Movie Review: Evan Almighty – Steve Carell & Morgan Freeman

Movie: Evan Almighty (PG)
Released: June 22nd, 2007
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: Swedish Fish
Starring: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham & John Goodman
Director: Tom Shadyac

Rating: Worth a Rental –

Synopsis: Newsman Evan Baxter has been elected to congress. So, he moves his wife and three sons to a nice home in Virginia. Everything seems great until God shows up with a task for him to complete. He is to build an ark, so that two of every animal can get aboard before a flood comes.

Review: Evan Almighty is a movie with a message. What is the message? Well, that you can change the world with Acts of Random Kindness and, oh yah, save the environment.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a message movie. One of my favorites is the movie War Games. The problem arises when the movie in question is also supposed to be a comedy and except for a few scenes and Wanda Sykes, it isn’t that funny. Although, if you do watch closely, there are a few sight gags that a pretty good.

Steve Carell (The 40 Year Old Virgin, TV’s The Office) plays Evan Baxter. He is a former newsman, last seen being made to talk fast while delivering the news in Bruce Almighty, who has been elected to congress. He is trying to settle his family into this new life. He really does excel at the uncomfortable comedic moment. And, there are plenty of those throughout the film. Whether it, being chased by birds, dealing with hair that won’t stop growing and others, it is when he is at his best.

The wonderful Lauren Graham (TV’s Gilmore Girls, Because I Said So) is woefully underused playing Joan Baxter, Evan’s wife. She is given the standard wife tries to be understanding, but then it’s just to much, so she heads out with the kids to grandma’s house. This does lead to one of the best scenes in the movie, not a funny one, but message wise, with her and Morgan Freeman (Bruce Almighty, The Shawshank Redemption).

One thing that is nice about Evan Almighty is even though it is set in the U.S. Congress and John Goodman (TV’s Roseanne) is the bad guy entrenched senior congressman, no one is really identified as either Republican or Democrat. It made the movie seem nicer and more fun to watch. It wasn’t even something that was noticed until sitting down to write this review.

Overall, Evan Almighty does make for a good family film, one that all ages can enjoy together. So, some night in the future, when your family is staying in, pop some popcorn, cut up some apples and drop in the DVD. It’s worth a rental.