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Heavens to Betsy 2 (2019)
Heavens To Betsy, You've Done It Again!
The problem with most sequels, be it books, movies or even music, is that one can easily lapse into repeating the original premise and cheapen it in the process. The best sequels are those that tell their own story, asking and answering their own questions.
When we last saw Betsy Simon in "Heavens To Betsy", she had returned to the life she was meant to live after experiencing an alternate existence in either a vision or parallel dimension where God granted everything for which she had ever prayed. She decided to write about her journey, confident that most people would see it as a work of fiction but be inspired by it.
Which is where "Heavens To Betsy 2" begins. Grounded firmly in reality, the sequel follows what happens to her after she writes that story but is forced by her agent to "downplay the religious aspects". While the first film was about how and why we should pray, the second examines what our relationship with God should be. Having denied her faith (three times, just like St. Peter, as she notes), Betsy decides to come clean and admit that the book is fact, not fiction. While this makes her very popular within the Christian community, she is accused by the mainstream media (in particular, one syndicated talk show host) of pandering to them for sales and the resulting fortune. Their confrontation comes to a head in a live telecast where he asks her an all-important question: if her now-deceased sister was alive in that "alternate reality" (because Betsy had prayed for her recovery from cancer), how could she return to this life and lose her again? It's a question that Writer/Director/Producer Robert Alaniz was forced himself to address as he created the sequel. And, without giving too much away, he addresses it admirably.
If this sounds like a strange notion for a comedy, it's not. While much of the laughs in the first film came from the premise of receiving everything you've prayed for all at once, the comedy in this film comes from the return of many offbeat characters (and some new ones as well) and Betsy's desire not to come off, as she puts it, "like a total crazy person", especially to her personal assistant in the other life who now sells shoes in this one.
Karen Lesiewicz returns as Betsy and, if anything, is better here than in the original. Watch her face at the end of the film as she wordlessly runs through four or five different emotions before finally breaking into a smile that will definitely make you reach for the tissues. Steve Parks also returns as Brian, Betsy's personal assistant who has to get over how unbelievable her claims are before he can ultimately guide her, as he does in the first film, through the storm that is her life. The great Jim O'Heir (you remember him from TV's "Parks And Recreation") is back as Pastor John, her spiritual rock and counselor. The good pastor's character gets fleshed out a bit in the sequel, as we learn he is married, is an Elvis fan and loves to quote "Rocky" films. Unfortunately, Betsy's never seen a "Rocky" film.
Gary Gow plays the new character of TV host Tandum Dackery with just the right amount of villainy without becoming a caricature. For Dackery, as I suspect for many in television, it's not personal-- it's all about the ratings.
There's little doubt that "Heavens To Betsy 2" is a faith-based movie aimed squarely at believers, who are asked just like early Christians were to stand up for what they believe in. And that's what makes this film universal. People of all faiths can find inspiration from it to side with what is true, proper, ethical, moral and yes, "Heavenly".
Heavens to Betsy (2017)
An entertaining look at the nature of prayer
Let's address the 800-pound gorilla in the room: "Heavens To Betsy"-- written, directed and produced by Robert Alaniz-- is a faith-based film. That term scares off a lot of would-be viewers. They're afraid that such a movie will be a badly written set of platitudes with poor acting and less-than-professional cinematography. It's the same "bad rap" that Contemporary Christian music gets. Of course, anyone who takes the time to listen to that genre of music or watch Christian films knows nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, it should be argued that some of film's greatest triumphs— movies like "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" (and its re-make, "Heaven Can Wait"), "It's A Wonderful Life," "Oh God" and "The Bishop's Wife"— were faith-based films.
"Heavens To Betsy" is Alaniz's eighth full-length feature. Six would not be considered faith-based. He has created science fiction, fantasy, mystery and coming-of-age movies. All have given a glimpse into the human condition with a strong sense of morality. So it's not surprising that he would, in his latest film, address the nature of prayer.
