Leap of Faith (film)
Leap of Faith | |
---|---|
Richard Pearce | |
Written by | Janus Cercone |
Produced by | Michael Manheim David V. Picker |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Matthew F. Leonetti |
Edited by | John F. Burnett Mark Warner Don Zimmerman |
Music by | Cliff Eidelman Billy Straus |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $20 million[1] |
Box office | $23.4 million |
Leap of Faith is a 1992 American
Plot
Faith healer Jonas Nightengale and his manager Jane Larson break down in Rustwater, Kansas, a small, rural town suffering from a long drought. Learning they will be stuck there for four days waiting for replacement parts to come in for their truck, Jonas decides to hold revival meetings to help pay for the repairs.
Jonas and his staff use various cons to make it appear as if Jonas has divine knowledge granted by God. Despite his repeated diversions whenever he is asked when the drought will end, the townspeople find Jonas’s shows to be entertaining and hope-inspiring, and eagerly give their money to Jonas as donations.
Local sheriff Will Braverman is skeptical and decides to investigate Jonas' past. He learns that he is in fact Jack Newton, a native of New York City who lived a life of crime in his teen years. Braverman shares this information with the townspeople, who have gathered for another tent revival. Jonas storms off the stage, soon returning to successfully spin Braverman's report, leaving the crowd more energized than ever, much to Braverman's exasperation. Nightengale continues his dubious ministry over the next several days as Jane and Braverman find themselves falling for each other.
Nightengale attempts to begin a relationship with local diner waitress Marva, whose brother Boyd walks with crutches following an auto accident. She explains that doctors could not find anything physically wrong with him and his ailment is psychosomatic. Boyd comes to believe that Jonas can help him walk again. During a meeting, Boyd walks to the crucifix and touches the feet of Jesus. He drops his crutches and begins to walk unassisted. The awed crowd sweeps the stage. After the show, an enraged Jonas rails to Jane that he was conned and that Boyd upstaged him.
After the revival, Jonas enters the empty, darkened tent and mocks the crucifix and Christianity. Boyd walks in while he is talking and says he wants to join him on the road. Jonas agrees to meet him the following morning, implying he can come. Marva arrives and sends Boyd out of the tent. She thanks Jonas, who tells her that he will not be meeting her brother the next morning.
Jonas leaves the tent and sees the crowd that has gathered just outside it — many praying, some sleeping in groups, and others feeding the crowd that has gathered. He begins to understand that Boyd's miracle, and the faith that enabled it, are real after all. He packs a bag and departs alone under the cover of darkness, leaving behind his entire road show and hitching a ride with a truck driver bound for Pensacola, Florida.
When the driver asks if he is in trouble, Jonas replies, "No, no, no, no. No, sir. Maybe for the first time in my life I'm not." As they continue to ride along, the drought, threatening the crop harvest that is the centerpiece of the town's economy, comes to a dramatic end with a miraculous downpour. Jonas laughs silently to himself as he realizes the truth, and the film ends as he rides off into the stormy evening, hanging out the truck window loudly thanking Jesus for the rain.
Cast
- Steve Martin as Jonas Nightengale/Jack Newton
- Debra Winger as Jane Larson
- Lolita Davidovich as Marva
- Liam Neeson as Sheriff Will Braverman
- Lukas Haas as Boyd
- Albertina Walker as Lucille
- Meat Loaf as Hoover
- Philip Seymour Hoffman as Matt
- M. C. Gainey as Tiny
- La Chanzeas Georgette
- Delores Hall as Ornella
- Phyllis Somerville as Dolores
- Troy Evans as Officer Lowell Dade
- Ricky Dillard as Choirmaster
Production
The movie was filmed in
David Picker was called in to help produce the film at short notice. He said filming quickly got behind schedule and he suggested the director, Richard Pearce, be fired. The studio refused this but allowed Picker to fire the cameraman and replace him with Matt Leonetti. According to Picker, Pearce was unable to handle Debra Winger and Lolita Davidovich.[4]
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 64% based on reviews from 22 critics. The site's consensus states: "Steve Martin's layered performance transcends Leap of Faith's somewhat undercooked narrative."[5]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three out of four, and wrote: "The movie itself has considerable qualities, among them Martin's performance as Nightengale. This isn't the sleek, groomed, prosperous Steve Martin we've seen in movies like L.A. Story. It's Martin as a seedy, desperate, bright, greedy man without hope."[6] Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote: "Well acted and amusingly told, featuring a fine performance by Steve Martin in the central role, this tale ultimately switches gears and takes a deeply serious turn."[7]
Musical adaptation
The Center Theatre Group presented the musical at the
References
- ^ "AFI|Catalog".
- ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
- ^ "The World Wide Website of Ricky Jay". Archived from the original on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2018-12-16.
- ^ Picker, David V (2013). Musts, maybes, and nevers : a book about the movies. pp. 105–110.
- ^ "Leap of Faith (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
- ^ Ebert, Roger (1992). "Leap Of Faith movie review & film summary (1992)". Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ Maslin, Janet (18 December 1992). "Review/Film; Steve Martin as a Healer With Faith Only in Lies (Published 1992)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-23.
- ^ Jones, Kenneth."Leap of Faith, Menken's Gospel-Filled Musical Comedy, Will Premiere in L.A." Archived 2010-01-31 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, January 28, 2010
- ^ Gans, Andrew."Raúl Esparza and Brooke Shields To Star in Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson" Archived 2010-07-26 at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, June 21, 2010
- ^ Jones, Kenneth (January 12, 2012). "Leap of Faith's Broadway Launch Will Be April 3; Jessica Phillips, Raul Esparza, Kendra Kassebaum Star". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
External links
- Leap of Faith at IMDb
- Leap of Faith at AllMovie
- Leap of Faith at Box Office Mojo
- Faith Healers deal in phony shows and false hopes The Observer
- Randi and Popoff BBC 9 Dec 06
- Listing notes for The Faith Healers, by James Randi, which formed the basis for this film.
- On Entering the Third Decade by Paul Kurtz
- The third eye by Pat Reeder