Escroc malgré lui

What do you get when you watch a 1996 PG film in 2021? An ambitious story with poorly contrived scenarios and over the top silly antics with a feel-good ending. It was a time when American society lived in a bubble and the film's idea of what a Dear God letter might ask for were mostly trivial, where even the more profound requests were turned into some kind of schlapshtick (Trivia: no longer in the dictionaries but it's not actually spelled slapstick originally; Schlap is German meaning to laugh so hard you fall apart, & shtick is a kind of comedy delivery). But in their effort to make it a PG film, we can understand why there wasn't anything too deep or too emoted. But being a PG film, it does make you wonder if you want your kids exposed to the con man situations such as fake bandages on the hands to trick someone into providing cab fare. It does have a good message so I give it 6 stars. But I'm not really sure it's a good family film and yet it's almost too trivial and contrived for adults to enjoy. But it's probably far better than what most kids watch today with zero supervision.

"Dear God" is a movie the whole family can enjoy. Despite a predictable plot and an ending anyone can spot a mile away, the overall ensemble acting and dialogue are surprisingly fresh and sometimes poignant. The conversion of Tom from a conniving con who thought of every angle to profit himself to a do-gooder is gradual and quite convincing, avoiding a common pitfall of many feel-good movies. Jaded cynics may sneer at the religious tone, but it is actually not about any religion but about the uplifting experience one can gain by helping each other.

The cast of Kinnear, Metcalf, Pitillo mixed with old pros like Conway, Elizondo and Browne really deliver. Conway is especially enjoyable, a scene stealer up to his old tricks, and Metcalf is deliriously wacky. A special mention goes to the director, Gary Marshall, using subtle yet funny touch to parody the American media and court system. Overall, this movie is very delightful for everyone who is not a total cynic. Rating: 8/10.

"Dear God" is so painstakingly boring, manipulative and predictable it's hard to watch despite some decent yet watered down performances by those onboard the project.

Greg Kinnear plays a young slacker who is innocently arrested and sentenced to finding a job--yes, finding a job--by the bad guy from "Total Recall," who doesn't look like he's having a very good time making this movie. Kinnear takes a job at a local post office and gets a spot in the Dead Letter Department, where all the letters to Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, The Tooth Fairy, and God are sorted and thrown out.

But as Kinnear avoids his odd co-workers, he finds himself wanting to respond to the "Dear God" letters, hence the title of the film--big surprise--"Dear God."

Kinnear's character is extremely obnoxious and annoying. At times the filmmakers want us to feel sorry for the Innocent Young Man Going Through Turbulent Times, but then the character does things that are inexcusibly ignorant and unbiased. For example, take a scene where Kinnear is on trial. We're supposed to feel sorry for him. But the next moment he's up in the judge's face making wise cracks and disobeying all courtroom procedures. This is supposed to amuse the audience. Yeah, right.

The film's jokes are about as tired as every other average comedy out there. Too many scenes do not expand to their full potential, and instead we get scenes like the "Stand behind the yellow line" gag that not only goes on WAYYY too long, but has been done a million times before in a million different films.

The characters are not only weak, but one-dimensional and totally distant: We can't feel for any of them one way or another.

The characters' dialogue is about as stiff and stereotypical as it can get: You feel like the writers were trying to think of corny dialogue. And boy, if that's what they were looking for, they got it right.

"Dear God" had a good premise with promising potential, but due to a half-baked, sentimentally-controlling script, unlikable characters and an awful sense of humor, this film fails miserably at what it promises us.

1.5/5 stars -

John Ulmer

"Dear God" is the rare example of a movie that starts abysmally but slowly gains its stride. Most films these days are the opposite. They grab you right off, then run out of steam. To be fair, "Dear God" never fully grabs you or has much steam. But it gets to the point where it becomes worth watching, eliciting several pleased chuckles, while still falling far short of out-and-out funny.

Greg Kinnear plays a two-bit hustler whose honest face and convincing stories allow him to con working joes out of their money. He has a gambling debt to repay to Junior, an overweight thug who teaches him a lesson or two about horses and stables at a disastrous visit to the track. Kinnear's Tom Turner is arrested while trying to scam two undercover cops disguised as foreign sight-seers, and in a ridiculous plot convenience, is sentenced to find a paying job for one year. Most criminals should be so lucky. But of course, Turner has that honest face.

Anyway, he ends up at the post office, where he's assigned to a dead letter office filled with whacko postal cast-offs, played with sufficient nuttiness by Laurie Metcalf, Jon Seda and Tim Conway, among others. Conway's character once memorized the entire layout of the city of L.A., but was demoted when he lost it and bit a dog. Metcalf plays a former lawyer who needed a "less stressful" job. You get the idea.

Through a series of accidents, this motley crew begins answering letters to God, and, through their limited means, they begin making minor miracles happen throughout L.A. The press picks up on it, which draws the attention of the U.S. Postmaster General (played with his usual rabid energy by the director, Garry Marshall), and brings heat on the do-gooder crew, whose activities are technically illegal. (Opening the mail is a federal offense). Meanwhile, Kinnear's Turner remains on the run from the gangsters and tries to woo a single mother played by the adorable Maria Pitillo, whose character has no function in this film other than as a weak romantic interest.

Extraordinarily lame-brained from the get-go, "Dear God" actually gets on course, as the relative uniqueness of its storyline manifests itself in some sweet, quiet moments, and as the ensemble group of veteran actors really begins to relish their roles. Metcalf is always funny, although she's a little over the top here, and Kinnear is notable for his ability to play a likeable everyman. Conway has a very-funny apology scene with a dog and is otherwise likeable in his eccentricity.

The movie ultimately only reaches the level of so-so -- but I guess the fact that I felt compelled to write about it means that it made some impact on me, and that I can marginally recommend it. 5 out 10.

When letters written to God start getting results, and replies, people everywhere are amazed. The Post Office, however, is annoyed.

Siskel & Ebert gave the film two thumbs down upon its release. James Berardinelli gave the film one star and explained, "At least after seeing this movie, I understand where the title came from – starting about thirty minutes into this interminable, unfunny feature, I began looking at my watch every few minutes and thinking, 'Dear God, is this ever going to end?'" I have to agree, and maybe I'm being a little generous with my 5. This is probably closer to a 4, because it really isn't very funny, and as one person so aptly said, it "drowns in its own sentimentality". I suppose the bonus point will be for having David Hasselhoff and Elvira show up, even if only for a second. Tony Danza, as well. But if I ever see this movie again (I hope not), it will probably lose a star.