Christians were told by Jesus Himself how to pray in what we call "The Lord's Prayer". Praise God, forgive and even pray for your fallen brothers and sisters and ask for what you need— not want— both physically and spiritually. What is often overlooked in prayer is "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven." Every prayer, even for the lives and well-being of others, should end with "if it be Your will." Obviously, God knows more than we do and has a plan for us all. Nevertheless, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much," as St. James told us.
Betsy Simon is a righteous man. Well, woman. She lives a Godly life, regularly worships and prays not just for herself, but for others. She has never complained when she hasn't received the desired answer, whether it be a bicycle she wanted at age six or the life of her dying sister as an adult.
But something snaps inside this righteous woman when her lifelong ambition— to be a children's book author— is denied her despite all her prayers. She feels betrayed by God, becomes bitter and lashes out at Him for never answering one of her prayers. So our loving God gives her a glimpse of what her life, and she herself, would be like if He had given her everything she prayed for. Yes, everything— including a successful career, that bicycle she wanted as a child, a loveless marriage to a boy she had a crush on in Junior High and even the life of her sister.
The film is a comedy so there are some very funny scenes surrounding her adjustment to a life she knows nothing about filled with furs, mansions and a personal assistant. But she finds that this Betsy has become vain and turned her back on her lifelong values. She forgets that (again from St. James), "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above." This Betsy believes she is the sole architect of her success and her arrogance has corrupted not only herself but her relationship with almost everyone she should hold dear.
Newcomer Karen Lesiewicz is outstanding as Betsy. An accomplished comedienne, she shines even more in her prayers to God, be they whimsical, angry or finally an impassioned cry to be forgiven for treating her Lord and Savior as if he were a spiritual vending machine. As with all of us, God has heard and answered her prayers but often, like the loving Father He is, the answer was "no". Yet He answers her prayer one more time and allows her to set her life right.
Steve Parks, a veteran of Alaniz's films, hits just the right notes as Betsy's personal assistant in her new life. He alone seems unaffected by her successful persona, supports her and subtly steers her towards her redemption.
Of course that redemption could not be possible without Betsy's confidant Pastor John (played wonderfully by Jim O'Heir of TV's "Parks And Recreation"), who comes to believe her story despite much evidence to the contrary and counsels her to accept this rare opportunity to actualize her relationship with the Almighty.
The cast is all top notch but shining lights include Arianna Lexus as Betsy's sister, who is not as Betsy remembers her, MJ Starshak as Betsy's advance woman in a frightening venture and Ruth Kaufman as the book agent who may or may not have deceived her.
The DVD has two endings—one from the theatrical release and one shown on the PureFlix streaming channel. While somewhat different, they both tread the same satisfying moral ground. And one leaves open the possibility of a (to be hoped for) sequel.
Yes, "Heavens To Betsy" is a good faith-based film. But, more important, it's a good film on its own merits, entertaining yet enlightening us to what is most important in our lives, both here and beyond
Mind Over Mindy (2016)
Sweet dreams are made of this
It's easy to look forward to a new film from Chicago's Sole Productions and its producer/director/writer Robert Alaniz. The scripts he writes are always witty and intelligent, his characters are three-dimensional and come the resolution of his movies you always feel as if you've learned a little more about the human condition and invested your time in the theater wisely.
So it is with Robert's seventh feature (and third-straight comedy), "Mind Over Mindy." The movie centers around Tom, a middle-aged man engaged to be married to Tina, who's a prominent divorce attorney. As the nuptials approach, however, Tom and Tina's relationship is foundering and appears headed in the same direction as his previous three engagements. What's causing the trouble is the memory of Tom's first love, Mindy, who broke up with him at age 18 but who continues to appear regularly in his dreams. When Mindy dumped Tom he literally almost ended his life and figuratively did end it, giving up his dream of being a lawyer and settling for a successful but unrewarding life as a car salesman.
