Evan Almighty

Last updated

Evan Almighty
Evan almightymp1.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tom Shadyac
Screenplay by Steve Oedekerk
Story by
Based onCharacters
by Steve Koren
Mark O'Keefe
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Ian Baker
Edited byScott Hill
Music by John Debney
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • June 22, 2007 (2007-06-22)
Running time
96 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$175 million [2]
Box office$174.4 million [2]

Evan Almighty is a 2007 American fantasy comedy film [3] that is a spin-off and sequel of Bruce Almighty (2003). The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, based on the characters created by Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe from the original film. It stars Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman reprising their roles as Evan Baxter and God, respectively, with new cast members Lauren Graham and John Goodman. The film is a modern-day retelling of Noah's Ark, which Evan reluctantly re-enacts because God commands him to do so at the same time Evan pursues a new career in government.

Contents

Production of the film began in January 2006. Several visual effects companies were used to provide CGI for the numerous animals and the climactic flood scene. By the time the film had completed production, it had become the most expensive comedy film ever, later being overtaken by Men in Black 3 .

The film opened on June 22, 2007, and was a box-office bomb, grossing $174.4 million worldwide, and received generally negative reviews from critics.

Plot

Newly elected to Congress, former television news reporter Evan Baxter leaves his hometown of Buffalo, New York and moves with his family to the community of Prestige Crest, located in the fictional town of Huntsville, Virginia, where his congressional campaign declares that he will change the world. Evan prays to God to give him this opportunity. His wife, Joan, also prays that she, Evan, and their three sons will be closer together as a family.

On his first day in Congress, Evan receives a letter from Congressman Chuck Long, who provides him with a prime office and gives him the opportunity to join him as the junior co-sponsor to his Citizens' Integration of Public Lands Act (CINPLAN) bill. Over the next days, strange events in Evan's life occur:

Evan realizes that the number refers to verse 14 in chapter 6 of the Book of Genesis, where God instructed Noah to build an ark in preparation for a coming flood. Although Evan initially rejects this idea, God starts appearing. God says that the flood will come and that the only way Evan can change the world will be through recreating the ark. Evan decides to start building it using the tools and materials provided, giving him an opportunity to spend more time with his sons, but Joan sees this as a midlife crisis.

While Evan still maintains his career in Congress, his appearance alienates his staffers and the animals that follow him everywhere become more disruptive. God provides Evan a robe, later warning him that the flood will come mid-day on the 22nd of September. When God indefinitely exposes Evan's robe, Long gets him suspended from Congress and has him removed from the Public Land Act bill. Believing that Evan has gone insane, Joan leaves him behind, causing Evan himself to continue building the ark alone. Meanwhile, God disguises himself as a waiter in a restaurant and speaks with Joan. God says that Joan should see this as an opportunity for the entire family to get closer to each other. Inspired, Joan returns to help Evan finish building the ark together to prepare for the flood.

On September 22, Evan's three staffers show him evidence that Long had planned to build Prestige Crest after damming off a nearby water source, but Long had cut corners in building the dam. They suspect Long would do the same with the Public Land Act Bill. With the ark complete, the animals board two by two. However, the police threaten to demolish it with a wrecking ball as the ark violates land codes and a small amount of rain falls. Evan realizes that the flood will not be due to the rain, but as a result of Long's dam failing. The dam fails, destroying all the homes of Prestige Crest. The entire community manages to board the ark, which rides the floodwaters to Washington, D.C. and stops in front of the Capitol, interrupting the vote for Long's Public Land Act Bill. The flood results in Evan criticizing Long of being responsible for cost-cutting leading up to the dam's failure.

The voting of the Bill is suspended due to an investigation of Long's profiteering. After the flood, Evan is reinstated to Congress and all the animals return to their natural habitats. With his appearance returned to normal, Evan re-encounters God during a family hike. God states that Evan had changed his world as he prayed for and grown closer to his family through his one Act of Random Kindness (ARK).

