Aneesa Wardle
The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.
utgard14
God comes to Earth in the form of George Burns and tells supermarket manager John Denver to spread His message. Charming low-key comedy with a very likable cast. Denver's appealing as the 'everyman' protagonist. Burns, of course, steals the show as the affable Almighty. The rest of the cast includes the lovely Teri Garr as Denver's wife, Paul Sorvino as a televangelist, vets Ralph Bellamy and Donald Pleasence, and many other recognizable faces. Great cast all around. I also enjoy the low-budget look of the film. It's a very 1970s movie (in a good way). It's not the funniest movie Carl Reiner ever made, nor is it ever as profound or satirical as the subject matter calls for, but it is hard to dislike.
Uriah43
"Jerry Landers" (John Denver) is a mild-mannered assistant manager at a local grocery store who one night gets a typed letter from "God" (George Burns) to meet him for an interview. Thinking it's all a big joke he throws the letter away and goes to sleep. A few hours later he wakes up and finds the letter under his pillow. Slightly puzzled he tears up the letter and once again discards it. As fate would have it though the letter again appears and so he decides to go to the place specified in order to straighten things out in his mind. But rather than solving anything he finds that his life is about to get even more complicated than ever. Now rather than risk spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a delightful, little comedy which is clearly not meant to be taken too seriously. Certainly, having God appear as an old man with glasses and a baseball hat was definitely amusing. Likewise, I thought Teri Garr (as Jerry's wife "Bobbie") was also a good addition as well as she was absolutely gorgeous. In any case, although this wasn't a "roll-in-the-aisle" type of comedy it was good enough for the time spent and I rate it as slightly above average.
Brian T. Whitlock (GOWBTW)
Here you have, a good natured assistant manager of a supermarket named Jerry Landers(John Denver, 1943-97) gets chosen by God(George Burns, 1896-1996) to spread His Word. A little skeptical at first, Jerry is eager to give it a shot. He faced some sharp criticism by everyone around him. Not even his wife(Terri Garr) was supportive. In some spots, she was. Jerry discovered his own job has been dishonest to their customers. And a respected preacher(Paul Sorvino) who sues Jerry is exposed by God as a "hypocrite", and should be selling shoes. In the courtroom scene, I liked the part when He's sworn in "to help me Me". Jerry held his grounds against a group of theologians. The miracles have been provided. After all he has gone through, he has paid the price when he loses his job at the supermarket. Only God cared for him. Jerry would have been a lot happier working at a more honest supermarket anyway. Believing His Words was a must have for Jerry. Great cast, great story. Awe inspiring, this movie is a true gem. Believe my friend, believe. 5 stars.
mark.waltz
Back in the late 1970's as "the blockbuster" was just building up steam with several disaster films, sci-fi special effects epics and the occasional historical epic, bigger wasn't always better, and in the case of "Oh, God", an adorable aging comic had one of the biggest hits of his long career. Oh, and throw in a country/western singer who only made a few movie appearances, and you have the sleeper of 1977, a comic gem that takes punches almost prophetically at evangelists who only a decade later would take public whacks in real life.John Denver is Jerry Mathers, a humble grocery store assistant manager in Tarzana, California who isn't much of a believer in spiritual matters and happens to be chosen by the big G. himself to go out and spread the word that he still exists, is watching over us, and has given us everything we need to make our world work, warning us not to destroy it. 35 years later, this film is still timely, even if certain elements of the details of the script fit 70's mentalities. (Why a remake with Betty White hasn't been done is beyond me!) At first, you only hear the raspy-voiced God until Jerry politely demands to see him, having frustrated his quirky wife Teri Garr with discussions of their first meeting. But when George Burns finally appears in flannel shirt and baseball cap, you know you're dealing with a God out to prove that vaudeville isn't dead, only captured in heavenly terms.Dealing with district manager David Ogden Steirs (of "MASH" TV fame) and C.E.O. William Daniels ("1776's" John Addams) in his professional life, Denver is warned that these visits with God are endangering his career. But God has another job for Denver, and that involves a money-hungry evangelist, brilliantly played by Paul Sorvino with such arrogant cockiness that you long to see him knocked down a peg or two and have him scream to his pulpit, "I have sinned!", like a few others would within the next decade. Cameos by such famous faces as Ralph Bellamy, Barnard Hughes and Donald Pleasance round out Larry Gelbart's brilliant screenplay, apparently adapted by director Carl Reiner on its first draft, and deservedly receiving an Oscar Nomination.The film covers some major issues still important to day. God comments on cereals and all of the chemicals that are turning kids into garbage cans. He comments on "The Exorcist" and how people could believe the devil on earth, but not him. He discusses Jesus as his son, the ultimate vessel for communication with him, and when sworn in to testify tells judge Hughes with his hands on the bible, "So help me me." God also reveals here through Reiner's simply stated screenplay that it only takes one man to create a storm of spirituality, and with this, we also see the religious freaks that utilize organized religion for their own agendas and even sexual fantasies. The performances are direct, to the point, and totally honest, and to top it off, there is a wonderful cameo by then popular afternoon TV hostess Dinah Shore, long before the Oprah's, Jerry Springers and Sally Jesse Raphael's. Having seen this film many years ago when it was first released, I felt its simple message touching my soul, and almost forty years later, it still remains pertinent. At times, the screenplay does have a child-like quality to it, but that is important, because this is a film for all ages and generations to see and pick out individually how it touches them. Believer or not, you can't help but see the possibilities, and in today's ultra-cynical world (10 times more than the mid-late 1970's) consumed with robot-creating technology, this is truly a faith restorer.
