Oh, God!

source: Oh, God!

Dated but cute look at God's take on people and their reaction to him. I didn't think the film was particularly amusing, but I did appreciate some of God's thoughts on how we earthlings could work to get along better. Seemed to me as though the producer concocted a humanistic, feel good creator as opposed to a more demanding one which is what we really have. No doubt the makers of Oh, God felt HE would be more palatable in this form.

George Burns picks an average Joe, the married assistant manager of a grocery store with two kids (John Denver as Jerry Landers) to put out the message that he is unhappy with the direction things are going, but that everything necessary to put things right is available on the earth and it is up to the people if things are going to change for the better. And Jerry doesn't even believe in God, at first anyways. Now maybe God was smart to pick an unbeliever, since he would have no preconceived notions of God, no childhood Sunday school lessons with which to fight what his eyes are telling him. But Jerry is confused by this Libertarian God. Think about it- Burns' interpretation of God definitely has an opinion of how things should go, but refuses to lift a finger to change anything. He believes the people should do the fixing and that He should have a "hands off" policy. Even after Jerry gets in trouble with his new role and risks his marriage, his career, even everything he owns in a lawsuit with a televangelist, and he and God are saying their goodbyes, God doesn't promise to do anything to help him repair the smoldering remains of his life. He just tells Jerry that he did a good job getting the message out and walks off. Yep, that sounds like the God I know. As for the acting, at the time George Burns did a guest appearance on the TV show Alice and mentioned he was picked for the lead because he "was the only person old enough to play the part". Burns did a great job of slinging the occasional zinger in the film like in his younger years playing straight man to Gracie. John Denver did a convincing job of playing a working stiff that just doesn't have time for this stuff but feels he must comply. What else do you do when God keeps picking you up in a taxi? And poor Terri Garr, she spent 1977 playing a housewife who is married to a modern day Moses in this film, and married to a guy making the replica of a mountain out of mashed potatoes in her den in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Looking at it 40 years after the fact, the one thing that this film got right way ahead of its time was the crooked televangelist, artfully played by Paul Sorvino. So artfully I had forgotten that he was playing the part until I rewatched the film recently. God knows that the guy is enriching himself in his ministry, and his sermons never talk about morality, just the importance of giving. This was 14 years before Bob Tilton was exposed as a con artist on ABC's primetime live, 10 years before Jim Bakker was found to be running his "Christian amusement park" as a giant Ponzi scheme, and eleven years before Jimmy Swaggart was caught in an ongoing sex scandal even while condemning another dishonored pastor for his own.And as for Mike Murdock? Don't get me started. Let's just say that Paul Sorvino has the act down pat from the big hair to the rather colorful wardrobe to the Southern accent and fake politeness. It's a very quirky film, certainly with lots of made up feel good philosophy attributed to God, but it is fun, certainly different, and try making a film like that today with all of the political correctness in the air. I'd recommend it.

The plot had a lot of promise, but misses the mark in all matters concerning the Creator God character.

Historically, everyone has assumed that God is supposed to be associated with religion, and everyone claims the Almighty for their religions. Well, in "Oh, God!", the Big G is nothing like that. Grocery store clerk Jerry Landers (John Denver) gets a message that God wants to meet with him. Thinking the whole thing to be a joke at first, Jerry realizes that it really is the Creator, albeit only his voice. Later, God appears as an old man (George Burns), and explains that he wants Jerry to spread his word to humanity. He hasn't gone to any clerical figure (e.g., the pope or Billy Graham) because he's not interested in religion. But when Jerry tries to tell the world, they not only believe him to be crazy, but many people start threatening him. They certainly had a good point about God not being interested in religion. If more people would consider this concept and stop claiming that all of their actions are in God's name, maybe the world might come closer to moving forward in various arenas.