Cast

Production

Screenplay

The film's screenplay was originally titled The Passion of the Ark and was written by Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg. [4] It became the subject of a seven-studio bidding war in April 2004. The script was sold to Sony Pictures in a deal worth $2.5 million plus a percentage of the profits, a record for a spec script from previously unproduced writers. [5] Universal Studios immediately made a deal to co-produce the script with Sony Pictures and have Steve Oedekerk rewrite it into the sequel to Bruce Almighty . Steve Oedekerk had been involved with Bruce Almighty as an executive producer and co-writer of the screenplay (with Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe, who wrote the story). The studio later discarded the original The Passion of the Ark script completely, and Oedekerk fashioned a new script from scratch (only he received final credit on the finished film as screenwriter). Jim Carrey was asked to reprise his role as Bruce in the sequel and, when he declined, director Tom Shadyac convinced Steve Carell to accept the leading role. [6] Shadyac, reflecting on the first film, stated "[Carell] delivered some of the funniest stuff in the movie. We thought, 'Why not take that character and spin him off into a different film?'" [1]

Casting

Jim Carrey declined to reprise his role from the original Bruce Almighty , saying that he is "not a big fan of doing the same character twice." [7] This marked the third time a sequel has been made to a film for which Carrey declined to reprise his role—the others being Dumb and Dumberer and Son of the Mask .

Budget

The initial budget, at approximately $140 million, led Evan Almighty to become the most expensive comedy film ever made. Added costs such as set construction, visual effects, and problems with filming multiple animals in a controlled location brought the budget up to $175 million. [8] Once marketing for the film was also included, the film's entire spend was estimated to be around $200 million. [9] The ballooning budget caused Sony to drop the project and hand it over entirely to Universal Studios. [8] Part of the budget was Carell's payroll, where he earned a reported $5 million for his leading role. [7] The Virginia Film Office estimates the film brought $20–25 million to Virginia, with the majority of it in the Charlottesville area. [10] Universal defended the cost of the film, saying it was "designed as a four-quadrant film, and therefore poised for bigger [box office] returns than typical comedies." [11]

Ark design and construction

The ark being prepared for filming a scene EvanAlmightyarkconstruction.jpg
The ark being prepared for filming a scene

Construction of the ark began in January 2006 and the scenes involving the ark were shot in a Crozet, Virginia, subdivision called Old Trail. [1] The ark was designed to meet the actual measurements of the biblical ark, measuring 450 feet (137 m) long, 80 feet (24 m) wide, and 51 feet (16 m) high. [7] The ark's layout was also based on pictures in several children's books that crew members had read in their childhoods. [1] When the characters were filmed during the day building the ark or were on location elsewhere, crew members would further construct the ark at night. [1] A concrete base was built to support the weight of the large ark; after filming was completed, the ark was taken down in a week, and the base in another week. [1]

In disassembling the set, everything that was salvageable from the ark was donated to Habitat for Humanity. "Leave no trace" was the slogan used by the director as part of the DVD's bonus features, "The Almighty Green Set".

Costumes and filming locations

The Ark used for filming was located in Crozet, Virginia. Evan Almighty Ark.jpg
The Ark used for filming was located in Crozet, Virginia.

To create Evan's beard and long hair, three designers would take three hours each day adding individual hairs using prosthetic adhesive and making Carell wear custom wigs. The wigs consisted of both human and yak hair. [12] With his new look, Carell was sometimes nicknamed "Mountain Man", "Retrosexual", or "Unabomber." [12] For his costumes, designers spoke with textile experts, researched historical information on the clothing that was likely worn at the time of Noah, and used aged fibers for the clothing. [1]

Scenes for the film were filmed in various locations in Virginia, including areas in and around Crozet, Waynesboro, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Staunton, though some filming did take place at Universal Studios in Hollywood, California. [13]

Visual effects

For the CGI used throughout the film, companies Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H) developed different parts of the film. R&H focused on the animation of the animals, while ILM completed the final scene of the ark rushing through Washington, D.C. [14] Lindy De Quattro, the ILM associate visual effects supervisor, revealed that "This is the first time where we had to do a whole series of shots that were happening mid-day, where you were going to get a really long look at the water and what it was doing." [14] The company initially experienced problems creating the water effects and had to develop new tools that would choreograph the movements of the water. In addition, ILM used similar tools that were used on their prior film Poseidon . [14] Lighting was also an issue as the characters on the ark had been filmed on a greenscreen stage, and the visual effects company had to ensure that the lighting matched that of the characters and the outside setting. Details were added to the ark for long-distance shots to make the design of the ark more appealing and relate the ark's size to scale in comparison to the amount of water. To complete the scene, ILM used thirty to sixty crew members and produced 200 shots over a yearlong period between April 2006 and May 2007. [14]

Signage on a lamppost in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia, for Evan Almighty filming Huntsville Festival of Fine Arts.jpg
Signage on a lamppost in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia, for Evan Almighty filming

