What if the Almighty manifested and gave you an assignment?
God appears to a grocery store manager (John Denver) in the guise of an old man (George Burns), offering him the task of spreading the word that He’s there, He cares, and we must work it out on Earth through peace and love as opposed to violence and hate. Teri Garr is on hand as the man’s wife.
“Oh, God!” (1977) is a comedy-fantasy that I found laugh-out-loud funny through the first act. It eventually gets more serious, addressing religious sects and hypocrisy, while remaining amusing. Being a lighthearted movie for the masses, don’t expect commentary on hardcore or complicated theological issues, like sin, divine judgment and humanity’s need for eternal life, not to mention the consequence of damnation. There might be a quick witty comment on some of these items, but nothing more.
If you can accept that, it’s an entertaining fantasy that screams mid-70s in every frame. Besides, the basics ARE true: If the Almighty manifests (one way or another) and gives you a mission, you would be compelled to carry it out and face the negative consequences, like ridicule and loss of your job. Likable Denver is surprisingly good for a musician and the ending is heartwarming.
A sequel came out in 1980 with the same sitcomy vibe, but focuses on a little girl and wasn’t as funny, although it’s worth checking out if you liked this one. The third and last installment, “Oh, God! You Devil,” debuted in 1984 and involved a Barry Manilow wannabe morphing into a stud-ly Rick Springfield rock star after making a deal with the devil. It’s reminiscent of “The Rose” if it were a comedy and, in its own way, is just as good as this one.
The film runs 1 hour, 38 minutes, and was shot in Burbank and surrounding areas (Long Beach, Los Angeles, Van Nuys and North Hollywood).
GRADE: B
