Oh, God! (film)

Last updated

Oh, God!
Oh, God! (movie poster).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Carl Reiner
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart
Based onOh, God!
by Avery Corman
Produced by Jerry Weintraub
Starring George Burns
John Denver
Teri Garr
Donald Pleasence
Cinematography Victor J. Kemper
Edited by Bud Molin
Music by Jack Elliott
Distributed by Warner Bros.
Release date
  • October 7, 1977 (1977-10-07)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.1 million [1]
Box office$51 million [2]

Oh, God! is a 1977 American comedy film starring George Burns and John Denver. Based on the 1971 novel by Avery Corman, the film was directed by Carl Reiner from a screenplay by Larry Gelbart. The story centers on supermarket manager Jerry Landers (Denver), who is chosen by God (Burns) to spread his message despite skepticism of the media, religious authorities, and his own wife (Teri Garr).

Contents

The movie's success spawned its titular film series, which included two sequels: Oh, God! Book II (1980) and Oh, God! You Devil (1984). Both featured Burns reprising his role, but no other characters from the original story.

Plot

God appears as a kindly old man to Jerry Landers, an assistant supermarket manager. After a few failed attempts in trying to set up an "interview", God tells Jerry that he has been selected to be his messenger to the modern world, much like a contemporary Moses. Timidly at first, Landers tells his wife, children and a religion editor of the Los Angeles Times of his encounters with God and soon becomes a national icon of comedic fodder.

Jerry soon appears on television with Dinah Shore and describes the look God takes when he encounters him. The next day, after Jerry is stranded from a car breakdown, God appears as a taxi driver to take Jerry home, where they are met by a bunch of chanting "religious nuts". Before he disappears, God consoles Jerry that he has the "strength that comes from knowing".

Skeptical at first, Landers finds his life turned upside down as a group of theologians attempt to discredit him. They challenge him to answer a series of questions in Aramaic while locked in a hotel room alone, to prove God is contacting him directly. After an agonizing wait and much to Jerry's relief, God, working as room service, delivers food to Jerry and answers the questions.

After being sued for slander by a charismatic preacher whom God directed Jerry to call a "phony", Jerry decides to prove his story in a court of law. Jerry argues that if God's existence is a reasonable possibility, then he can materialize and sit in the witness chair if he so chooses. At first, God fails to appear and the judge threatens to charge Jerry with contempt for "what you apparently thought was a clever stunt". Jerry argues that when everyone waited a moment to see what would happen when he raised the mere possibility of God appearing in the courtroom, it proved he at least deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Suddenly, without opening the doors, God appears and asks to be sworn in, concluding the procedure with "So help me, Me. If it pleases the court, and even if it doesn't please the court, I'm God, your honor". God provides some miracles, first in the form of a few rather impressive card tricks for the judge. Then, to help the onlookers believe, he leaves the stand, walks a few steps and, with everyone watching, disappears before their eyes. His disembodied voice then issues a parting shot: "It can work. If you find it hard to believe in Me, maybe it will help to know that I believe in you". After a moment, the judge calls a recess and asks both parties to join him in chambers. God's voice does not appear on the court tape recording, nor on the court stenographer's tape. The judge has no choice but to dismiss the case.

Sometime later, after hearing a public phone ring, Jerry meets God again. God states that he's going on a trip to spend some time with animals. Jerry expresses worry that they failed, but God compares him to Johnny Appleseed, saying he was given the best seeds and they will take root. Jerry says he lost his job and everybody thinks he's a nut, but God assures him there are other supermarkets and that he's in "good company". Earlier, God had told Jerry: "Lose a job; save a world". God prepares to leave and says he will not be coming back. Jerry then asks what to do if he needs to talk with him. God says, "I'll tell you what, you talk. I'll listen". He disappears. Jerry smiles as God departs.

Cast

Casting

Gelbart originally wanted Woody Allen to play Jerry Landers and Mel Brooks to play God but Allen declined because he was already making his own film dealing with God, Stardust Memories . [3]

Release

The film was released on October 7, 1977 in 198 theaters and earned $1.9 million on its opening weekend. [2] It ultimately grossed $51,061,196 domestically, [2] making it the ninth-highest-grossing film of 1977.

Reception

Oh, God! was a critical and commercial success. It was regarded in many reviews as one of the best films of 1977, [4] [5] [6] including Gene Siskel, who placed it on his top 10 list for the year. Roger Ebert gave the film 3.5 stars out of possible 4, praising the casting of Burns and Denver and noting that Oh God! struck the right tone by avoiding both pious religious platitudes and "cheap shots" about faith. [7]

The film holds a 72% "Fresh" rating on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes from 29 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Oh, God!'s Biblical playfulness makes for more cute farce than divine comedy, but George Burns' sly performance as the Almighty gives this high concept gravitas". [8]

Awards

Larry Gelbart's screenplay received an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay and a Saturn Award nod for Best Writing. [9] The screenplay also won the Writers Guild award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium. [9]

Oh, God! was also awarded two Saturn Awards for Best Fantasy Film and Best Actor for George Burns. [9] It received an additional nomination for Carl Reiner's direction.