Rhythm & Hues created 300 pairs of animals for use on the ark and fifteen pairs with higher detail for closeup shots. [1] R&H was also assisted by C.I.S. Hollywood, another visual effects company, who provided a large number of composites, involving hundreds of greenscreen animal elements. [1] In scenes where there are multiple species of animals, crew members would film the animals on the greenscreen and R&H and C.I.S would digitally add the animals one at a time, sometimes taking several weeks to a couple of months. Andy Arnett, the animation supervisor, declared that "The research was extensive. It took six or seven months to perfect the look and feel of the animals before we had the first shot out the door." [1]

For the scene in Congressman Long's office, CGI was used the entire time for the fish that follow Evan around from the fish tank. Cafe FX, the visual effects company hired for the scene, ordered ten different kinds of tropical fish from a local store and studied their movements to imitate them on screen using computer animation. Jeff Goldman, the visual effects supervisor, stated "Early in the sequence, we mimicked the actual behavior of the fish in our animation, but as the scene plays out, the fish are a counterpoint to Steve Carell's comedic timing." [15]

Marketing

In late May, during production, the media learned that director Tom Shadyac angrily complained to producers, saying "I'm not seeing any ads, and I don't know why. I'm not getting answers. People are giving me information that isn't true ... I'm only hearing about all the other summer movies, and nothing about mine." [16] Shadyac also fired his marketing consultants that he had used for prior films due to his thoughts over the mishandling of the marketing. He later apologized for his outburst with producers, and claimed that it was as a result of his nervousness before the film's release. [17]

Grace Hill Media, a marketing firm that targets religious Americans and was also used for marketing Bruce Almighty , The Da Vinci Code , and The Passion of the Christ ; [18] held exclusive screenings of the film in mid-June in fifty cities in the United States to reach religious moviegoers. [17] Grace Hill provided free screenings to blogs in exchange for publicity on the blogs. [18] The film and its subsequent home video release was marketed to Christians and their churches through a "kindness campaign" called Ark ALMIGHTY. [19] [20]

The first trailer of the film premiered on March 29, 2007 for a marathon of The Office , which also stars Steve Carell and Ed Helms. [21] For online advertising, an eight-minute clip of a scene was released on Yahoo! two days before the release of the film. [22]

The film was also an official sponsor for the 2007 Tooth & Nail Tour along with Best Buy, PureVolume, AbsolutePunk and White Castle. [23]

Environmental impact

Director Tom Shadyac felt the film reflected environmental themes of how humans are stewards of God's creation. In keeping with the themes, Evan Almighty became NBC Universal's first film to offset the production's carbon emissions. [24] Producer Michael Bostick revealed how the emissions were offset:

We worked closely with The Conservation Fund to calculate our carbon emissions from what we used on the movie—whether from vehicles used or any of the construction equipment. Once our carbon emissions were calculated, we planted trees that will effectively zero out our climate-changing footprint left behind from the movie. [1]

Shadyac accomplished this by requiring crew members to plant 2,050 trees at the Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge in Warsaw, Virginia and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge near Modesto, California. [1] He also bought over 400 bikes for all the cast and crew, to get to work instead of driving. [25] In addition, rather than simply demolishing sets, Shadyac tried to donate houses built for the production and had the Ark set recycled, by donating materials to Habitat for Humanity. [24] During the premiere of the film for cast and crew at Universal Citywalk, the attendees were encouraged to donate to a campaign to plant trees in forests around the world. The after party used recycled cups and plates to offset the use of resources. [26] Shadyac also required that when Industrial Light & Magic developed the climactic scene, that the CGI flood did not appear to harm any of the trees in the scene. [14]

The film partnered with the website Get On Board Now, [27] which focused on the importance of conservation during production of the film. Donations were taken at the website for The Conservation Fund, which paid for the planting of 15,000 trees. [24]

Animal welfare

Two elephants being trained for filming EvanAlmightyelephants.jpg
Two elephants being trained for filming

The American Humane Association oversaw the 177 species of animals that were used in the film. [1] In scenes including both predators and prey, the animals were digitally added instead to ensure their safety. [28] The American Humane Association gave its permission for the film to display "No animals were harmed in the making of this movie" over the closing credits. [29]

PETA accused the film's producers of using animals that had previously been abused. Two chimpanzees who appear in the film, Cody and Sable, were surrendered by their owner to settle a lawsuit that documented allegations of beatings and mistreatment. [30] PETA was also critical of Birds & Animals Unlimited, the primary animal supplier to the film, for alleged serious and continuing violations of the U.S. Animal Welfare Act, including failure to comply with veterinary care requirements and failure to provide shelter from heat and sunlight, which PETA details and claims it can document. [31]

