Bruce Almighty

I had seen this movie multiple times, or so I had thought, but it wasn't until I popped it into the DVD player this weekend and was presented with a beginning I had no recollection of that I realized that somehow I had managed to never see the entire thing.  So it was an unexpected treat to finally see this near masterpiece in it's entirety.

When I first saw the trailer for a comedy about Morgan Freeman as God giving Jim Carrey his power, a few words came to mind - sacrilegious, stupid, raunchy, irreverent, etc.  I expected something along the lines of The Mask, but with religion taking the blunt of Carrey's often crude style.  I was wrong.

Bruce Almighty tells the story of Bruce Nolan (Carrey), a hard working news reporter who tries to be a decent person and do the right thing.  Despite this, he seems to constantly get the short end of the stick.  When that stick finally breaks, so does Bruce, taking it all out on both his girlfriend Grace (Jennifer Aniston) and God, claiming that the big guy either doesn't know what he's doing up there or he's like a kid with a magnifying glass, having fun with the inhabitants of an ant hill.  Much to his surprise, God answers him in person, offering Bruce his job to see if he could do any better.

There are the predictable antics that Jim Carrey is so known for as he has a little bit too much fun with his new found power, but it never delves into idiotic - unless you count the monkey.  He rights a couple wrongs, plays with his food, gives Grace the night of her life, and serves sweet justice to his arch nemesis Evan Baxter (Steve Carell).  Being a generous, as well as lazy, deity, he offers a sweeping "yes" to all the prayers that had been piling up.  It doesn't take long for him to realize that there are consequences to his actions as his life spirals out of control.

The film never crosses the line in either direction, being neither preachy nor heretical.  It makes some some surprisingly lucid observations and offers a positive, yet neutral, message.  The overall moral of the story is something along the lines of just because you're not getting the answers you want doesn't mean God isn't listening, and don't blame him for shortcomings that you are perfectly capable of working on yourself.  And don't forget the whole free will thing.  On the shallow end of the pool it's a charmingly funny comedy with enough Jim Carrey to satisfy any fan, and on the other end it's a nice spring board into something deeper.

Despite receiving negative critical opinion, I add this film to the must see list.  It was labeled as wasted potential, but I praise it for showing restraint and becoming a little bit more than just a comedy.  As Bruce and the Big Guy would say - "It's goood!"

***** (5/5 stars)