Oh, God! is a movie that won’t make many Christians happy and likewise won’t do much for atheists. You can’t win with a movie like this – but it comes across as kind of interesting.
George Burns plays God and John Denver plays a guy who is assistant manager to an IGA or something. Suddenly, God decides he is going to show up to a random supermarket manager and ask him to destroy his life just so folks can get the message that God “gave them all they need to succeed.” Oh, wow. Thanks for that important message.
“God” doesn’t just show up and say “Hey, here is the cure to cancer. By the way, Jesus was really my Son and you need to worship him to get to Heaven.” He doesn’t tell us that Islam, Christianity or Buddhism got some stuff right (or all wrong). He basically shows up to troll this random supermarket guy. Sounds like the real God!
Moses, basically
No one believes John Denver when he starts saying that he is talking to God. Especially the phony television pastor, who explodes in a meeting revealing his true nature to everyone. God answers a bunch of questions in Aramaic, which Denver’s character could never do. Then, Denver has to go to court.
Of course, Denver functions pro-se as his own attorney. He calls God to the witness stand. God shows up! Then, God blows everyone’s’ mind and leaves, just in time for nothing to be on any recordings or transcripts. It actually made no sense that everything from the typed transcripts vanished. Even if the recordings of God didn’t get anything, I’m pretty sure the lady/guy typing stuff still hit the keys.
The court dismisses the case against Denver. He still loses his job but he goes on to live a rather pointless existence compared to a seemingly important (but also really pointless) encounter with “God.”
Hey, do a bunch of stuff. That’s my message.
The movie actually is pretty good and probably was great back in the day, when it was made. It was a success, too. However, it doesn’t have any meat to it and likens Jesus to Budda in the sense of being God’s “son.” Why would God not be more clear? Oh yeah, because “he” never was. Religion is man-made. The movie is somewhat entertaining and I think it is worth a watch but it’ll piss off almost anyone with strong beliefs.