Thoughts on "Bruce Almighty..."
We saw the Tom Shadyac film Bruce Almighty last night, and were thoroughly entertained. Jim Carrey (Bruce Nolan) is at his best when he plays comedic roles. Morgan Freeman played God with gravity, dignity, aplomb and humor. Jennifer Aniston really stretched her emotional pallette in her role as the girlfriend (Grace).
That said, the movie was also quite funny. The bit where Bruce messes with rival newsman Evan Baxter’s speech is classic slapstick comedy. It made me laugh so hard it hurt. That hasn’t happened to me EVER in a movie. The email service that Bruce uses to receive and answer prayers is called “Yahweh” (as in “Yahoo”). Sometimes, the gags were a bit over-the-top (such as the part where Bruce exacts revenge on a gang of neighborhood toughs).
I did take issue with some of the thematic content, especially as it pertains to theology. The God depicted in Bruce Almighty is by no means a biblical God. He is severely limited by an Arminian notion of “free will.” Sin is never mentioned, nor is their any explicit mention of redemption or sacrifice. The God depicted in Bruce Almighty is what I call the “Oprah Winfrey common-sense God” rather than the thundering Lord God of the Bible. If anything, the theology of Bruce Almighty is very immature, and may be somewhat dangerous to developing a full-orbed understanding of the One True God.
All in all, the movie was quite entertaining, and, if watched with discernment, I would recommend it.
That said, the movie was also quite funny. The bit where Bruce messes with rival newsman Evan Baxter’s speech is classic slapstick comedy. It made me laugh so hard it hurt. That hasn’t happened to me EVER in a movie. The email service that Bruce uses to receive and answer prayers is called “Yahweh” (as in “Yahoo”). Sometimes, the gags were a bit over-the-top (such as the part where Bruce exacts revenge on a gang of neighborhood toughs).
I did take issue with some of the thematic content, especially as it pertains to theology. The God depicted in Bruce Almighty is by no means a biblical God. He is severely limited by an Arminian notion of “free will.” Sin is never mentioned, nor is their any explicit mention of redemption or sacrifice. The God depicted in Bruce Almighty is what I call the “Oprah Winfrey common-sense God” rather than the thundering Lord God of the Bible. If anything, the theology of Bruce Almighty is very immature, and may be somewhat dangerous to developing a full-orbed understanding of the One True God.
All in all, the movie was quite entertaining, and, if watched with discernment, I would recommend it.