DEAR GOD 1996
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
2 :-( :-( for answering God's mail
Cast: Greg Kinnear, Laurie Metcalf, Maria Pitillo, Tim Conway, Roscoe Lee Browne, Jen Seda, Hector Elizondo Director: Garry Marshall Screenplay: Warren Leight and Ed Kaplan Cinematography: Charles Minsky
When a con artist (Greg Kinear) is given the choice of prison or community service, it's not surprising he chooses service – being a pretty boy. In the dungeons of a mailroom, he is given the task of sorting dead mail, with an odd ball group of socially impaired co-workers. When they take to the habit of opening ‘Dear God' letters, and then answering them – i.e. giving away money, stopping suicides, babysitting etc, they begin to find some common purpose in life.
So why doesn't this premise for a feel good movie work? Well there isn't a specific reason why, just a lot of little annoying things that seem to weigh it down. Like the constant whining of Laurie Metcalf (ROSEANNE's sister), the general low IQ of the actors, the annoyingly tedious ways of getting a miracle to happen. I know they're not angels, but at least God has a plan. It's surprising that this severely, dysfunctional group, are able to put a single constructive idea together between them. I guess I should count my blessings, and include this as one of God's miracles.
The movie then takes another tedious downward turn, when the City of New York decides to take this group of muffin heads to court for answering ‘Dear God' letters. When they win the case and everyone starts rejoicing in the city streets, one would have thought they had just discovered the cure for AIDS. Now that would be a worthwhile miracle in response to a ‘Dear God' letter.
Greg Kinnear once again plays cute - something he does well i.e. SABRINA, AS GOOD AS IT GETS. Whilst director, Garry Marshall, has chosen an unusual subject material for his latest movie, far removed from the PRETTY WOMAN stuff he is renown for.
In future, let God answer his own letters.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au Movie Archives http://us.imdb.com/M/reviews_by?Tim+Voon Hugues Bouclier's Movies in Melbourne http://www.labyrinth.net.au/~bouclier/week/movies.html
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