EVAN ALMIGHTY
Reviewed for CompuServe by Harvey S. Karten
Universal Pictures
Grade: B
Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Written By: Steve Oedekerk, story by Steve Oedekerk, Joel Cohen, Alec Sokolow
Cast: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, Johnny Simmons, Graham Phillips, Jimmy
Bennett, John Goodman, Wanda Sykes, John Michael Higgins, Jonah Hill, Molly Shannon, Harve
Presnell
Screened at: Kips Bay, NYC, 6/18/07
Opens: June 22, 2007
Just when the Darwinians were winning the battle for exclusive inclusion in the biology curriculums of school systems nationwdse (OK, in New York City, Cambridge, and L.A.), along comes proof that it was intelligent design all along. How do we know? Steve Oedekerk tells us so, Tom Shadyac puts the evidence across, and Universal Studios projects the documentation on the big screen for all to see. You see, we haven’t seen a real, biblical miracle for hundreds, maybe thousands of years, depending on what you believe. The reason is that in all that time, God had not found a person who really wanted to change the world as He wished. Oh, there have been plenty of people who wanted to change the world–unfortunately. But not in a good way. Finally, in the year 2007, along comes a member of the United States Congress who insists he wants to change the world–in a nice way. Of all people, a politician! So God appears before him and gives him a chance to do this, and the poor guy should have been thinking: be careful what you wish for. In the end, though, he probably thinks it all worth while. No, he doesn’t solve the mid-East crisis, the Far East problems, the European dilemma, the North American party frictions, the South American animosities, or the looming Antarctic global warming disaster. Just what that is turns out to be a worthwhile endeavor. “Evan Almighty” is a heartwarming adventure, yes–it does get sentimental–but at times it becomes even heart-stopping in its physical beauty and its symbolic dimensions and its awesome combination of real animals marching in tune to computer generated brothers and sisters.
One has to suspend disbelief in some areas, and I don’t mean that of the appearance of God (Morgan Freeman) to Evan Baxter (Steve Carrell), informing him that a flood is going to occur. That’s a given. That Baxter’s wife, his staff, and the people who surround him when he builds the ark cannot believe him when he says that he has received A Divine Message to build it is difficult to understand considering that while he is constructing the boat, he is joined by over a hundred pair of animals, including lions, tigers, skunks, reptiles, ‘gators, birds of all species, giraffes, llamas (are there any in the U.S.?) etc. How do these people think a congressman who is not a circus performer dug these animals up and how did he get the ability to have ferocious beasts sit tamely while he builds an ark–even helping him by passing sticks to him and doing whatever they can according to their distinct abilities? And why should his wife, Joan Baxter (Lauren Graham) disbelieve him, thinking he is simply going through a mid-life crisis, when he grows a huge beard overnight? When he shaves the beard, it grows back instantly. Is that not proof that something of a miracle is occurring? Yet even his three young boys think he’s gone looney as does his staff, consisting of Rita (Wanda Sykes), his chief of staff, Marty (John Michael Higgins), and his would-be chief of intelligence, Eugene (Jonah Hill)?
If any other criticism could be made of the film it’s that nothing unpredictable occurs. After all this is feel-good territory. Congressman Evan Baxter, at first believing that Congressman Long (John Goodman) is a worthy mentor, learns soon enough that the man is an evil friend of developers, and that Long is sponsoring a bill to turn beautiful national land into private property that these land-grabbers could use to haul in unholy profits. In the end, Evan fights back and changes the world politically, but even better, makes a big shift within his own little family. As Confucius always said, change begins in the family. Solid family values equals good villages, good villages equal fine states, good states equal good nations, and good nations equal a better world. In a movie that is going to be considered a sequel to “Bruce Almighty,” also directed by Tom Shadyac, Steve Carell does fine standing in as a more bemused lead than Jim Carrey, though fewer pratfalls would have been desirable. There is ample poop disseminated by the animals throughout the ninety-five minutes to please the small fry in the audience.
Rated PG. 95 minutes © 2007 by Harvey Karten Member: NY Film Critics Online
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