The film's director, Tom Shadyac, said of PETA's criticisms "many of these animals have been rescued from other situations and can't be returned to the wild" and "There's a certain amount of hypocrisy whenever you work with animals, even to show, which we hope we're showing, that respect of all of God's creation ... I don't know. I respect their criticism." [32] A Universal Studios spokesperson declared:

The live animals used in the filming of Evan Almighty were supplemented by a great number of computer-generated animals, but it would have been impossible to depend on CGI exclusively as some key scenes in the film demonstrate the need for peaceful and productive co-existence between man and animals. One of the most prominent, inescapable messages of the film is the responsibility that humans have to protect and care for animals. [33]

Release

Theatrical

The premiere for the film was held on June 10, 2007, and guests included Adam Sandler, David Hasselhoff, Kate Flannery, Eddie Murphy, Kevin James, and Mindy Kaling, among others. [34]

Home media

The film was released on HD DVD and DVD on October 9, 2007, [35] and was the fourth-most rented DVD of the week earning $6.4 million. [36] In the film's first six weeks of release it earned $27,676,676 in domestic DVD sales. [37] The HD-DVD and DVD's special features include deleted scenes, outtakes, cast interviews, and footage of the animals used in the film. The film was released on Blu-ray on August 7, 2012.

Proposed ban

Malaysia's Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) called for a ban on the film, claiming it is offensive to Islam. Secretary-General Maamor Osman claimed that the film was depicting the great flood as comedy and characterized God with the portrayal of a human, both of which are considered blasphemous in Islam. Similarly there was some public protest against Bruce Almighty being shown in theaters, but that movie was released on DVD and was also shown on television broadcasts. Evan Almighty was still released in Malaysia on August 23, 2007. [38]

Reception

Box office

Though Evan Almighty was well hyped, especially with churchgoers, [39] and had double the budget of Bruce Almighty , it performed under expectations. On its first weekend, it opened in 5,200 screens in 3,604 theaters and earned $31.1 million [40] (on its first two days the film earned $11.4 million followed by $8.3 million on Sunday). [39] The opening was less than half of the first film's $68 million weekend ($85 million counting Memorial Day). [9] Nikki Rocco, the president of distribution for Universal Pictures declared, "We never expected it to be much higher ... it is not unusual for family films to open at a level like this and build. This film will have legs." [9] The film managed to remain at the third spot at the box office in its second week, before dropping to fifth place in its third week. [41]

Internationally, the film also opened in first place in Russia and Ukraine, earning $1.5 million in Russia with 329 venues and $179,000 in Ukraine at 64 locations. The gross in the opening weekends for the two countries was 10% and 11%, respectively, bigger than the opening for Bruce Almighty. [39] Altogether, the film earned $173,418,781 worldwide with $100,462,298 in the U.S. and $72,956,483 in the international box office. [42]

Critical response

Evan Almighty received generally negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 24%, based on 194 reviews, with an average rating of 4.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Big on special effects but short on laughs, Evan Almighty underutilizes a star-studded cast that includes Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman." [43] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 37 out of 100, based on reviews from 33 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [44] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale. [45]

Critic Richard Roeper commended Jim Carrey for declining to reprise his role in "three of the worst sequels of all time", which included Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd , Son of the Mask and Evan Almighty. He continued: "Evan Almighty is a paper-thin alleged comedy with a laugh drought of biblical proportions, and a condescendingly simplistic spiritual message." [46] Several reviewers credit Carell's performance to significantly improving the humor of the film. [47] [48] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave it 1 out of 4, calling it "shamelessly juvenile, pseudo-religious, mock-sincere" and "not that funny". He praised Carell "who projects the movie’s only sense of mischief. But it’s too little and too late." [49] He later included it on his list of the Worst Movies of 2007. [50]

Accolades

Before Evan Almighty was released, it was nominated for "Best Summer Movie You Haven't Seen Yet" at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards. Competing against seven other nominees, it lost to Transformers . [51] At the Golden Raspberry Awards Evan Almighty was nominated for the Worst Prequel or Sequel, but lost to Daddy Day Camp . [52]

YearCeremonyCategoryRecipientsResult
2007 Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie Actor – Comedy Steve Carell Nominated
Choice Hissy Fit Steve CarellNominated
Choice ScreamSteve CarellNominated
2008 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Prequel or Sequel Nominated

Soundtrack

Evan Almighty: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
ReleasedJuly 3, 2007
Genre Country, rock, CCM, dance
Label Curb Records
Producer Adam Anders, Matt Bronleewe, D.J. Butcher, Mike Curb, Chuck Howard, Dann Huff, Doug Johnson, Hal Ketchum, Jo Dee Messina, Kathy Nelson, Eric Pittarelli, Tom Shadyac
Singles from Evan Almighty
  1. "Ready for a Miracle"
    Released: 2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [53]

