I first saw this brief 30 minute film back in 1990 although it had been around since 1984. I have since learned that the director, John David Coles, has continued to direct on TV ("Sex and the City", among others) but it is the writing of Johnathan Altman which most fascinated and continues to fascinate me. The IMDb shows no other credits for this fellow. Too bad; for this, to me, is fine writing and understanding shown in this scathing film. I'm sure many will see this (if only a current copy were made available!) and "knowingly" say, "Ah yes; that's the Christian church at work." And David Rasche (a fine actor) does a Pat Robertson "imitation" which is spot-on, even to the Tidewater accent and way of praying. Rasche plays TV evangelist Howard Woode who regularly attacks three (stereotypical) foci of many evangelicals: homosexuality, abortion, and liberalism. Admittedly, most stereotypes have some basis in reality or they would never become stereotypes. And the "evangelical church" has, to their own shame, trashed gays and liberals. Anyway, Woode preaches in the first "sermon" that those who fail to DO the word of God will suffer the pains of "hellfire"...these words are almost inaudible as the audio in the TV soundtrack starts breaking up just at those words. This is foreshadowing because they are repeated at the end of the film and it becomes clear that Howard just may be facing that danger himself. Basically, Howard (after surprisingly humbling himself in prayer - to his own image in a mirror!) has a supernatural visitor - God visits Howard as a woman! ("I thought you'd like it; I did it just for you!") What a scandal for such a conservative man! Anne Twomey does a super job of bringing this fairly tricky role to life - and every word she/He quotes is right out of the King James version. Once again, writer Altman obviously knows his Scripture and uses it brilliantly and fairly. The moment at which the angel "proves" that she is God is hair-raising and stuns not only Howard but me too! Howard insists that he has served God faithfully in his "ministry" but God tells Howard that "I never talked to you before". There is in increasingly intense contretemps in which, at last, Howard accuses "God" of being satanic, a demonic visitor. This, of course, is blasphemy. Howard has become a contemporary New Testament Pharisee, seeing only his own works as salvific, in spite of the evidence of God's mercy, love, patience, and grace to the homosexuals, the abortionists, etc. Howard just can't get his head around this and literally breaks down during his last TV broadcast as he (absent-mindedly) throws his Bible down to the floor!
Many other Christian believers I've shared this video with have been hurt and offended at the way "we" are being portrayed. I wonder if Altman wrote this as a warning to "us" about Pharisaism. If so, his writing and Rasche and Twomey's acting have led me to take a long reflective look at how I present and live out what I believe. That's quite an accomplishment for a short film!
Many other Christian believers I've shared this video with have been hurt and offended at the way "we" are being portrayed. I wonder if Altman wrote this as a warning to "us" about Pharisaism. If so, his writing and Rasche and Twomey's acting have led me to take a long reflective look at how I present and live out what I believe. That's quite an accomplishment for a short film!