Legacy

Oh, God! has become a cornerstone of the On Cinema parody film review series, appearing as a recurring joke for several years. Its filming locations are featured repeatedly in the "On Cinema On Location" segments, as well as a segment in the "On Cinema Live" touring show, where Gregg Turkington presented "a slideshow detailing the career trajectories of actors who starred in Oh, God!". [10] In 2004, Warner Bros. and Jerry Weintraub were reported to have closed a deal to cast Ellen DeGeneres in their remake of the film. DeGeneres was set to portray the title character. [11] [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Princess Bride</i> (film) 1987 film by Rob Reiner

The Princess Bride is a 1987 American fantasy adventure comedy film directed and co-produced by Rob Reiner and starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, André the Giant, and Robin Wright. Adapted by William Goldman from his 1973 novel, it tells the story of a swashbuckling farmhand named Westley, accompanied by companions befriended along the way, who must rescue his true love Princess Buttercup from the odious Prince Humperdinck. The film preserves the novel's metafictional narrative style by presenting the story as a book being read by a grandfather to his sick grandson.

<i>When Harry Met Sally...</i> 1989 film by Rob Reiner

When Harry Met Sally... is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron. Starring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, and Bruno Kirby, it follows the title characters from the time they meet in Chicago and share a drive to New York City through twelve years of chance encounters in New York, and addresses the question "Can men and women ever just be friends?"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Larry Gelbart</span> American comedy writer and playwright (1928–2009)

Larry Simon Gelbart was an American television writer, playwright, screenwriter, director and author, most famous as a creator and producer of the television series M*A*S*H, and as co-writer of the Broadway musicals A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and City of Angels.

<i>Stand by Me</i> (film) 1986 American coming-of-age film directed by Rob Reiner

Stand by Me is a 1986 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on Stephen King's 1982 novella The Body, with the title deriving from the song of the same name by Ben E. King, the film is set in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Oregon, in 1959, and stars Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, and Jerry O'Connell, as four boys who go on a hike to find the dead body of a missing boy.

<i>This Is Spinal Tap</i> 1984 mockumentary film directed by Rob Reiner

This Is Spinal Tap is a 1984 American mockumentary comedy film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner. The film stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as members of the heavy metal band Spinal Tap, who are characterized as "one of England's loudest bands". Reiner plays Martin "Marty" Di Bergi, a documentary filmmaker who follows them on their American tour. The film satirizes the behavior and musical pretensions of rock bands and the perceived hagiographic tendencies of rock documentaries such as The Song Remains the Same (1976) and The Last Waltz (1978), and follows the similar All You Need Is Cash (1978) by the Rutles. Most of its dialogue was improvised and dozens of hours were filmed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Reiner</span> American actor (1922–2020)

Carl Reiner was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the recipient of many awards and honors, including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.

<i>The Jerk</i> 1979 film by Carl Reiner

The Jerk is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias. This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also features Bernadette Peters, M. Emmet Walsh, Catlin Adams, Maurice Evans, and Jackie Mason. Critical reviews were mostly positive, and The Jerk was a major financial success.

<i>This Is the Army</i> 1943 film by Michael Curtiz

This Is the Army is a 1943 American wartime musical comedy film produced by Jack L. Warner and Hal B. Wallis and directed by Michael Curtiz, adapted from a wartime stage musical with the same name, designed to boost morale in the U.S. during World War II, directed by Ezra Stone. The screenplay by Casey Robinson and Claude Binyon was based on the 1942 Broadway musical written by James McColl and Irving Berlin, with music and lyrics by Berlin. Berlin composed the film's 19 songs, and sang one of them.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Reed</span> American actress

Pamela Reed is an American actress. She is known for playing Arnold Schwarzenegger's hypoglycemic police partner in the 1990 film Kindergarten Cop and portraying the matriarch Gail Green in Jericho. She appeared as Marlene Griggs-Knope on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. She is also well known as the exasperated wife in Bean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Weintraub</span> American film producer (1937–2015)

Jerome Charles Weintraub was an American film producer, talent manager and actor whose television films won him three Emmys.

<i>Neighbors</i> (1981 film) 1981 American black comedy film by John G. Avildsen

Neighbors is a 1981 American black comedy film based on the novel of the same name by Thomas Berger. It was released through Columbia Pictures, was directed by John G. Avildsen, and starred John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cathy Moriarty, and Kathryn Walker. The film takes liberties with Berger's story and features a more upbeat ending. The screenplay of the film is officially credited to Larry Gelbart, although it was extensively rewritten to Gelbart's public disapproval. Released two and a half months before Belushi's death, the film marks his last film performance.