Evan Almighty: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture debuted in 2007. [54] The soundtrack debuted on June 19, 2007. [55] "Revolution" was performed by Rascal Flatts in the film. [56] Their version is not on the soundtrack, but it appears as a bonus track on their album Still Feels Good . [57] Also not included on the soundtrack are Elton John's 2006 hit, "Just Like Noah's Ark" of which only a little bit is heard during the start of building the ark, and John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change", used in the main ark-building montage. "Ready For a Miracle" was released as a single for the soundtrack by American country pop recording artist, LeAnn Rimes.

Rascal Flatts' version of "Revolution" peaked at number 57 on the Hot Country Songs charts, [57] and "The Power of One" by Bomshel reached number 52 on the same.

The soundtrack was nominated for a Dove Award for Special Event Album of the Year at the 39th GMA Dove Awards. The song "Be the Miracle" by Room for Two was also nominated for Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year while "Ready for a Miracle" by LeAnn Rimes won the Dove Award for Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year. [58]

No.TitleRecording artist(s)Length
1."Ready for a Miracle" LeAnn Rimes 3:36
2."One Love" Jo Dee Messina 3:53
3."Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" John Fogerty 2:47
4."Walk on Water" Blue County 3:50
5."Spirit in the Sky" (with Mikeschair) Plumb 3:24
6."The Power of One" Bomshel 4:33
7."Be the Miracle"Room for Two2:17
8."God Makes Stars" Hal Ketchum 3:03
9."This Land Is Your Land" The Mike Curb Congregation 3:16
10."Never Give Up"Tracy Edmond4:00
11."Revolution" Blue County 4:17
12."Revolution" Stone Temple Pilots 3:39
13."Sharp Dressed Man"Jo Dee Messina3:49
14."Sharp Dressed Man" ZZ Top 4:15
15."Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)" C+C Music Factory 4:07
16."Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" Creedence Clearwater Revival 2:41

Related Research Articles

<i>The Matrix Reloaded</i> 2003 film by the Wachowskis

The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction action film written and directed by the Wachowskis. It is the sequel to The Matrix (1999) and the second installment in the Matrix film series. The film stars Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Gloria Foster who reprise their roles from the previous film, with Jada Pinkett Smith joining the cast.

<i>Bruce Almighty</i> 2003 film by Tom Shadyac

Bruce Almighty is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and written by Steve Koren, Mark O'Keefe and Steve Oedekerk. The film stars Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a down-on-his-luck television reporter who complains to God that he is not doing his job correctly and is offered the chance to try being God himself for one week. It co-stars Jennifer Aniston, Philip Baker Hall and Catherine Bell. The film is Shadyac and Carrey's third collaboration, after Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994) and Liar Liar (1997).

<i>Pirates</i> (2005 film) 2005 US pornographic action-adventure film

Pirates is a 2005 American pornographic action-adventure film written, produced, and directed by Joone, and produced by Digital Playground and Adam & Eve. The film, starring Jesse Jane, Carmen Luvana, Janine Lindemulder, Devon, Jenaveve Jolie, Teagan Presley, and Evan Stone, features many references to the mainstream Hollywood film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Oedekerk</span> American filmmaker, actor and stand-up comedian (born 1961)

Steven Brent Oedekerk is an American filmmaker, actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his collaborations with actor and comedian Jim Carrey and director Tom Shadyac, his series of "Thumbmation" shorts and his film Kung Pow! Enter the Fist (2002), along with his films Santa vs. the Snowman 3D, Barnyard, and The Nutty Professor remake. His film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was nominated for an Academy Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Carell</span> American actor and comedian (born 1962)

Steven John Carell is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Michael Scott in the NBC sitcom The Office, and also worked at several points as a producer, executive producer, writer, and director. Carell has received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award for The Office. He was recognized as "America's Funniest Man" by Life.

Thomas Peter Shadyac is an American director, producer, and writer. The youngest joke-writer ever for comedian Bob Hope, Shadyac is widely known for writing and directing the comedy films Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Nutty Professor, Liar Liar, Patch Adams, and Bruce Almighty. In 2010, Shadyac retired from the comedy genre and wrote, directed, and narrated his own documentary film I Am, that explores his abandonment of a materialistic lifestyle following his involvement in a bicycle accident three years earlier.

