Rating: Summary: good film Review: this film was a trip when it first came out.very cleaver film.George Burns turned it out.his style&laidbackness helped make an Ordinary film something of a must see.but the formula only worked once.
Rating: Summary: Like it or not... this is the message. Review: This is the movie I will view on my deathbed, just to remind me what life was all about.
Rating: Summary: A great family movie Review: This movie was hilarious. Who can forget the great lines, "So help me me!" I cant think of what to rate it between 3 and 5, so i'll rate it four.
Rating: Summary: Compelling View of a Very Personable God Review: When granted an interview with God, John Denver - an assistant manager at Food World, thinks that it is a practical joke by one of his friends. When the invitation turns up again in an unexpected place, it gets his attention - even though he doesn't believe in God. George Burns plays wonderfully as God and the ensuing scenes where he convinces Denver that he is who he says he is have an enduring and endearing quality. His message is simple. God is alive. God cares. We have been given everything we need to make it work - and it can, if we want it to. Convincing the world, however, is another matter. From the religious editor at the LA Times who thinks Denver is just another fruitcake to Denver's boss at Food World who is offended that Denver would suggest that God would pick an unbelieving assistant manager instead of him, a man who has prayed with Billy Graham, no less, all the personalities come out. After an appearance on Dinah Shore, spaced out weirdos show up on his lawn and harass his kids and wife. Finally, a panel of religious experts agree to give Denver a set of questions that he could not possibly answer (they are written in Aramaic). After completing the questions, Denver delivers his package and a few choice words from God to a stereotypical televangelist (aka "God's Own Quarterback" - having delivered the benediction at this year's Superbowl). The film finally culminates in a courtroom scene where Burns, as God, gives a powerful delivery. This film has some of the best writing. Burns has many humorous lines - it IS a comedy - but he also has some pretty profound and meaningful lines. In an obvious reference to the film The Exorcist, he comments on how easy it is for people to believe in the devil. But not God. He says that what we have here is some of his best work, that we should take care of it and appreciate it. He says that he knows how hard it can be in these troubled times to believe in God but, if it helps, we should know that he believes in us.
Rating: Summary: Compelling View of a Very Personable God Review: When granted an interview with God, John Denver - an assistant manager at Food World, thinks that it is a practical joke by one of his friends. When the invitation turns up again in an unexpected place, it gets his attention - even though he doesn't believe in God. George Burns plays wonderfully as God and the ensuing scenes where he convinces Denver that he is who he says he is have an enduring and endearing quality. His message is simple. God is alive. God cares. We have been given everything we need to make it work - and it can, if we want it to. Convincing the world, however, is another matter. From the religious editor at the LA Times who thinks Denver is just another fruitcake to Denver's boss at Food World who is offended that Denver would suggest that God would pick an unbelieving assistant manager instead of him, a man who has prayed with Billy Graham, no less, all the personalities come out. After an appearance on Dinah Shore, spaced out weirdos show up on his lawn and harass his kids and wife. Finally, a panel of religious experts agree to give Denver a set of questions that he could not possibly answer (they are written in Aramaic). After completing the questions, Denver delivers his package and a few choice words from God to a stereotypical televangelist (aka "God's Own Quarterback" - having delivered the benediction at this year's Superbowl). The film finally culminates in a courtroom scene where Burns, as God, gives a powerful delivery. This film has some of the best writing. Burns has many humorous lines - it IS a comedy - but he also has some pretty profound and meaningful lines. In an obvious reference to the film The Exorcist, he comments on how easy it is for people to believe in the devil. But not God. He says that what we have here is some of his best work, that we should take care of it and appreciate it. He says that he knows how hard it can be in these troubled times to believe in God but, if it helps, we should know that he believes in us.
Rating: Summary: Pretentious celluloid Review: When the movie first came out I was in high school and a John Denver fanatic. I bought the movie recently because of ...you guessed it! John Denver! The movie was a bit pretentious in that John had to be pestered in order to be convinced that George Burns was God.What kind of example is that to have to be cow towed into believing in something or someone? That's not "free will". That's desperation! Where were the laughs? George Burns spitting out one liners? John Denver being humiliated? The writers making George Burns do silly tricks in order to convince John he was God? I call that bad writing. I found it cruel that Burns as God would hassle John at work, then pretend he's someone else when confronted, making John look like a fool in front of customers. His reasoning was that he didn't want others to know who he is. How cowardly! You either show yourself to everyone according to their preferred image, or show yourself to no one. Spread your own Word, or spread nothing. It's cruely unGodly to make good guys like John Denver a laughing stock not to mention getting him fired. John suffers the consequences of humiliation while God happily goes to Africa for a little rest and relaxation justifying destroying a man's life by the fact that now people know of your existance. Or shall I say forcing people to know you're around. If John Denver didn't put in such a memorable performance I wouldn't of given this movie a second thought. Too bad he didn't do any singing. With a little work "Thank God I'm A Country Boy" would've sounded great as a Gospel tune.
|