If you walked into a theater in April 1998, you were likely there for one of two things: the blonde, crinkle-eyed charm of Meg Ryan or the intense, soulful stare of Nicolas Cage. They were the biggest stars on the planet. Putting them together in a supernatural romance felt like a guaranteed slam dunk. And for a while, it was.
City of Angels isn't just a movie. It’s a 114-minute mood board for the late nineties. It’s got that specific golden-hour glow, the oversized overcoats, and a soundtrack that basically defined a generation’s worth of angst. But decades later, the "Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan movie" remains one of the most polarizing romances ever made.
People either love it for its poetic melancholy or absolutely hate it because of that ending. You know the one. The bike. The truck. The fruit.
The Remake Nobody Asked For (But Everyone Saw)
Most people don't realize this, but City of Angels is actually a remake. It’s a Hollywood-style "translation" of Wim Wenders’ 1987 German masterpiece Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin).
While the original was a grainy, black-and-white meditation on post-war Berlin, the 1998 version traded the Berlin Wall for the Santa Monica Pier. Director Brad Silberling took a heavy, philosophical concept and turned it into a high-stakes tearjerker.
Cage plays Seth, an angel who spends his days hanging out on the tops of buildings and listening to the thoughts of the living. He doesn't feel cold. He doesn't feel pain. He certainly can't taste a pear. Then he sees Maggie Rice (Meg Ryan), a high-strung heart surgeon who is losing her grip on logic because she can't save everyone on her operating table.
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Seth falls hard. He decides to "fall"—literally jumping from a skyscraper to become human—just so he can feel the touch of her hand. It’s romantic. It’s also incredibly reckless.
That Ending: Tragic Masterpiece or Cheap Shot?
We have to talk about the ending. Honestly, it’s the reason this movie is still discussed in Reddit threads today.
After Seth makes the ultimate sacrifice—trading eternity for a few hours of mortality—the movie throws a massive curveball. Maggie goes for a bike ride. She’s feeling the wind. She’s happy. She closes her eyes for just a second too long.
Boom. Logging truck.
It felt like a betrayal to audiences who wanted a "happily ever after." But looking back, there's a certain intellectual honesty to it. Seth didn't fall to live happily ever after; he fell to experience life. And life, as the movie cruelly points out, includes loss.
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Critics at the time, like those at The New York Times, were split. Some called it "mawkish," while others praised the chemistry. The film still managed to pull in nearly $200 million worldwide, proving that 1990s audiences were more than willing to pay to cry in the dark.
The Music That Eclipsed the Film
You cannot talk about the Nicolas Cage and Meg Ryan movie without talking about the soundtrack. In many ways, the music became more famous than the plot.
- "Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls: This song was everywhere. It spent a record-breaking 18 weeks at number one on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Lead singer John Rzeznik actually wrote it specifically for the movie after seeing an early screening.
- "Uninvited" by Alanis Morissette: This haunting, orchestral track won two Grammys. It captured the eerie, voyeuristic feeling of being watched by an angel perfectly.
- "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan: Yes, the song from those heartbreaking animal rescue commercials started its life as a major part of this film's emotional landscape.
The soundtrack didn't just sell albums (over 5 million copies, actually); it gave the film a second life on the radio for the next twenty years.
Nicolas Cage’s Quietest Performance
This wasn't the "Mega-Acting" Nicolas Cage we see today in movies like Mandy or The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. In City of Angels, Cage is remarkably still.
He spends most of the movie blinking slowly and wearing a look of permanent wonder. He reportedly took inspiration from silent film actors to convey Seth’s otherworldly nature. It’s a weirdly beautiful performance that grounds the more "soapy" elements of the script.
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Meanwhile, Meg Ryan was at the peak of her power. She managed to make a heart surgeon falling for a guy who says he’s an angel seem... almost plausible. Their chemistry is the only reason the middle of the movie doesn't drag into total boredom.
Why You Should Rewatch It in 2026
It’s easy to be cynical about 90s romances. They’re often seen as manipulative or dated. But City of Angels hits differently now.
In a world of fast-paced superhero movies and cynical comedies, there’s something refreshing about a movie that is unashamedly about feeling. It asks a pretty heavy question: Is one breath of the woman you love worth an eternity of watching from the sidelines?
If you're going to revisit this classic, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Watch "Wings of Desire" first. It’ll give you a whole new appreciation for the choices the remake made (both the good and the bad).
- Listen for the "library" scenes. The filming at the San Francisco Public Library is visually stunning and uses the architecture to emphasize the scale of the angels' presence.
- Check out the "fallen" angel. Dennis Franz (of NYPD Blue fame) plays Nathaniel Messinger, a former angel who now just wants to eat pancakes and smoke. He provides the much-needed reality check to Seth’s idealism.
Don't just watch it for the nostalgia. Watch it for the reminder that life is messy, short, and occasionally involves getting hit by a truck when you least expect it.
The best way to experience the legacy of this film today is to look up the 4K restoration. The cinematography by John Seale (who did Mad Max: Fury Road) is genuinely breathtaking and deserves more than a fuzzy streaming link. Grab some tissues and a pear—you’re going to need both.
Next Steps:
To fully appreciate the era, look into the production history of the soundtrack at Warner Bros. Records. Many of the songs were "work-for-hire" projects that ended up becoming the biggest hits for the artists involved. Alternatively, plan a trip to Nicholas Canyon Beach in Malibu to see the spot where the angels gathered at sunrise; it’s still one of the most serene locations in Southern California.