<i>The 40-Year-Old Virgin</i> 2005 film directed by Judd Apatow

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Judd Apatow, who produced the film with Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson. It features Steve Carell as the titular 40-year-old virgin Andy, an employee at an electronics store. Paul Rudd, Romany Malco, and Seth Rogen play co-workers who resolve to help him lose his virginity, and Catherine Keener stars as Andy's love interest, Trish.

The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom television series based on the 2001–2003 BBC series of the same name created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Adapted for NBC by Greg Daniels, a veteran writer for Saturday Night Live, King of the Hill, and The Simpsons, the show depicts the everyday work lives of the office employees at Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and aired from March 24, 2005, to May 16, 2013, with a total of nine seasons consisting of 201 episodes. The show was co-produced by Daniels' Deedle-Dee Productions, Reveille Productions and 3 Arts Entertainment in association with Universal Television. The original executive producers were Daniels, Gervais, Merchant, Howard Klein and Ben Silverman, with numerous others being promoted in later seasons.

"Michael's Birthday" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's twenty-fifth episode overall. Written by Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg, and directed by Ken Whittingham, the episode first aired in the United States on March 30, 2006 on NBC. The episode guest stars Nancy Carell as Carol Stills.

<i>The Blues Brothers</i> (film) 1980 film by John Landis

The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as his brother Elwood, characters developed from the recurring musical sketch "The Blues Brothers" on NBC's variety series Saturday Night Live. The script is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed, and the screenplay is by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. It features non-musical supporting performances by Carrie Fisher and Henry Gibson.

<i>Horton Hears a Who!</i> (film) 2008 animated film by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino

Horton Hears a Who! is a 2008 American animated adventure comedy film based on the 1954 book of the same name by Dr. Seuss, produced by Blue Sky Studios and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film was directed by Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino, from a screenplay written by the writing team of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio. It stars the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell as Horton the Elephant and Mayor Ned McDodd, respectively, alongside Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, Seth Rogen, Dan Fogler, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill, and Amy Poehler. Recurring Blue Sky collaborator John Powell composed the film's musical score. It is the fourth screen adaptation of the book following the 1970 Chuck Jones television special, the 1987 Soviet animated short, and the 1992 Russian animated short.

<i>Get Smart</i> (film) 2008 film by Peter Segal

Get Smart is a 2008 American spy action comedy film directed by Peter Segal, written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember and produced by Leonard B. Stern, who was also the producer of the original series. The film is based on Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's television series of the same name.

<i>Wanted</i> (2008 film) 2008 film by Timur Bekmambetov

Wanted is a 2008 action thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov and written by Michael Brandt, Derek Haas and Chris Morgan, loosely based on the comic book miniseries by Mark Millar and J. G. Jones. The film stars James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Chris Pratt.

<i>American Pie Presents: Beta House</i> 2007 film by Andrew Waller

American Pie Presents: Beta House is a 2007 Canadian-American sex comedy film released by Universal Pictures. It is the third installment in the American Pie Presents film series, a spin-off of the American Pie franchise. John White stars as Erik Stifler, a college freshman who pledges the Beta House fraternity led by his cousin Dwight Stifler. Christopher McDonald co-stars as Erik's father and Eugene Levy plays Beta House alumnus Noah Levenstein. It is a direct sequel to The Naked Mile (2006).

Shady Acres Entertainment is a production company founded in 1999 by producer and director Tom Shadyac. It is based at Universal Studios. It is taken from his last name, Shadyac, which separated and became two words "Shady" and "Acres". It also derives from a fictional mental hospital from the first Ace Ventura film. Shady Acres signed a production deal with Universal to produce films while its lone television series was co-produced by Touchstone Television.

<i>Despicable Me</i> (film) 2010 Illumination film

Despicable Me is a 2010 American animated comedy film produced by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment, and distributed by Universal. The first feature film from Illumination, it was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin and produced by Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy, and John Cohen, from a screenplay by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio based on a story by Sergio Pablos. Despicable Me stars the voices of Steve Carell, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgrove, Will Arnett, Danny McBride, Jack McBrayer, and Julie Andrews. The film follows Felonious Gru, a longtime supervillain who adopts three orphan girls to use as pawns in a villainous scheme but reluctantly develops an emotional attachment to them.

