The Almighty decides to reaffirm His presence in the universe (the last time He intervened in earthly affairs was to assist the Mets in the 1969 World Series), and selects an agnostic grocery-store manager to be His messenger. Discourse between mere mortals and the deities has been a comic convention of long standing, at least from Aristophanes to Brigid Brophy; but it is seldom practiced on such a rudimentary Sunday School level as it is in this Larry Gelbart script, directed by Carl Reiner. All the impieties in this movie are reserved for trifles (e.g., God's displeasure with His design of avocados: "I made the pits too big"), while God Himself, materialized in the grandfatherly figure of George Burns with fishing cap and plaid flannel shirt, is the object of great fondness, if not exactly adoration. John Denver is perfectly believable as the grocery man; Terri Garr is a fetching Shirley MacLaine soundalike as his wife; and Paul Sorvino does a maliciously funny turn as "God's Quarterback." A generation past, this benign movie might have been made by Frank Capra, starring James Stewart and possibly Guy Kibbee as God. (1977) — Duncan Shepherd
This movie is not currently in theaters.