Oh, God! (1977)

Great Film overall

Excellent but underrated film

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

God comes to Earth in the form of George Burns and tells supermarket manager John Denver to spread His message. Charming low-key comedy with a very likable cast. Denver's appealing as the 'everyman' protagonist. Burns, of course, steals the show as the affable Almighty. The rest of the cast includes the lovely Teri Garr as Denver's wife, Paul Sorvino as a televangelist, vets Ralph Bellamy and Donald Pleasence, and many other recognizable faces. Great cast all around. I also enjoy the low-budget look of the film. It's a very 1970s movie (in a good way). It's not the funniest movie Carl Reiner ever made, nor is it ever as profound or satirical as the subject matter calls for, but it is hard to dislike.

I have always enjoyed this film. Perfect cast, likable leads and great sound track. Ah the 1970s, what an era of memorable films. John Denver is superb as always and who else but George Burns could play God so convincingly! Teri Garr is gorgeous as John's wife and what a supporting cast! Paul Sorvino is a standout! I am amazed that the IMDb has not included Stuart Nisbet as the doorman with whom John Denver speaks. Stuart has two scenes near the elevator. Clyde Kusatsu is also there in the grocery store when John is talking to God in the security mirror. I realize both are uncredited, so perhaps they can now be included in the film's cast. Go ahead and enjoy yourself in this timeless classic from a bygone era.

George Burns was great in this movie. The concept is pretty awesome too, it doesn't feel preachy and engages people to think about their existence. I'm not religious but if you're going to make an attempt at using this concept in entertainment this is the way to do it.I would avoid watching this if you take yourself too seriously or if you take the subject matter too seriously. This is a fun loving born of the days when film had to be a lot more tactful in the approach of any subject much less this content.If you have a chance, this film is more than worth the watch. We miss you George, enjoy one of his best works.

The mid-1970s were George Burns' heyday. After several decades out of the movie business, he starred in several films that were surprising successes. He did stand-up comedy in Las Vegas. He appeared on talk shows and told silly jokes about smoking cigars, outliving his doctors, and hanging out with women one-fourth his age. He was an octogenarian movie star, and "Oh, God!" was released around the peak of his latter-day fame.The film begins with God (in the form of George Burns) appearing in supermarket manager Jerry's (John Denver) bathroom. God tells Jerry to get The Word out, so Jerry tells his story to a reporter (George Furth). This of course attracts the attention of several wackos and many theologians (including Jeff Corey, Paul Sorvino, and Donald Pleasance), much to the dismay of Jerry's wife (Teri Garr). There's an amusing courtroom sequence, and Jerry and God say goodbye and part ways. The movie is lightly entertaining with a warm message and has lots of good scenes, but trust me, it has no real laughs. Burns is his usual self, and Denver is surprisingly good in an uncharacteristic acting role. Garr and especially Sorvino (playing an outrageous TV evangelist) stand out in the supporting cast. Two inferior sequels with Burns but without Denver were later released.A lot of the shine has worn off "Oh, God!" since 1977. Burns and Denver are no longer with us, and George Burns' 1970s fame has been gone for 30 years. Many people probably know very little about either Burns or Denver, their memories fading every day. During the mid-1970s, Burns was an unlikely celebrity, with all the trappings that accompanied it (I used to cringe when Johnny Carson would imply that Burns was actually dating women in their early 20s). The novelty of seeing singer-songwriter John Denver in a movie is long gone. So, the general cultural atmosphere surrounding George Burns and this film has changed completely in the past 34 years. "Oh, God!" is still good, but to me the movie used to be a lot better, way back in 1977.