Steve Carell has become very popular in the last years. His movie The 40 Year Old Virginended up being a huge surprise hit and he’s been playing a character on the television show The Office. He had a small part in the movie Bruce Almighty which provided one of the funniest scenes in the entire movie. I’ve been wanting to see Evan Almighty ever since I first heard about the movie.
Evan Baxter was recently elected to Congress. He was happy in his marriage to Joan and they had three children. Evan was shocked when one day God appeared to him. God wanted Evan to build an ark because there was a coming. Evan said he didn’t want any part of building the ark, but pairs of animals started showing up everywhere he went and his beard started growing out of control. Evan started building the ark with his sons while other people, including Joan and his assistant Rita, had doubts about his sanity. Congressman Long was very unhappy with what was going on and he had his own idea on how to deal with Evan.
Even though Evan Almighty was a sequel to Bruce Almighty, there really wasn’t that much of a connection between the two movies. Bruce didn’t make an appearance and wasn’t even mentioned in this movie. Evan had a very small part in the first movie. The only other connection between the movies was the fact that God appeared to both men, though for different reasons. This movie can stand alone, so people who haven’t seen Bruce Almighty yet shouldn’t be lost by what was going on.
The plot really wasn’t that complicated and was predictable in places which might disappoint some people. It didn’t bother me because the movie was very entertaining and I really wasn’t expecting the plot to be complex. The first several minutes were used to show Evan and his family moving into their new home. The strange things started happening the very next morning when his alarm clock went off at the wrong time and a strange delivery turned up. It wasn’t long after that before Evan started working on the ark with his sons. Much of the movie was devoted to the work on the ark and how people were perceiving Evan and what he was doing. A subplot connected to a bill Evan got involved with in Congress was brought up a few times and wasn’t fully developed. I thought it was developed enough to serve its purpose in the movie.
I thought that Evan Almighty was a very funny movie. Many of the funnier things had been shown in the different trailers, but there were still several other funny moments as well. Most of the humor was connected to Evan and his progress building the ark. He was not a carpenter, so he suffered several accidents when he started building. Those did add several laughs even though they were rather silly. The way the animals started arriving and following Evan around was really funny too. Rita had several very funny lines and reactions to what was going on. There were a few kind of gross things done for humor as well though it wasn’t as bad as has been done in some other movies. The movie could be too silly for some viewers.
The movie was a new version of the story of Noah’s Ark from the Bible. Religious elements popped up throughout the movie without it getting preachy. Early in the movie, Evan and Joan did have a short discussion about prayer. Evan didn’t seem to be a religious person at that point. He did change some of his outlooks and even attitudes over the course of the movie. Some people may not like the way the movie combined humor with religious elements. The movie did have a good message that I thought was delivered in a good way. A movie about a flood has the potential to be very touchy to many people after the horrible flooding that took place after hurricane Katrina. The movie really wasn’t making light of flooding but the subject still may not still well with some viewers. Anyone that has lived through a flood may not want to see this movie.
Evan Baxter had been an on air reporter before he was elected to Congress. He was very focused on his new career and had neglected his family, especially his sons. Evan was a bit arrogant at times even though he did mean well. He was so concerned with his appearance that he shaved his nostrils with shaving cream and a razor. He did go through some changes over the course of the movie. I really liked Steve Carell in the part. He was very funny without going overboard. Lauren Graham was good as Joan even though she wasn’t in as much of the movie. There wasn’t much to her part and the character really wasn’t developed. Their three children, Ryan, Jordan, and Dylan, were even less developed even though they were involved in helping their dad build the ark.
Morgan Freeman was wonderful as God. He was a very important character because he set everything in motion. It would have been nice if Freeman had more scenes. Rita was Evan’s assistant. She mentioned at one point about following him to Congress, so she must have been involved in the campaign in some way even though that wasn’t really explained. Rita believed in Evan, but she did have doubts after he started building the ark. I liked Wanda Sykes in the part but I did feel like she was underused. She did get some very funny lines. It just seemed like she was more in the background until she was needed to deliver a zinger.
Eugene was a young man who joined Evan’s staff once he arrived in Congress. Eugene really looked up to Evan and he could spout off all sorts of information at the drop of a hat. Jonah Hill was fine in the part. Marty was someone else that went to Congress with Evan. Marty was very concerned with getting Evan to do things that would make him look good with the public. Congressman Long took an interest in Evan as soon as he arrived in Congress and got him involved in a bill. When it looked like Evan wouldn’t be as helpful as he’d hope, Congressman Long changed the way he treated Evan. John Goodman handled the part well. Molly Shannon turned up briefly in a few scenes as the very perky real estate agent that sold Evan his new house.
Main Cast
Jimmy Bennett - Ryan Baxter Steve Carell - Evan Baxter Morgan Freeman - God John Goodman - Congressman Long Lauren Graham - Joan Baxter John Michael Higgins - Marty Jonah Hill - Eugene Graham Philips - Jordan Baxter Molly Shannon - Eve Adams Johnny Simmons - Dylan Baxter Wanda Sykes - Rita
Tom Shadyac - Director
I really enjoyed Evan Almighty. It was a bit silly at times, but it was funny and entertaining. It is a good family friendly movie that parents shouldn’t worry about taking their kids to see. Fans of Steve Carell will probably enjoy the movie as well.
I would have given this movie four and a half stars if I had that option. Since I don't, I rounded up to five.
From the director of Bruce Almighty comes a comedy you don t want to miss (Kim Griffis, NBC-TV)! Everyone s favorite funnyman Steve Carell is at his h...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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