Starring: Billy Connolly, Judy Davis
Director: Mark Joffe
Rated: M15+
THE Man Who Sued God is the most explicit theological film our local industry has ever produced.
When lightning strikes and sinks the boat of Steve Myers (Billy Connolly), the insurance company declares it an act of God and refuses to pay. Steve, a down-on-his-luck, divorced, alcoholic lawyer, sees no way out but to sue the other party. He sues God.
The Roman Catholics, Anglicans and Jews are co-named in the suit and led into court by the famously oily QC, Gerry Ryan (Bille Brown).
The court case is picked up by Anne Redmond (Judy Davis), a well known journalist who is disenchanted with her cynical profession. She whips up national interest in this ultimate version of the David and Goliath story. And she falls in love with Steve.
It is difficult to work out who Mark Joffe and writer Don Watson are having a go at in The Man Who Sued God. The Churches cop the usual stereotypical portrayal. The cardinal (Vincent Ball) is a pious prig only interested in preserving the Church’s power and saving it from scandal. The Anglicans are interested in their stock and real estate portfolios and the Rabbi doesn’t seem to believe in God at all.
As offensive as this portrayal may be for some viewers, it is worth staying to the end of this film to see how well religious faith comes out of it.
In the pivotal courtroom scene Watson and Joffe give the cardinal the speech of the film. To underline His Eminence’s words about God’s love and the reality of natural evil, they slow down the action and add stirring music under it.
The insurance companies and the imprecise language they use are the real targets of the film and they come off very badly at every turn.
As enjoyable as it is, The Man Who Sued God tries to hold together too many things to be really outstanding. While laughing and watching the lead actors fall in love, this film wants to delve into God and mammon, good and evil, social justice, the role of the media and the compromises made in public institutions. Full credit goes to Joffe for trying to raise serious topics in the popular marketplace, but his ambition is too much for the film to bear.
Watson has done his theological homework. “The god of the act of God does not exist.” “Here, here,” I cheered! I booed when the cardinal argues in court that God sends deadly lighting bolts “as signs”.
For the record, we do not believe that God ‘sends’ earthquakes, diseases and floods. God, the source of all love, does not send evil things.
Theology makes a distinction between what God directly wills, indirectly wills and what is permitted. Because many natural phenomena are linked with the evolution of nature; because we have made poor choices in regard to how we look after our environment, where we locate our cities and villages and because good can come from natural catastrophes, we believe God indirectly wills them. God knows that the natural order is still developing and we along with it.
The best theology in The Man Who Sued God hinges around seeing God as the author of love. “How can I sue the God who led me to this woman? I can’t sue love.” If this is secular Australia’s take on God, it will do me!
It’s such a pity, however, that Billy Connolly cannot finish a sentence without putting an expletive in it. This device seems to be his way of getting the crowd to laugh on cue. So be warned, coarse language abounds in this otherwise entertaining and clever film. God enjoyed it, I’m sure.
