The Thin Line Between Blasphemy and Comedy

Rating: Null/10 (28 May 2003)

My buddy Randy was the first one to say it but it's kind of a philosophy for me now. I try to walk that thin line between blasphemy and comedy. Between what's really funny and what's offensive. Being a pretty strait-laced protestant, their's nothing worse than bad Christian bashing joke. All I have to say is Ha Ha look at that dirty pagan going to hell and I get the last laugh. That's why a film like Bruce Almighty works for me. It's an attack on silly humans not on God. Those silly human who destroy their lives and blame it on the Almighty. It's a morality play with laughs.
Bruce Nolan(Jim Carrey), our hero, is a local interest news reporter in Buffalo with dreams of the anchor seat. Except his arch rival Evan Baxter (The Daily Show's Steve Carrell) looks to be next in line as the new head anchor. When Bruce's boss Jack sends him out to cover a story, his dream job is given to Baxter and it sends Bruce into a hilarious tail-spin, which in the end, has him screaming out to God (Morgan Freeman) Spite Me. Instead God gives him a job. Bruce gets to be God for the week, and the rest of the film answers the question what would you do if you were given all God's powers. Jim Carrey's screen persona has grown up, he can't go back to Ace Ventura, so his performance while bordering on brilliant, is reigned in. You almost wanted more from him, to kick up a notch, and it doesn't. Jennifer Aniston as his girlfriend is sweet and adequate, but she could have been played by anyone, and the scripts asks very little for her to do. Steve Carrell is great as bit player. He's probably the funniest guy out there and his anchor desk sequence, is the funniest scene in the whole film. I just wish comedies didn't feel it necessary to be filled with mellow-drama. I wish movies could be silly for silliness sake, but unfortunately BRUCE is full of those needless scenes of fake drama for filler. Come on Guys. But hey in the end rest assured that BRUCE ALMIGHTY is well worth the price of admission. By the way I always knew God was a Yankee Fan.