And if that isn't enough, one morning Mindy steps out of Tom's dreams and appears in his life for real, causing no small measure of chaos. Imagine having to explain to your fiancée how you happen to have a sexy but naïve 18 year-old Milli Vannili-loving anachronism living in your home with you. Your explanation would probably be as weak as Tom's.
Sound complicated? It is. And in the hands of the wrong director and cast it could become very disorienting. Robert wisely refrains from explaining too much: how does Mindy come to life? Tom doesn't know, Mindy doesn't know and Robert isn't telling-- though he does let Mindy explain that when she's not in Tom's dreams she normally appears in the dreams of others (and apparently fulfills their fantasies).
Newcomer Catherine McCafferty plays Mindy with a veteran presence that belies her years. In a tour-de-force she is actually playing three characters-- the not-so-nice Mindy from 1989 who cheated on Tom and literally says, "The devil made me do it"; the perfect Mindy of Tom's dreams who begs for his forgiveness and his intimacy; and the dream who comes to life and experiences what reality is all about both emotionally and physically (while I'm not normally a fan of flatulence jokes, Mindy's first-time experience with bean burritos was quite amusing).
Steve Parks, who was wonderful as an eccentric new age salesman in Robert's last film, "You Don't Say," gets a chance to run with the lead role of Tom and doesn't disappoint. In one especially enjoyable scene he tries to prove he's still dreaming while at work by launching into an over-the-top rendition of "She'll Be Comin' Around The Mountain," complete with snappy choreography and wild sound effects. By the end of the song he comes to realize he is indeed awake and has embarrassed himself in front of co-workers and customers alike.
Tom's fiancée, Tina, presented a difficult challenge for Ann Hagemann to portray. Tina starts out quite unlikeable. She's petulant and manipulative, forcing Tom to see her own psychiatrist to work out his problems because he's helped her so much. It's doubtful the doctor has done anything for her since the self-absorbed Tina has never even noticed the shrink's obvious schizophrenia. Note that Tom sells Fords but the independent Tina drives a Toyota.
Tina has also "settled". She set aside emotional happiness and instead settled on a career. And while, to her credit, she realizes that she loves Tom, she sabotages the relationship by trying to push him closer to her own ideal. Frankly, it's easy to root against Tom and Tina's marriage until Mindy, of all people, breaks through Tina's stoic façade and exposes her vulnerability. It's at that point that the audience becomes sympathetic towards Tina. Fortunately, Ann handles these changes with the subtle deftness of a real professional.
Oh, and that wacky psychiatrist? It's Larry Thomas, appearing in his second-straight Sole Productions comedy. I'm not sure this role is the one that will cause fans to stop calling him "The Soup Nazi," but it is a performance he can be proud of.
Another "name" actor in the film is Jim O'Heir of TV's "Parks And Recreation" as the owner of the car dealership where Tom works. Jim and Robert both started out in a south suburban Chicago improvisational troupe so it was only natural that the two would ad-lib a scene, with Robert as a hapless salesman being berated by Jim. It's to the movie's credit that Jim was allowed to add to the script with spontaneous embellishments.
(As an aside, the late film critic Roger Ebert had what he called the "First Rule of Funny Names" that stated, "No names are funny unless used by W.C. Fields or Groucho Marx." Can we add Jim O'Heir as "Dick Weiner" to the list? No. But in this case, the character is still funny even if the name is just crude.)
Financing for "Mind Over Mindy"abruptly fell through just before filming began but you'd never know it from the finished product. The cinematography, sound and lighting are all Hollywood-quality and even the music, from Tyrone Lancaster and the Aaron Williams band, evokes the feel of Mindy's '80s era. Robert continues to make outstanding independent films without Tinseltown budgets and, with the recent national distribution of an earlier movie, "Angels In Our Midst", one can only hope that other studios will take notice of his work.
"Mind Over Mindy" is a pleasant and thoughtful exploration of how the past can warp our present and future unless we have the courage to break away and make our dreams come true. And that's certainly time invested wisely at the theater.
Pleasant dreams.