Oh, God! (1977) Warner Bros./Comedy RT: 98 minutes Rated PG (mild language) Director: Carl Reiner Screenplay: Larry Gelbart Music: Jack Elliott Cinematography: Victor J. Kemper Release date: October 7, 1977 (US) Cast: George Burns, John Denver, Teri Garr, Donald Pleasence, Ralph Bellamy, William Daniels, Barnard Hughes, Paul Sorvino, Barry Sullivan, Dinah Shore, Moosie Drier, Rachel Longaker, Jeff Corey, George Furth, David Ogden Stiers, Titos Vandis. Box Office: $51M (US)
Rating: ***
What would happen if God decided to make an appearance on Earth? To whom would He show himself? What would He ask of this person? How would others react when this person says that he or she spoke directly to God?
Such is the premise of Oh, God, a funny, gentle comedy from Carl Reiner (The Jerk, Summer School) starring George Burns (The Sunshine Boys) in the title role. I guess the then-81YO actor was the closest in age to the Almighty. It’s hard to believe that anybody would object to a movie that casts a positive light on God, but several fundamental religious organizations- e.g. Catholics, Mormons and Southern Baptists (okay, no surprise there)- not only denounced Oh, God as sacrilegious, they threatened to excommunicate anybody that went to see it. They even picketed theaters showing it. What is it that gets into some people whenever a film dealing with religion is made? It’s not like Oh, God made fun of Him. On the contrary, it makes Him seem like a nice guy with a sense of humor. If God was to appear in the flesh, why not as somebody as good-humored as Burns? I don’t think it’s disrespectful to consider such a thing. Oh, God is actually one of the most respectful movies dealing with religion I’ve ever seen. It’s also very funny.
People have stopped believing in Him and He needs somebody to spread His message to the world, so God calls in Jerry Landers (folk-country singer Denver) for an interview. An assistant manager of a supermarket, he’s a decent guy with a wife Bobbie (Garr, Tootsie) and two kids, Adam (Drier, The Hollywood Knights) and Becky (Longaker, The Waltons). He initially dismisses the letter summoning him as a prank. He’s still convinced it’s a joke when he shows up and only hears a voice on an intercom. It takes a bit of doing, but God manages to convince Jerry He’s the real deal.
He then asks a big favor of Jerry. He wants him to tell the world that He exists and to have faith. They have it in them to fix the mess the world is in. After all, God can’t be expected to do everything, can He? Even though he’s not a religious man, Jerry accepts the assignment. As expected, everybody thinks he’s losing his mind. People either mock him or call him a liar. It all culminates in a court battle between Jerry and a loudmouth preacher (Sorvino, Goodfellas) who sues him for slander after Jerry publicly calls him a phony (as directed by God).
Reiner and script writer Larry Gelbart (creator of M*A*S*H) do a fine job explaining why God appears and sounds like He does in Oh, God. He explains to Jerry that if He was to appear as He truly is, he wouldn’t able to comprehend it. Hence, he appears as a little old man with glasses and a fishing cap. As for the voice, he chose a human voice to enable Jerry to understand Him.
The cool thing about God, as portrayed by Burns, is that He’s a funny guy. When asked about miracles, He replies the last one was the 1969 Mets. He also admits to making mistakes when creating the world- e.g. tobacco, ostriches (they look ridiculous) and avocados (the pits are too big). The intelligent script augments Burns’ stellar performance as the Creator. He carries the role with a combination of quiet authority and good humor. While Denver isn’t a particularly good actor, he has this air of sincerity about him that makes him the ideal choice to play God’s newest messenger.
Some good points are made in Oh, God, but the one that resonates most with me is when God tells Jerry it’s about faith, NOT religion. Thanks to Reiner’s light-hearted touch, the movie never feels like a sermon. It’s more like a Frank Capra movie with a protagonist that will prevail because he’s a decent, unassuming kind of guy. Oh, God also has elements of satire, but not once is it offensive or disrespectful. It’s in good taste, a quality rarely seen in comedies anymore. It’s impossible NOT to like Oh, God for the simple reason that it’s a nice, good-humored movie with a positive message. It doesn’t hurt that an old pro like Burns takes the lead. One might even say that his casting is divinely inspirational.
