Occasionally I like to review movies that may be of interest to seniors. Some of the movies are recent releases, while others may be from decades past. Oh, God first hit theaters in 1977 and later landed on video and DVD. Recently I had the pleasure of watching it again after having seen the original movie many years ago.
Starring George Burns and John Denver, Oh, God is the story of a man who is a regular guy. In fact, Jerry Landers is an assistant supermarket manager, married, and the father of two children.
One day, God appears to him in the person of a gentle old man who wants to talk to Jerry in the form of an interview. Jerry keeps getting messages that God wants to meet with him at 11:00 a.m., but Jerry just throws the notes away. Unfortunately, the notes just keep popping up again.
Finally, Jerry goes to the appointment. As he tries to get past his disbelief that God would actually try to talk directly to him, and appear as a real person, he finally listens to what God has to say. God tells him that he has selected Jerry to present his message to the world that he is alive.
Jerry tries to argue with God and tells him he isn’t the one for the job, but God comes back with all the answers why Jerry is the best choice – a very funny sequence. Finally, Jerry agrees to do what God asks.
While everyone is skeptical of the message Jerry is trying to share, God continues to encourage him to keep going. Watching how Jerry handles his wife, children, boss, and the media is a joy to experience.
The highlight of the movie is the court appearance that God makes on Jerry’s behalf. The ending may find you with a tear or two in your eyes.
I think Oh, God is one of the best comedies of all time. The movie was based on a novel written by Avery Corman. The screen play was written by Larry Gelbert of M.A.S.H. fame, and directed by the great Carl Reiner.
It stars George Burns as God and John Denver as Jerry. Teri Garr plays Jerry’s long-suffering wife. Others in the movie include such well-known actors and personalities as Donald Pleasence, Ralph Bellamy, Paul Sorvino, Carl Reiner, Dinah Shore, David Ogden Nash, and Barry Sullivan.
One of the reasons I chose this movie to review this month is the timelessness of the comedy. It is as funny now as it was when it came out thirty-five years ago. Also, it’s fun to see great comedians, especially those who are no longer with us.
If you want to spend a couple of hours with a warm, light-hearted comedy be sure to check out Oh, God. I think you will be glad you did.
The movie is available on DVD and occasionally shown on televised reruns. If you would like to purchase a copy it is available on Amazon.com. Or, you can rent a copy through Netflix, which is what I did.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Roberta Budvietas // Feb 3, 2012 at 6:35 pm
I wonder if the younger people get the humor? I really enjoyed the movie. I wonder if George is still with us> Should do a Google search
Roberta Budvietas recently posted..Create a Manifesto to Succeed in a 21st Century Business
2 Edie // Feb 7, 2012 at 5:23 am
Roberta, I don’t know if the younger people get the humor or not. What I wanted to do was remind caregivers and younger family members that their aging parent might be interested in a movie we haven’t really heard much about for many years. What was cool to me as I was watching it once again was seeing George Burns and John Denver again – both of them are gone and it was a joy to watch them interact. I’m not sure I even saw the movie when it first came out. Hopefully it is a timeless enough subject that younger people might enjoy it.
3 Monica Weber // Feb 9, 2012 at 9:03 am
I am not really into movies these days but I’ll try and look about the movie you’ve reviewed because it seems nice. A good laugh is what we need to de-stress sometimes, besides I like old movies than the new ones.
4 Edie // Feb 13, 2012 at 11:04 am
Monica, I don’t really watch a lot of movies although I’ve been watching quite a few of the old TV shows such as Murder, She Wrote and Matlock, for example. It’s fun to see many of the older actors again. They are a good way to de-stress, especially for those of us who are caregivers.
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