Contrary to most sequels, Evan Almighty doesn't exactly pick up
where its predecessor left off. In fact, there is no mention of Bruce -
y'know, from Bruce Almighty - within
the film at all. So what gives?
Rather than continuing the story of Bruce Nolan and his by-now
toilet-trained dog, director Tom Shadyac (Bruce
Almighty, Liar Liar) decided to
create a spin-off centered around another character within the Almighty universe (no pun intended).
Enter Evan Baxter, co-anchor for
Eyewitness News, and Bruce's former arch-nemesis. Steve Carell's (40-Year-Old
Virgin, The Office) small but spectacularly funny role in Bruce Almighty was the perfect candidate for God's next Chosen One.
OF ORDERS AND OLIVE LEAVES
The plot is relatively simple:
newly elected to Congress, Evan leaves his old job (maybe Bruce gets it) and
ships off his wife, Joan (Lauren Graham) and three sons - metaphorically
speaking, of course - to a new life in the Virginia suburbs.
Not even two days into his new
office, Evan is paid a little visit by the Big Guy Himself, who warns Evan of
an imminent flood, and thus commands him to build an Ark. All 1500 square
cubits of it. Out of gopherwood. Before September 22nd
, midday.
Sounds like a term paper deadline.
Only with a slightly more disastrous aftermath.
The usual conflict occurs when Evan's
Congressional duties tear him away from his role as a good father and loving
husband, forcing him to make a choice between the happiness of his family and political
glory of junior financing a Bill.
Oh, and that whole thing with the
Ark, too.
EVAN HELP US
Evan
Almighty is an entertaining mix of Carell's slapstick humor - building an
Ark the Old Fashioned Way, anyone? - and the quiet dignity of Academy Award
winner Morgan Freeman, reprising his role as God.
Not quite ripping off the Spiderman
franchise, Evan's quiet plea for God to help him "Change The World" adds depth
and disposition to an otherwise one-dimensional character.
The hilarious trio of Evan's
executive assistant Rita (Wanda Sykes), chief-of-staff Marty (John Michael
Higgins), and only slightly obsessive
intern Eugene (Jonah Hill) provide further comic relief to an already quirky
cast.
HOLY SHEEP!
So what message does Evan and his
boatload of critters bring to the faithful? We could probably wax philosophical
about the 21st century society's "faith" in "religion" - I'm a
Sociology major, I deconstruct everything. Gimme a break - but that would
require a 2000-word limit, annotations, and proper referencing.
In a time of radical paradigm
shifts and vociferous political debate, a simple yet uplifting statement
resounds throughout the film like a steepleful of bells - the quiet, powerful
reminder that you don't have to change the whole world, just someone else's.
As movies go, Evan Almighty isn't exactly Oscar winning material. Heck, it's not
even blockbuster material. But you
gotta admit, with a clever script and funnyman Steve Carell at the helm (yes,
pun fully intended), Evan Almighty
just might be the little touch of divine intervention the box office needs this
month. HOOKED
HOOKED's rating: 3.5/5
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