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OH GOD!

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oh, God!
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCarl Reiner
Screenplay byLarry Gelbart
Based onOh, God!
by Avery Corman
Produced byJerry Weintraub
StarringGeorge Burns
John Denver
Teri Garr
Donald Pleasence
CinematographyVictor J. Kemper
Edited byBud Molin
Music byJack Elliott
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dateOctober 7, 1977
Running time98 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).

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. He tells Jerry that he has been selected to be His messenger to the modern world, much like a contemporary Moses. Landers tells his wife, children and a religion editor of the Los Angeles Times of his encounters with God and becomes a national icon of comedic fodder.

Jerry 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 him 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”.

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, God 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. He argues that if God’s existence is a reasonable possibility, he can materialize and sit in the witness chair if he chooses. At first, God fails to appear and the judge threatens to charge Jerry with contempt. Jerry argues that when everyone waited a moment to see what would happen when he raised the mere possibility of God appearing, it proved he at least deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Suddenly, without opening the doors, God appears and asks to be sworn in. He provides some miracles, first in the form of card tricks for the judge. Then He leaves the stand, walks a few steps, and, with everyone watching, disappears. 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.

Some time later, Jerry meets God again. God states that He is 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. 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.” 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]

References

  1.  “Oh, God! (1977)”. AFI. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  2.  “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.  “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.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Oh, God! (film).

vteOh, God! series
vteFilms directed by Carl Reiner
vteSaturn Award for Best Fantasy Film

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