Bruce Almighty
Release Date:
May 23, 2003
Tom Shadyac helped launch Jim Carrey’s career and Jim Carrey helped launch Tom Shadyac’s career, so it’s no surprise that both have turned to each other after both having suffered severe missteps. As a follow up to his critical and commercial flop The Majestic, Carrey is going back to his roots of doing wacky comedies. Meanwhile, Shadyac’s last film, Dragonfly, was a step away from the comedy genre, an area where Shadyac had made his name.
Shadyac, who has also helmed such surprise hits as Patch Adams and The Nutty Professor, helped Carrey make a name for himself when he directed Carrey’s breakout film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. Their second feature together is Carrey’s most critically lauded feature Liar Liar; it is also Carrey’s biggest hit outside of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which can hardly be labeled a Jim Carrey film. Now the two bring their frantic and often hilarious brand of humor to the supernatural comedy Bruce Almighty.
Carrey plays Bruce Nolan, a malcontent who complains about God one too many times and is given God’s power for one week as a lesson about the difficulties of running the whole show we call life. What will Bruce do when he has God’s power for a week? What would you do? It is this question from which the film draws its appeal and where a lot of the fun should be had. Much like Hollow Man, the "what if?" scenario presented in this film is much too good to be ignored.
Carrey is perfect for the role. With his frenzied energy being forcibly bottled in, Carrey is perfectly cast to play someone who has all the power in the world and just can’t wait to use it. To balance Carrey out, Universal cast Jennifer Aniston to play Bruce’s girlfriend in what will likely be her biggest feature film ever. Aniston brings a quiet charm and dignity to all her roles and should play really well against Carrey. Another charming and dignified actor, Morgan Freeman, is playing God in the most literal sense possible.
Tentatively set for release on Memorial Day weekend, Universal already seems to think that the film can do very well; they are likely right. The teaser trailer for the film is hilarious and indicates that this takes Carrey back into an element in which he excels. This is old school Carrey with all his off the wall, sometimes nonsensical gags leaping at you at a rapid-fire pace. With such an interesting premise and solid talent behind it, it is very difficult to believe that this film won’t be huge. (Walid Habboub/BOP)
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