This originally appeared in the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.
Genesis 6:14 – So make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
When references to this Biblical verse start to creep into Evan Baxter’s life, he begins to think that there is something odd going on. When the wood and tools for an ark are delivered to his family’s new house, he knows there’s something up. The visit from God, well, that was the icing on the cake.
“Evan Almighty” is the sequel to Jim Carey’s 2003 comedy “Bruce Almighty”. Steve Carell reprises his role as newscaster Evan Baxter. In the first moments of the movie, we find out that Evan has been elected to the U.S. Congress. So, it’s off to Washington, D.C., for Evan, his wife (Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham), and three sons.
While it may be a bit clichéd for movies of this structure, we soon realize that Evan’s family life is not perfect. During his recent run for Congress, it appears as though Evan’s relationship with his sons and wife has taken a back-burner. But, this new move has come with the promise of more family time, starting with a family hike in the beautiful countryside of Prestige Crest, the brand new housing development that they’ve moved into. Unfortunately, career advancement rears its ugly head on Evan’s first day on the job, when he is asked to be junior sponsor on a bill that senior Congressman Long (John Goodman) wants to move through during this session.
If that wasn’t enough, Evan receives a visit from God (Morgan Freeman, reprising his role). Much to Evan’s surprise, God asks him to build an ark, for there is a flood coming. Of course, Evan finds this quite difficult to believe. But, over the course of the next couple of days, a number of things happen that will either drive Evan crazy, or convince him that God actually does want him to build an ark.
To be honest, the plot and execution of this script are mundane, at best. I can’t say that I was truly surprised by anything that happened. We’ve seen the family problems in a hundred other movies. And the idea of God coming down and talking to the common man? We’ve seen that, as well. So, why did I like this movie? Steve Carell is a huge part of that. His comedic timing, his physical comedy mixed with dry wit, it’s all just so irresistible. I truly enjoyed watching him on-screen. The cast of supporting actors is also to be commended. From Evan’s congressional staffers to John Goodman’s turn as a money-grubbing politician, they are all quite enjoyable.
This movie is the definition of a “feel good movie”. The movie brought a genuine smile to my face by the end, beyond the laughing that I was doing the rest of the time. Ignoring the knock across the head received from the environmental issues, it’s a movie about what is truly important in life, though most people won’t have to build an ark to find them.
Genesis 6:14 – So make yourself an ark of gopher wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out.
When references to this Biblical verse start to creep into Evan Baxter’s life, he begins to think that there is something odd going on. When the wood and tools for an ark are delivered to his family’s new house, he knows there’s something up. The visit from God, well, that was the icing on the cake.“Evan Almighty” is the sequel to Jim Carey’s 2003 comedy “Bruce Almighty”. Steve Carell reprises his role as newscaster Evan Baxter. In the first moments of the movie, we find out that Evan has been elected to the U.S. Congress. So, it’s off to Washington, D.C., for Evan, his wife (Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham), and three sons.
While it may be a bit clichéd for movies of this structure, we soon realize that Evan’s family life is not perfect. During his recent run for Congress, it appears as though Evan’s relationship with his sons and wife has taken a back-burner. But, this new move has come with the promise of more family time, starting with a family hike in the beautiful countryside of Prestige Crest, the brand new housing development that they’ve moved into. Unfortunately, career advancement rears its ugly head on Evan’s first day on the job, when he is asked to be junior sponsor on a bill that senior Congressman Long (John Goodman) wants to move through during this session.
If that wasn’t enough, Evan receives a visit from God (Morgan Freeman, reprising his role). Much to Evan’s surprise, God asks him to build an ark, for there is a flood coming. Of course, Evan finds this quite difficult to believe. But, over the course of the next couple of days, a number of things happen that will either drive Evan crazy, or convince him that God actually does want him to build an ark.
To be honest, the plot and execution of this script are mundane, at best. I can’t say that I was truly surprised by anything that happened. We’ve seen the family problems in a hundred other movies. And the idea of God coming down and talking to the common man? We’ve seen that, as well. So, why did I like this movie? Steve Carell is a huge part of that. His comedic timing, his physical comedy mixed with dry wit, it’s all just so irresistible. I truly enjoyed watching him on-screen. The cast of supporting actors is also to be commended. From Evan’s congressional staffers to John Goodman’s turn as a money-grubbing politician, they are all quite enjoyable.This movie is the definition of a “feel good movie”. The movie brought a genuine smile to my face by the end, beyond the laughing that I was doing the rest of the time. Ignoring the knock across the head received from the environmental issues, it’s a movie about what is truly important in life, though most people won’t have to build an ark to find them.
