortal longing also helped shape memories of late 1990s romance on screen. The visuals linger and invite reflection.

Critics were mixed yet generally warm about the performances of Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan, whose chemistry gave the romance a tangible pulse. Reviewers praised the production design and emotional sincerity while noting the film’s sentimental burden. It probes devotion, mortality, and what love costs to endure for new audiences.