# Evan Almighty? ASS Almighty (Lousy movie PSA -- open spoilers)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 23, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099 "2007-06-23T04:16:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 5
### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2007, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/81 "2007-06-25T09:15:52Z")
[QUOTE=C K Dexter Haven]
Moderator speaketh: **Liberal** and **Diogenes** : A discussion about how external events can influence one’s response to a film is a great discussion for Cafe Society… but probably this particular thread isn’t the best spot.
Please, however, let’s keep this conversation away from personal insults: I think you’re on the safe side of the line, but gettin’ close, and let’s not go into that particular arena.
[/QUOTE]
I apologize to you, to Dio, and to the participants in the thread.
---
### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2007, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/82 "2007-06-25T10:55:15Z")
Are religious types their target audience with this movie? I’ve known some very religious Christian types, and they tend to take offense at any secular portrayal or use of Christianity that could be viewed as not positive. I can’t imagine those sorts of people would want to go see this movie - they’re more likely to shun it.
So I found it interesting that people thought they were trying to appeal to a religious crowd. Maybe the vaguely religious types who think they’re Christians but don’t actually know much about all that.
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### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2007, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/83 "2007-06-25T12:06:10Z")
I heard Carrell in an interview saying that when they were filming a baboon brought him some lemonade and spilled it on him.
Carrell, trying to be funny, turned to the baboon and said something like, “Can’t you do anything right?”
The baboon bared his teeth and growled at him. The trainer said, “yeah, you better not do that. As a matter of fact, don’t look him in the eye.”
THAT sounds funny.
The movie? NSM.
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### Author:  [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/84 "2007-06-25T13:38:21Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Notice that many of them are generally considered to be hopeless wastes of money and others are considered to be so-so films that weren’t worth the huge budgets. Maybe the best policy for a filmgoer would be to find out the budget of a film before seeing it and forget about any film costing above a certain amount.
I think that wouldn’t be a good philosophy for me – I disagree with the critics too often. For me, several of those films are superb ( **War and Peace** , **King Kong** , **Metropolis** ) and quite a few others are defintely well worth watching.
---
### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/85 "2007-06-27T06:33:16Z")
I saw this film. It was OK. Not great, not worth the $$ they paid to make it, but I didn’t want my money back or anything. Of course the fact I saw it on a bargain matinee helped there.
But I also wondered about the “firing” bit. Congressmen can’t be fired. OTOH, they _do_ have to kowtow to their seniors and the Party whips (you can read about party whips discipling those that don’t follow “orders”), etc. Goodman _was_ supposed to be big time senior Congressman, head of a Committee and all.
It’d take months of hearings to suspend a Congressman, not easily or lightly done. Yes, they do take the nice offices and other perks away, though.
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### Author:  [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/86 "2007-06-27T13:02:39Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal]
Me neither. “I’m not real big on people with power being guided by God. They end up driving planes into buildings or invading Iraq.” I wouldn’t call that “critical of the film”.
[/QUOTE]
Now’s your chance to mention some specific “people with power being guided by God” who’ve done good.
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/87 "2007-06-27T13:16:05Z")
[QUOTE=Bridget Burke]
Now’s your chance to mention some specific “people with power being guided by God” who’ve done good.
[/QUOTE]
No…it’s not. This is CS, not GD or the BBQ.
Let’s not give the preachers a pulpit here, please.
-Joe
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### Author:  [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/88 "2007-06-27T13:51:00Z")
I saw this last night. Big mistake.
I was home, just finished making dinner- the family is at the beach this week- and the power goes out. I eat in silence and since the house is now getting warmer since the A/C is out, I head to the theater to kill some time. I had hoped to catch _Ocean’s 13_, but when I got there I was 20 minutes late. The only movie with a starting time in the next 30 minutes was _Evan Almighty_. What the hell, I thought, it’s nice and cool in here and maybe by the time I get home the electricity will be back on.
Man, that movie sucked. In addition to all the reasons **DtC** pointed out, it made a career in politics seem like the easiest job in the world. His first day, he’s essentially told “Congressman Long (Goodman) wants to destroy protected parklands for profit, and he wants you to co-sponsor the bill. Whaddaya think?” Would anybody really go along with that?
Also, since when does being a junior congressman entitle you to a brand new enormous mansion? The president only makes around $200k/year, so I can only assume a member of congress makes less. The house Carell’s character bought would require an annual income of around $1.5M, maybe more in the DC suburbs. So they get to the house and it’s still under construction- workers with power tools roam about, dropcloths on the floor, and the general contractor asks him what kind of wood he wants to use to make the kitchen cabinets. They go to bed that night, and the next day will be his first day on the job. He comes home at the end of the day and the house is not only finished, but all the furniture is in place, the place is beautifully painted, everything’s unpacked, and dinner is on the table that night. I wish I could get my general contractors to work that fast.
I heard laughs in my theater but on the way out I saw that the place was filled with giggly high school kids. That’s really the best audience for this kind of movie, they have no real appreciation for comedy so slapstick kicks to the crotch still seem funny.
The only part that I found worthwhile was the outtakes during the credits. Still, that two-minute segment hardly made the first 90 minutes bearable.
Oh- and the power was still off when I got home. Stupid electricity.
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/89 "2007-06-27T14:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=McNew]
Oh- and the power was still off when I got home. Stupid electricity.