A very good movie with a nice message. It's not preachy, overly religious or anti-religious. It's more inspirational and shouldn't offend anyone. George Burns is terrific as God taking the form of a kind old man. God (Burns) asks a man (John Denver) in the 1970s to relay His message to the world: that, despite the tough times, "it can work" if people get their act together. The man is put in the unenviable position of trying to convince people that he really is God's messenger. In the end, it's not about politics or who's right and who's wrong; it's a friendly reminder that we shape the world in which we live, and we can make it good again. Carl Reiner's film seems like a fairly realistic (if comical) portrayal of the difficulties that would arise if God appeared to only one man in today's modern society. There's a satirical side to it. But the God in this film isn't concerned with who believes and who doesn't. He realizes He can't win over everybody, but He remains in good humor. He watches over the universe in a hands-off manner. Personally I'm not very religious, but Burns is the kind of God I'd like. Great casting. In terms of entertainment value, OH, GOD! might not be the *best* choice for a movie night, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't want to watch it over and over again, but it's nice to check out once every so often. And I think it's definitely worth seeing once. 7/10

Religious whimsy for the soft-hearted (and headed). Right in the middle of "Oh, God!", in which supermarket manager John Denver tries convincing his family and the rest of the world that he's frequently visited by the Almighty himself, the protagonist is given a list of very tough religious questions and is locked in a room to answer them; just as he hopes, God (George Burns) pops in and fills out the questionnaire to help this young man out (and ostensibly prove to people he isn't crazy). This sequence is so cogent and well-acted by Denver and Burns that it surely will be the catalyst to turn the movie's third act around and give us some believers. Sadly, director Carl Reiner and screenwriter Larry Gelbart (working from a witless book by Avery Corman) completely drop the ball, and Denver ends up in a courtroom. What might have been a sentimental but incisive look at religion today is turned into an updating of "Topper", with Burns exiting the room like the Invisible Man. A waste of a good premise, although George is wonderful in this, one of his defining roles. ** from ****

I was a little apprehensive renting the DVD of this movie after all of these years since its original release, but most of it holds up remarkably well. On the DVD commentary tract, the makers of the film, looking back on it after 25 years, seem to be equally as surprised. The director, Carl Reiner, points to an eight-minute scene in which it is just Denver and Burns talking in a bathroom. There is no music, no fast cuts, no special effects, and the scene simply holds our attention on its own. Mr. Reiner indicates that there is no way that the scene would be made that way today. Some scenes are timeless, such as Jerry's first encounter with the Almighty via intercom in the all-white room. Also classic is the infamous scene in the bathroom in which God first reveals himself in the flesh to a humbled and still somewhat disbelieving John Denver. Unfortunately, not all of the movie holds up as well. Some things, especially exteriors, seem very dated. And even though it is quaint, it is hard to believe that an intelligent and capable husband and wife team would cherish a Supermarket Assistant Manager Job so much. Ah well, it was another time when people still believed in sticking with one company and working their way up through the ranks. I wish that the film would explore some of the harder questions of religion a little more seriously, but one wonders if the film would collapse if taken out of its sweet, feel-good movie formula in which it is helplessly trapped forever. If anything, rent it for the performances of the two leads. George Burns, playing the role at 83, is so good, that it is, (not to be cliched,) awesome. However, what is equally as unbelievable is the performance of John Denver in his first and only acting gig. He hits some of his notes perfectly, and it really shows a significant skill and timing to play straight man to a legend like Burns.

Oh,God! is one movie I could see 1000 times and still be laughing. John Denver and George Burns were marvelous together and had a wonderful supporting cast around them.God coming to earth to give the message that He gave us the world and what is in it and that it is up to us to make it work is a wonderful message in this movie.This movie shows that the world lost A LOT when George Burns and John Denver died.This movie is funny without taking cheap shots at religion. I give it a rating of 10 out of 10. Considering that the 25th anniversary of this movie's original release will be in 2002,it would be wonderful if this movie was re-released theatrically then.

This is humane and witty movie that shows God as a creator leaving the rest of life to human beings. It is done with soft humor and realistic performance of the cast. It is unjustifiably underrated, probably by those who believe more in rituals than in God. I highly reccomend it to everybody, especially after September 11, 2001, when religious fanatics showed their greatest disregard to God and real meaning of life.