sddavis63 Before Morgan Freeman was God, George Burns was God, and actually there's something very appealing about God being played by a short, elderly man with a soft voice and a gentle sense of humour. Not that this was what God looked like, of course. God explained that this was just the way he chose to appear to Jerry Landers (played by John Denver) - the Tarzana, California supermarket assistant manager through whom God chose to speak a word to the world. God couldn't appear as he really was, it was explained, because Landers (and presumably the rest of us) just couldn't handle that. Point taken. That actually reminded me a bit of John's Gospel, in speaking of Jesus: "no one has ever seen God, but God the one and only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."This is a very low-key movie for the most part about God choosing to make an appearance basically to plead - through Jerry - for people to start getting along with each other and to stop hurting each other; an appeal to set aside all the things that divide us and start to focus on being the human family. Not a bad message - but, as the film portrays, a message not received well at all. Instead of embracing the message, those who heard it chose to either attack or ridicule the messenger - surely a warning for those who claim to bring a word from God. Through Burns, God isn't portrayed as a being of great power, breathing fire and brimstone and anxiously waiting to bring judgement upon us. God is frustrated with us, disappointed in us, amused by us, but not especially angry. It's hard to imagine God as portrayed here being angry.The movie breaks out of its low key feel very briefly for a scene involving the Reverend Willie Williams (played by Paul Sorvino.) One of a panel of religious "experts" called upon to pass judgement on whether or not Jerry's experience of God was real, Sorvino's portrayal of Williams - a corrupt and greedy evangelist - was very well done; a spark of real energy in an otherwise sedate movie. Williams and the others on the panel, of course, are all convinced that God would only speak through them (or at least through their various religions) and not through a lowly supermarket assistant manager. But God chose the humble and unknown Jerry. There's a theological point being made there - an important one actually, and such theological points are made throughout the movie, although never in a hard-sell, in your face sort of way. Teri Garr (who seems to me to have been everywhere in the 70's) was also cast in this as Jerry's devoted but doubtful wife.Some compare this movie to "Bruce Almighty." It actually has more in common I think with "Evan Almighty" - the idea of God choosing a person to speak through and having him rejected as either insane or a fraud. Jerry wasn't given God's powers, after all - just a message for the world. Low key and sedate, this movie won't get your heart pounding or cause outrageous laughter. It's just gently thought- provoking and mildly amusing. A pleasant viewing experience. (6/10)

Uriah43 "Jerry Landers" (John Denver) is a mild-mannered assistant manager at a local grocery store who one night gets a typed letter from "God" (George Burns) to meet him for an interview. Thinking it's all a big joke he throws the letter away and goes to sleep. A few hours later he wakes up and finds the letter under his pillow. Slightly puzzled he tears up the letter and once again discards it. As fate would have it though the letter again appears and so he decides to go to the place specified in order to straighten things out in his mind. But rather than solving anything he finds that his life is about to get even more complicated than ever. Now rather than risk spoiling the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a delightful, little comedy which is clearly not meant to be taken too seriously. Certainly, having God appear as an old man with glasses and a baseball hat was definitely amusing. Likewise, I thought Teri Garr (as Jerry's wife "Bobbie") was also a good addition as well as she was absolutely gorgeous. In any case, although this wasn't a "roll-in-the-aisle" type of comedy it was good enough for the time spent and I rate it as slightly above average.

mark.waltz Back in the late 1970's as "the blockbuster" was just building up steam with several disaster films, sci-fi special effects epics and the occasional historical epic, bigger wasn't always better, and in the case of "Oh, God", an adorable aging comic had one of the biggest hits of his long career. Oh, and throw in a country/western singer who only made a few movie appearances, and you have the sleeper of 1977, a comic gem that takes punches almost prophetically at evangelists who only a decade later would take public whacks in real life.John Denver is Jerry Mathers, a humble grocery store assistant manager in Tarzana, California who isn't much of a believer in spiritual matters and happens to be chosen by the big G. himself to go out and spread the word that he still exists, is watching over us, and has given us everything we need to make our world work, warning us not to destroy it. 35 years later, this film is still timely, even if certain elements of the details of the script fit 70's mentalities. (Why a remake with Betty White hasn't been done is beyond me!) At first, you only hear the raspy-voiced God until Jerry politely demands to see him, having frustrated his quirky wife Teri Garr with discussions of their first meeting. But when George Burns finally appears in flannel shirt and baseball cap, you know you're dealing with a God out to prove that vaudeville isn't dead, only captured in heavenly terms.Dealing with district manager David Ogden Steirs (of "MASH" TV fame) and C.E.O. William Daniels ("1776's" John Addams) in his professional life, Denver is warned that these visits with God are endangering his career. But God has another job for Denver, and that involves a money-hungry evangelist, brilliantly played by Paul Sorvino with such arrogant cockiness that you long to see him knocked down a peg or two and have him scream to his pulpit, "I have sinned!", like a few others would within the next decade. Cameos by such famous faces as Ralph Bellamy, Barnard Hughes and Donald Pleasance round out Larry Gelbart's brilliant screenplay, apparently adapted by director Carl Reiner on its first draft, and deservedly receiving an Oscar Nomination.The film covers some major issues still important to day. God comments on cereals and all of the chemicals that are turning kids into garbage cans. He comments on "The Exorcist" and how people could believe the devil on earth, but not him. He discusses Jesus as his son, the ultimate vessel for communication with him, and when sworn in to testify tells judge Hughes with his hands on the bible, "So help me me." God also reveals here through Reiner's simply stated screenplay that it only takes one man to create a storm of spirituality, and with this, we also see the religious freaks that utilize organized religion for their own agendas and even sexual fantasies. The performances are direct, to the point, and totally honest, and to top it off, there is a wonderful cameo by then popular afternoon TV hostess Dinah Shore, long before the Oprah's, Jerry Springers and Sally Jesse Raphael's. Having seen this film many years ago when it was first released, I felt its simple message touching my soul, and almost forty years later, it still remains pertinent. At times, the screenplay does have a child-like quality to it, but that is important, because this is a film for all ages and generations to see and pick out individually how it touches them. Believer or not, you can't help but see the possibilities, and in today's ultra-cynical world (10 times more than the mid-late 1970's) consumed with robot-creating technology, this is truly a faith restorer.

digitalbeachbum This is an outdated movie for todays society. God is becoming less and less a part of our lives because "it" doesn't exist beyond our own imagination.This movie also is outdated with the message. Yes, it is a feel good movie, but it lacks a more universal appeal to all religions. It focuses on only Americans and Christianity.George Burns plays a great part as does the rest of the cast but watching this movie more than once is pointless. Although there are specific scenes where George Burns bitch-slaps some of the "christian" leaders for focusing on money and fame.I like George Burns a lot and he makes the movie work; without him it falls flat.