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entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
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Seen, Heard, Noted & Quoted
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by rick grant rickgrant01@comcast.net
B + PG 90 min
Former news anchor, Evan Baxter (Steve Carell), is newly elected to Congress in this feel-good picture. Baxter moves his family from Buffalo, N.Y. to a suburban mansion in northern Virginia. This sets the stage for Baxter to receive a high-profile visitation from the Big Guy (Morgan Freeman), who appears to him one day in his car and tells him to build an ark. Of course, Baxter thinks he’s losing his mind, but God is persistent. Soon, a truck delivers a large load of lumber, much to Baxter’s chagrin.
Deftly directed by Tom Shadyac and masterfully written by scribe Steve Oedekerk, the scenario is predictable, but between the stellar cast and Shadyac’s near perfect orchestration of the scenes, this is a wildly entertaining movie.
Wanda Sykes, who plays Baxter’s personal assistant, is a standout character, uttering all the funny lines as she watches her boss turn into a Biblical Noah, complete with long beard and ancient clothing. “Have you been shooting up Rogaine?” she asks Baxter.
At first, Baxter resists God’s will, but to no avail. God is determined that he build the ark, because on September 22, a flood is coming. Baxter can’t even shave off his beard, as it immediately grows back. God gives him a copy of Ark Building for Dummies and Baxter enlists his three kids to help him. Of course, his wife Joan (Lauren Graham) thinks her husband has gone stark-raving mad. She warns him that if he goes through with this ridiculous plan, she’s leaving him. But Baxter tells her he has no other choice. God demands it.
In making this dramedy, the main pressure was on Steve Carell to carry the picture with his comedic skill and considerable acting talent. Mission accomplished! Carell is funny and handles the dramatic moments with skillful verve. Oedekerk’s script portrays God as free of religious dogma. In this premise, there is God and humanity, and when it suits his purpose, God steps in to make an important change for the betterment of all humankind.
The story implies that God chose Baxter because he’s a practical man who wants to make a difference. But when he gets to Congress, he’s badgered into supporting Congressman Long’s (John Goodman) anti-conservation bill that would destroy the natural beauty of the northern Virginia region with over-development. The scenario’s theme implies that every person should work to make a difference. God knew he had the right person for the formidable job of constructing the ark using only the ancient tools of Noah’s time.
So, despite everything against him–his wife, his colleagues, and the law–Baxter gets to work. To drive home his conservation message, God has sent the creatures from the forest to hang around Baxter–two-by-two- which makes his life even more complicated with hundreds of animals following him around and thousands of birds flying into his office. He’s an animal magnet.
Joan finally takes off with the kids, leaving Baxter alone to build the ark. But God intervenes and convinces her to go back and help him with the difficult construction. The underlying message is clear– we should all lend a hand to make a better world. Yet it’s delivered with humor and secular simplicity.
Thanks to the wonders of CGI, the few animals on the set are multiplied a thousand-fold against a blue-screen. To make room for the ark and animals, Baxter buys up eight of the lots around his home, while his construction site becomes a media camp-out location, full of commentators making fun of his project. It seems his career as a member of Congress is in jeopardy. Not only has his hair grown long, it’s totally white. Still, Baxter perseveres with his project to complete it before the deadline date. He just couldn’t say no to God.
Congressman Long, the bulbous blow-hard, has informed the police and now there is a court order to demolish the ark. Long may be a big-shot with plenty of power, but he’s up against God, who trumps all human power. Yes, this is a big commercial movie designed to pull your heart strings and elicit laughs, and it does especially well and everyone goes home happy. Hey, not bad for a night at the cinema. I’m still smiling.
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