Holy Man (1998)

Director:

Stephen Herek

Writer (WGA):

Tom Schulman (written by)

Release Date:

9 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

God's Gift To Home Shopping.

Plot:

Eddie Murphy stars as an over-the-top television evangelist who finds a way to turn television home shopping into a religious experience, and takes America by storm.

Plot Keywords:

Hypnosis | Spit Take | Savior | Religion | Miami Florida

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Eddie Murphy	...	G
Jeff Goldblum	...	Ricky Hayman
Kelly Preston	...	Kate Newell
Robert Loggia	...	McBainbridge
Jon Cryer	...	Barry
Eric McCormack	...	Scott Hawkes
Sam Kitchin	...	Director
Robert Small	...	Assistant Director
Marc Macaulay	...	Cameraman / Brutus
Mary Stout	...	Laundry Lady #1
Edie McClurg	...	Laundry Lady #2
Kim Staunton	...	Grace
Morgan Fairchild	...	Herself
Betty White	...	Herself
Florence Henderson	...	Herself

MPAA:

Rated PG for some language.

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG (certificate #36185) | Australia:PG | Sweden:Btl | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Caravan Pictures

Trivia:

This movie was first in development in 1993, with John Candy cast as G. It was then put in development hell following the actor's death.

Quotes:

McBainbridge: I'm giving you two weeks to get things moving or you're history.
Ricky Hayman: Wait a second. First of all, two weeks? You gotta give me a little more time than that.
McBainbridge: Hold it! Hold it right there! Right there. Every day on the way to work, I pass a dozen guys carrying signs: "Homeless family will work for food" pathetic vet, god bless him. There's nothing I can do about them. The ACLU says they have a perfect right to stand there, so fine, let them stand there. But here, in my office, in my own goddamned office! I don't have to live with anybody begging me for anything! You got it?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: David Spade/Eagle-Eye Cherry (#24.5)" (1998)

Soundtrack:

Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing

Sweet and gentle comedy

I can understand why this movie received such a low rating from the overall IMDB audience. There is probably a large segment of voters who expect certain things from an Eddie Murphy movie who were disappointed. Murphy is best known for action comedies in the vein of 48 Hrs. and Beverly Hills Cop. He also did some fine work in Trading Places, a straight up, but darkly cynical comedy.

Holy Man is a gentle, feel-good comedy. It provides some laugh-out-loud moments, but for the most part, weaves a compassionate story in an appropriately low-key style. Its message is clear and timely: Stop and smell the roses, people. You are losing sight of what's important.

Eddie Murphy is letter perfect as "G," the "holy man" who encounters Jeff Goldblum while Jeff is changing the tire on his Jaguar. With Goldblum is Kelly Preston, his colleague at the Good Buy Home Shopping Network. `G' appears mysteriously in flowing white robes, and talks of being on a spiritual pilgrimage. Goldblum, ever cynical, dismisses `G' as a wacko, and tries his best to get rid of him. Preston, on the other hand, sees something different in `G.' She is more open to his charisma, his humor, and his apparent lack of guile.

The three end up working together. `G' is given his own TV show where his blend of honesty, spirituality, and humor helps the station move a lot of products, and turns `G' into an overnight media sensation. I won't give away much more than that.

Not to be overlooked, Robert Loggia turns in a chilling performance as the venomous TV station owner--it's as if he was channeling Barry Diller all the way. His crass, mercenary tactics trigger a crisis of conscience that brings the movie to its resolution.

Holy Man tells a simple tale that echoes an ancient proverb: When the pupil is ready, the teacher arises. I have watched Holy Man about three or four times. There are nuances here that I have discovered only after repeated viewings. The film's acting, music, location, and subtle direction all hang together well, providing a much-needed palliative to Hollywood's desperate output of increasingly frenetic and assaulting films