ShareThisBy PHIL VILLARREAL
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
"Conversations With God," a drama based on the writing of Neale Donald Walsch, whose books have sold 7 million copies, is not quite a movie.
It's more of a 109-minute commercial for Walsch's 1995 book "Conversations With God: An Uncommon Dialogue."
The bland, Hallmark Hall of Fame-style film will inspire some. Most others will dismiss it by the end of this paragraph.
Walsch is "a modern day spiritual messenger whose words continue to touch the world in profound ways," according to his Web site, which also says "the Conversations With God series has redefined God and shifted spiritual paradigms around the globe."
The unconvinced can call the series "Cons With God."
The film starts with Walsch (Henry Czerny) preaching to adoring throngs.
Occasionally, hecklers question Walsch's veracity, but the author puts them in their places with kindness and ease.
Director Stephen Simon's film toggles between Walsch's speaking engagement and the tribulations that got him God-talking.
After suffering a broken neck in a car wreck, Walsch squanders his home, family and job and winds up scrounging for soda cans and Dumpster-diving for food.
Walsch hits bottom and decides to give life another try, but he finds society less than accommodating. Transients with scraggly beards and smelly clothes, it seems, have a hard time landing a job interview.
In his darkest hour, Walsch questions God, who talks back in Walsch's voice.
God's chief message is: "You've got me all wrong."
In typical underdog fashion, Walsch scrapes his life back together and starts to aim high.
A friend helps him type out the Lord's messages, which add up to a million-dollar manuscript.
Who knows whether Walsch shoots the breeze with God, but you can believe that the being behind the messages sure knows how to sell books.
2 stars out of 4
Rated: PG for thematic elements, some language and a brief accident.
Cast: Henry Czerny, Vilma Silva, Bruce Page, Abdul Salaam el Razzac.
Director: Stephen Simon.
Family call: Pretty clean, although you may not want to subject your kids to the theology.
Running time: 109 minutes.
(Read Phil Villarreal's blog at scrippsnews.com/philmguy and contact him at pvillarreal(at)azstarnet.com.)