<i>Misery</i> (film) 1990 film by Rob Reiner

Misery is a 1990 American psychological thriller film directed by Rob Reiner, based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of the same name, starring James Caan, Kathy Bates, Lauren Bacall, Richard Farnsworth, and Frances Sternhagen. The plot centers around an author who is held captive by an obsessive fan who forces him to rewrite the finale to his novel series.

<i>Movie Movie</i> 1978 film by Stanley Donen

Movie Movie is a 1978 American double bill directed by Stanley Donen. It consists of two films: Dynamite Hands, a boxing ring morality play, and Baxter's Beauties of 1933, a musical comedy, both starring the husband-and-wife team of George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere. A fake trailer for a flying-ace movie set in World War I titled Zero Hour is shown between the double feature.

<i>Striptease</i> (film) 1996 film by Andrew Bergman

Striptease is a 1996 American black comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by Andrew Bergman, and starring Demi Moore, Armand Assante, Ving Rhames, Robert Patrick and Burt Reynolds. Based on Carl Hiaasen's 1993 best-selling novel of the same name, the film centers on an FBI secretary-turned-stripper who becomes involved in both a child-custody dispute and corrupt politics.

Sheldon Bernard "Shelly" Keller was an American screenwriter and composer.

<i>Three Colours: Red</i> 1994 film by Krzysztof Kieślowski

Three Colours: Red is a 1994 drama film co-written, produced and directed by Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. It is the final installment of the Three Colours trilogy, which examines the French Revolutionary ideals; it is preceded by Blue and White. Kieślowski had announced that this would be his final film, planning to retire claiming to be through with filmmaking; he would die suddenly less than two years later. Red is about fraternity, which it examines by showing characters whose lives gradually become closely interconnected, with bonds forming between two characters who appear to have little in common.

<i>In the Mood</i> (film) 1987 film by Phil Alden Robinson

In the Mood is a 1987 American comedy film written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson. The film is based on the true story of Sonny Wisecarver. Set in the 1940s, the feature stars Patrick Dempsey, Beverly D'Angelo, Michael Constantine, Betty Jinnette, Kathleen Freeman, and Peter Hobbs. The film opened on September 16, 1987 in New York City and on September 18, 1987 in Los Angeles, California and Toronto, Canada. When the movie expanded to 361 screens on October 16, 1987, it took in $315,000 in its first three days of wider release.

<i>OMG – Oh My God!</i> 2012 Indian comedy drama film

Oh My God! is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language satirical comedy drama film written and directed by Umesh Shukla and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, S Spice Studios, Grazing Goat Pictures, and Playtime Creations. The storyline is based on the Gujarati stage-play Kanji Virudh Kanji, which itself was inspired by the Australian film The Man Who Sued God. The film stars Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, and Mithun Chakraborty, along with Om Puri, Govind Namdeo, Poonam Jhawer, Puja Gupta, and Mahesh Manjrekar in pivotal roles.

Robert Klane was an American screenwriter, novelist and filmmaker, best known for early iconoclastic novels and for his screenplays for dark comedies such as Where's Poppa? (1970) and Weekend at Bernie's (1989).

<i>Oh, God!</i> (film series) Comedy film series

The Oh, God! film series consists of American comedy movies, which explore Christianity in a contemporary setting. The plot, which is based on the novel of the same name by Avery Corman, centers around various characters as they encounter God and are asked to share their experiences with society, only for their sanity to be questioned by society. The movies star George Burns in the recurring role of the Supreme Being, and feature a different supporting cast in each installment.

References

  1. "Oh, God! (1977)". AFI . Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Box Office Information for Oh, God!". The Numbers . Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  3. "The Lost Roles of Woody Allen". May 19, 2011. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  4. "Gene Siskel's Top Ten Lists 1969-1998". caltech.edu. Archived from the original on November 27, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  5. "The Best Movies of 1977 by Rank". Films101.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  6. Stehako (July 19, 2009). "Best Films of 1977". Listal.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  7. Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1977). "Oh, God! movie review & film summary (1977)". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 1, 2019 via RogerEbert.com.
  8. "Oh, God!' (1977)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango. Archived from the original on September 23, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 "Oh, God! – Awards". IMDb . Amazon. Archived from the original on June 4, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2012.
  10. Sterling, Scott T. (October 10, 2018). "Adult Swim Festival is a Great Substitution for FYF Fest". Consequence of Sound . Archived from the original on October 11, 2018. Retrieved November 1, 2019.
  11. Susman, Gary (August 23, 2004). "Ellen will star in Oh, God remake". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 16, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  12. B, Brian (August 23, 2004). "Ellen DeGeneres set for Oh, God! remake". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2024.