<i>Over the Hedge</i> 2006 American animated film

Over the Hedge is a 2006 American animated heist comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation SKG and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Based on the comic strip of the same name created by Michael Fry and T. Lewis, the film was directed by Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick from a screenplay by Len Blum, Lorne Cameron, David Hoselton and Kirkpatrick, and features the voices of Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, William Shatner, Wanda Sykes and Nick Nolte. Set in Indiana, the film centers on a raccoon named RJ, who is forced to deliver food to a bear named Vincent after accidentally destroying his stockpile of food, whereupon he manipulates a family of woodland animals who have recently awakened from hibernation into helping him steal food in order to speed up the process.

<i>I Am</i> (2010 American documentary film) 2010 American film

I Am is a 2010 American documentary film written, directed, and narrated by Tom Shadyac. The film asks the question: "What is wrong with the world, and what can we do about it?", and explores Shadyac's personal journey after a bicycling accident in 2007 which led him to the answers "the nature of humanity", "the world's ever-growing addiction to materialism", and "human connections". Shot with Shadyac and a team of four, the film contrasts sharply with the director's most notable comedic works, such as Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Liar Liar, and Bruce Almighty, all of which he collaborated with Canadian comic actor Jim Carrey.

Numerous interpretations of Noah's Ark have been built and proposed. Some were intended to be replicas, as close as possible to the Biblical Ark, the builders assuming that such a boat did exist and that it is not a mythological vessel. Others are looser derivatives which were inspired by the idea. The Biblical description of the Ark is brief, beyond the basic measures of length, height and width, and the exact design of any "replica" must largely be a matter of conjecture. Some interpret the Ark as simply a chest-like structure with rectangular sides; other reconstructions give it a rounded bow and stern.

