Just say Noah

Just Say Noah
Evan Almighty's appalling effort to pander to religious moviegoers.
By David Plotz

This was a recent headline on Slate's Entertainment page. As we all know by now, movie reviews don't have much influence on popularity these days. Many's the film that gets trashed and somehow makes it to number one.

But Evan Almighty, starring Steve Carrell and Morgan Freeman, seems to have ignited almost personal rage in reviewers. Those that didn't find it offenseively inane and unfunny found it, as David Plotz did, a swinish attempt to cynically appeal to religious folks. Religious folks as defined by Hwood, that is.

Here's Hollywood's Jeffrey Wells this morning:

Evan Almighty has tanked in relation to earlier box-office projections. It did around $11 million yesterday in 3600 theaters, and therefore won't take it much more than $33 or $34 million by Sunday night, which is significantly lower than the $40 million weekend projection that Universal and other handicappers were putting out a few days ago.

Every big-timer who contributed to this film in some significant way needs to drive out to the desert and hide out for a week or two. I would if I were in their shoes. I'd be packing my stuff right friggin' now, and I'd definitely bring along one of those khaki fisherman's hats and a couple of pairs of Ray-Bans.

Ed here: Remember, the film may do much better business today and tomorrow but given its cost of $200,000 plus, it doesn't look promising. Not to mention the cost in reviewer ill will.