[/QUOTE]
Well, that’s Wrath of God for ya. Darkness, boils, plagues of frogs… I’d put some lamb’s blood on the door ASAP if you love your firstborn.
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### Author:  [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/90 "2007-06-27T15:41:16Z")
[QUOTE=McNew]
Also, since when does being a junior congressman entitle you to a brand new enormous mansion? The president only makes around $200k/year, so I can only assume a member of congress makes less. The house Carell’s character bought would require an annual income of around $1.5M, maybe more in the DC suburbs.
[/QUOTE]
Frequently, congressmen of ordinary means will share an apartment. That would have made a better movie. Evan shares an apartment with Jerry Nagel. And Make Evan kind of a neat freak. Oh yeah, and lose all the God stuff.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/91 "2007-06-27T16:54:55Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Hildo]
I’ve only seen the previews, but I was mildly surprised that they featured a pair of [okapis.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi)
Okapis never get enough love.
[/QUOTE]
🙂 They do when I am playing Scrabble.
[QUOTE=Ms. Pumpkin]
I feel bad for Lauren Graham. I loved her in **Gilmore Girls** , but this sounds like crap. I rented **Because I Said So** with Diane Keaton(who I can’t stand) because Graham was in it, and that was pretty bad, too.
[/QUOTE]
I am so pissed that I can’t go to John Krasinksi’s movie because of the effing Robin Williams and that extremely stupid movie plot. He’s too smart for the slapstick crap involved in that thing. :mad:
And I can’t believe the previews for Evan Almighty show a flood. Hold something back people.
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### Author:  [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/92 "2007-06-27T16:58:48Z")
[QUOTE=gigi]
And I can’t believe the previews for Evan Almighty show a flood. Hold something back people.
[/QUOTE]
How many people _don’t_ know that Noah’s Ark involves a flood?
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/93 "2007-06-27T17:11:04Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner]
_The 13th Warrior_ spent a lot of money on the sea scenes.
This probably accounts for some of the reasons that big-budget films are often complete messes. The budget is so big because the filmmakers kept trying to fix a bad film.
[/QUOTE]
Hey! I _liked_ **The 13th Warrior**. From one of the few Crichton books I can stomach.
[QUOTE=tim314]
Ah well, maybe these movie roles will lead to something better.
[/QUOTE]
Well, Graham did do a heck of a job as a alcoholic bartender with a Santa fetish in **Bad Santa** ;).
- Tamerlane
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### Author:  [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/94 "2007-06-27T17:28:06Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane]
Well, Graham did do a heck of a job as a alcoholic bartender with a Santa fetish in **Bad Santa** ;).
[/QUOTE]
I never got the impression she was alcoholic. Rather, Thorton’s character was the raging drunk.
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### Author:  [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/95 "2007-06-27T17:32:45Z")
[QUOTE=Tamerlane]
Hey! I _liked_ **The 13th Warrior**. From one of the few Crichton books I can stomach.
- Tamerlane
[/QUOTE]
I liked _The 13th Warrior_, too, but I never would have guessed from what I saw that so much money had been spent.
I gotta say, a lot of these big budgets are wasted on me. If all Hollywood is going to make any more is Roger Corman movies, they might as well make them on Roger Corman budgets as far as I’m concerned.
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### Author:  [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/96 "2007-06-27T17:44:26Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85]
How many people _don’t_ know that Noah’s Ark involves a flood?
[/QUOTE]
Did your ears just pop?
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### Author:  [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/97 "2007-06-27T17:45:49Z")
[QUOTE=Rube E. Tewesday]
I gotta say, a lot of these big budgets are wasted on me. If all Hollywood is going to make any more is Roger Corman movies, they might as well make them on Roger Corman budgets as far as I’m concerned.
[/QUOTE]
I’m trying to remember if Corman was the one who liked women with big boobs and skimpy outfits. If so, I heartily concur.
If not, I probably will do so, just a little less heartily.
-Joe
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### Author:  [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/98 "2007-06-27T17:59:58Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek]
I’m trying to remember if Corman was the one who liked women with big boobs and skimpy outfits. If so, I heartily concur.
[/QUOTE]
You’re probably thinking of Russ Meyer.
Not that Roger Corman was averse to using skin in his movies, but he’s more known for no-budget sci-fi and horror.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/99 "2007-06-27T18:52:02Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers]
I never got the impression she was alcoholic. Rather, Thorton’s character was the raging drunk.
[/QUOTE]
She was matching him shot for shot when they met at the bar. The first time she showed at his place it was with a couple of bottles of booze and reeling a bit. And if you watch carefully she always seems just a bit lit in virtually every scene. To me, anyway.
It didn’t really hit me until second watching, mostly because Thornton is so much more of a monumental lush by comparison. But I think Graham was definitely intended to be a boozer. Which, really, makes sense. For example it explains why she had any attraction to to Thornton at all, past the Santa thing :D.
- Tamerlane
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [June 27, 2007, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/evan-almighty-ass-almighty-lousy-movie-psa-open-spoilers/409099/100 "2007-06-27T20:26:25Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85]
How many people _don’t_ know that Noah’s Ark involves a flood?
[/QUOTE]
Sorry, this wasn’t actually a whoosh on my part. I thought perhaps there was some doubt as to whether this guy was sane and whether he was really building an ark for good reason.
Clearly I am expecting too much of the movie. :smack:
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