<i>Welcome to Marwen</i> 2018 film by Robert Zemeckis

Welcome to Marwen is a 2018 American drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis, who co-wrote the script with Caroline Thompson. It is inspired by Jeff Malmberg's 2010 documentary Marwencol. The film stars Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Diane Kruger, Merritt Wever, Janelle Monáe, Eiza González, Gwendoline Christie, Leslie Zemeckis, Siobhan Williams and Neil Jackson. It tells the true story of Mark Hogancamp, a man struggling with PTSD who, after being physically assaulted, creates a fictional village to ease his trauma.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Evan Almighty" (PDF). Universal Pictures. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 2, 2007. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Evan Almighty (2007)". Box Office Mojo . IMDb. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Evan Almighty". AFI. Retrieved July 6, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Columbia Get "The Passion Of The Ark"". Killer Movies. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  5. ↑ "About Us - Dave Phillips". Corner of the Sky. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  6. ↑ Sampson, Mike (August 26, 2005). "Carell back to Almighty". JoBlo. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 Wloszczyna, Susan (June 22, 2006). "Carell, Freeman are cut-ups on the 'Evan Almighty' set". USA Today . Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Muñoz, Lorenza (October 9, 2006). "Budget Overruns of Biblical Proportions". Los Angeles Times . Archived from the original on October 19, 2006. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  9. 1 2 3 Barnes, Brooks (June 25, 2007). "Two 'Mightys' Disappoint at the Weekend Box Office". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  10. ↑ Kitchin, Jessica (May 31, 2006). ""Evan Almighty" helping area businesses boom". Star Exponent.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  11. ↑ Garrett, Diane (April 20, 2007). "Big-budget bang-ups". Variety . Archived from the original on January 7, 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  12. 1 2 Wloszczyna, Susan (May 4, 2006). "First look: Steve Carell lets his hair down for "Almighty"". USA Today . Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  13. ↑ Owens, Michael L. (April 25, 2006). "Welcome to Huntsville". The News Virginian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 McLean, Thomas J. (July 6, 2007). "Evan Almighty: Choreographing CG Water of Biblical Proportions". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  15. ↑ Desowitz, Bill (July 10, 2007). "CafeFX Swims with the Fish for Evan Almighty". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on August 29, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  16. ↑ Weinberg, Scott (June 3, 2007). ""Evan Almighty" Director Clashes With Studio Over Advertising, Source Says". Cinematical. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  17. 1 2 Finke, Nikki (June 1, 2007). "Shadyac Mayhem Over 'Evan' Marketing: Berates Uni Execs, Fires Consulting Team". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 13, 2008. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  18. 1 2 Kotler, Steven (June 20, 2007). "Hollywood's God Squad, Grace Hill Media". Hollywood Wiretap. Archived from the original on July 12, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  19. ↑ Moring, Mark (June 19, 2007). "Make 'Em Laugh". Christianity Today . Retrieved December 5, 2010. ... Evan Almighty is being aggressively marketed to Christians and churches, including the Ark Almighty campaign on the side. Your movie has now become a part of that Christian marketing machine.
  20. ↑ Ark ALMIGHTY Archived December 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine , a "kindness campaign" that was part of the promotion of the film
  21. ↑ Sciretta, Peter (March 27, 2007). "Evan Almighty Movie Trailer to Premiere During The Office". Film.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  22. ↑ Aviles, Omar (June 20, 2007). "Eight Almighty minutes". JoBlo. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  23. ↑ "Tooth & Nail Tour 2007". Archived from the original on May 29, 2007. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  24. 1 2 3 Riley, Jennifer (June 19, 2007). ""Evan Almighty" Makes Environmental Push through Biblical Story". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on June 4, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  25. ↑ ""Evan Almighty" Director Tries Carbon-Neutral Set". NPR. June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  26. ↑ "Going Green (video)". Evan Almighty Official Site. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  27. ↑ "Evan Almighty on DVD | Trailers, bonus features, cast photos & more | Universal Studios Entertainment Portal". Getonboardnow.org. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  28. ↑ Scott, Walter (June 17, 2007). "Personality Parade". Parade . Archived from the original on August 11, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  29. ↑ Booth, Michael (June 24, 2007). "Humane group makes sure animals in films don't work like dogs". Oakland Tribune . Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
  30. ↑ Jablon, Robert (December 11, 2006). "Hollywood chimps head to sanctuary". NBC News . Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  31. ↑ "Birds & Animals Unlimited (Gary Gero)" (PDF). PETA. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 7, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  32. ↑ Roberts, Sheila. "Evan Almighty, Tom Shadyac Interview". Movies Online. Archived from the original on May 27, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  33. ↑ Johanson, MaryAnn (May 9, 2007). "Evan Almighty Animal Friendly?". Film.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  34. ↑ Sanchez, Robert (June 11, 2007). "Exclusive Photo Gallery: Evan Almighty has its World Premiere at Universal Studios!". IESB. Archived from the original on November 12, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  35. ↑ "Evan Almighty DVD". About.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  36. ↑ ""Surf's Up" rides DVD wave to dual wins". The Hollywood Reporter . Canada.com. Reuters. October 18, 2007. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  37. ↑ "Evan Almighty". The Numbers . Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  38. ↑ Shari, Izatun (July 14, 2007). "Watch movie first before calling for ban, says Rais". Malaysia Star . Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2010.
  39. 1 2 3 Finke, Nikki (June 22, 2007). "More Sinking Sequels: 'Evan Almighty' Debuts Weak; 'Silver Surfer' Drops -65%". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  40. ↑ ""Evan Almighty" cursed at box office". Reuters. June 24, 2007. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  41. ↑ "Evan Almighty Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  42. ↑ "Evan Almighty". Box Office Mojo . IMDb . Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  43. ↑ "Evan Almighty". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  44. ↑ "Evan Almighty". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  45. ↑ Associated Press (June 26, 2007). "'Evan' afloat with $31.2 mil; '1408' books solid debut". The Hollywood Reporter . Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022. Universal could take some comfort in the fact that CinemaScore's sampling of the opening-weekend audience found that overall moviegoers awarded the movie an A-.
  46. ↑ Roeper, Richard. "Throw this god-awful sequel a life jacket". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  47. ↑ "Acting trumps effects in kid-friendly sequel". The Star-Ledger. June 21, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  48. ↑ Tyler, Josh (June 18, 2007). "Evan Almighty - Review". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  49. ↑ Travers, Peter (June 20, 2007). "Evan Almighty". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 21, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  50. ↑ Travers, Peter (December 19, 2007). "Peter Travers' Best and Worst Movies of 2007". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on June 18, 2008. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  51. ↑ "2007 MTV Movie Awards Winners". MTV. Archived from the original on August 5, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2009.
  52. ↑ "Razzies© 2007 Nominees for Worst Prequel or Sequel". Razzies.com. Archived from the original on January 28, 2008.
  53. ↑ Monger, James Christopher. "Evan Almighty (Soundtrack)". AllMusic . Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  54. ↑ "Evan Almighty: Various Artists: Music". Amazon. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  55. ↑ Black, Holly. "Evan Almighty: John Debney: Music". Amazon. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  56. ↑ Mansfield, Brian (September 28, 2007). "Young fans keep Rascal Flatts humming". USA Today . Archived from the original on September 28, 2007.
  57. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. p. 339. ISBN   978-0-89820-177-2.
  58. ↑ "Nominations Announced for 39th GMA Dove Awards". CBN.com. Christian Broadcasting Network. February 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
  59. ↑ Evan Almighty: Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture (CD). Various Artists. Curb Records. 2007. D2-79013.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.