Holy Man

Amazon.com

Holy Man could have been a stellar satire in the tradition of Frank Capra, George Stevens, or Preston Sturges. Instead, this well-meaning romantic comedy was bluntly written by Tom Schulman (Dead Poets Society) and broadly directed by Stephen Herek, who fared better with his 1995 drama Mr. Holland's Opus. Their good intentions shine through, however, and while it's easy to appreciate Eddie Murphy's attempt to shift his career in a more substantial direction, Holy Man delivers some pointed criticism of commercialism and its deadening effect on spiritual well-being.

Murphy plays an enlightened eccentric named "G" (for "guru" or "God"?) who rises to national celebrity when he's enlisted to host a TV shopping network. Jeff Goldblum and Kelly Preston play the show's producer and marketer, respectively, and their formulaic romance provides the movie's lackluster subplot. With skyrocketing ratings and a flurry of cameos by celebrity hucksters (Morgan Fairchild, Florence Henderson, Dan Marino, and even James Brown), G delivers preachy platitudes urging America to stop buying and embrace the finer values of life and love (a hollow message coming from Disney, the most conspicuously commercial of all major Hollywood studios). To its credit, Holy Man occasionally achieves a delicate balance of comedy and commentary, and receptive viewers will be grateful, at a time when crude comedies rule the box office, that someone bothered to try. For that reason, this flawed movie deserves to be seen. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The always hilarious Eddie Murphy (DR. DOLITTLE) stars with Jeff Goldblum (JURASSIC PARK) and Kelly Preston (JERRY MAGUIRE) in a refreshingly funny hit that elevates shopping to a nearly religious experience! A stressed-out senior executive at the Good Buy home shopping channel, Ricky Hayman (Goldblum) is praying for a miracle that will lift the network's lousy ratings and save his job. Then, from out of nowhere, "G" (Murphy) walks into his life! An outrageous, self-styled inspirational guru with a knack for showing up where he isn't exactly wanted, "G" proceeds to wander in front of the cameras just long enough to exude the irresistible star quality that will make him the sales-boosting savior Ricky's network has been looking for! Also featuring a host of well-known celebrities in a sidesplitting series of comic infomercials -- you're bound to be another satisfied customer with nothing but praise for HOLY MAN!

Customer Reviews:

The movie is great for the whole family .......2007-09-16

"Holy Man" is a comedy about a home shopping channel executive named Ricky (Jeff Goldblum) whose sales have not seen an increase in over a year. A marketing consultant (Kelly Preston) and Ricky end up meeting a very unusual person named "G" (Eddie Murphy) who just might be able to help them.

"G" is earthy, philosophical, mystical and non-materialistic. He is a man on a spiritual quest but because is willing to help others he agrees to become a shopping channel celebrity. Along the way, "G" teaches Ricky, as well as the shoppers, a few things about living a more fulfilling life. Ricky and "G" are an odd match and their interactions are funny.

With its great acting and an amusing story "Holy Man" should appeal to most audiences. The film is great for the whole family and doesn't have anything most people would find objectionable. "Holy Man" is a fun movie that will probably make you laugh at least a few times.

Eddie's turned into a religious man!.......2006-11-27

Hollywood favorite Eddie Murphy will make religious people laugh with this awesome flick. Great support from Jeff Goldblum,Kelly Preston and Robert Loggia. If you saw this film and loved it,I'm sure you'll love 48 HOURS,ANOTHER 48 HOURS,THE DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN,BEVERLY HILLS COP 1,2 and 3,COMING TO AMERICA,THE GOLDEN CHILD,TRADING PLACES,BOOMERANG,HARLEM NIGHTS,the DOCTOR DOLITTLE films(remakes) and THE NUTTY PROFESSOR films(remakes).

How did I miss seeing this before!!.......2006-05-02

Absolutely one of the funniest movies ever, with a great message to boot! I want to thank Eddie Murphy, Jeff Goldblum, and Kelly Preston for a great movie! Superb! This movie should have done much better in the theaters. I had never heard about it until it played on digital cable. I will be buying this to free up some space on the DVR.

Stop Comparing it to Other Movies!.......2005-10-16

Look, the biggest complaint I have with the people that have reviewed this movie is they keep comparing it to other Eddie Murphy movies and it's just not. That would be like comparing The Majestic to The Mask and saying it wasn't Jim Carry's finest... It's a good movie but it is a very special movie. The jokes aren't a laugh a second but the good messages are. I don't think it should have recieved the Oscar or anything like that but it's none the less enjoyable, smart humor. Quit watching it with a running track of Nutty Professor in your head and just take it for what it is. A quality movie that really does have some good comentary on american ethics. I'm giving it five stars not because I think it's the best movie ever made but because it dares to be different than a lot of things that are already out there. Yes it could have been just another Daddy Daycare... but then there would just be two kinda average comedies instead of two feel good movies.

Clever, Funny, & Deep.......2005-09-27

There's no way to put into words how it feels to come from a film having taking something special away. After having read many reviews on Holy Man, both here and elsewhere, I've come to the conclusion that this is one of those movies most people just don't get. This is indeed the age of crudity, where shock value is held in higher regard than genuinely good storytelling and uplifting characters. This film succeeds on all fronts by offering itself not just as a hilarious comedy(which it certainly is), but also as a means to convey a message that's too often ingnored and scoffed at. Let's face it, most people today are master cynics, unwilling to accept any positivity but always ready to rebuke something. It seems to me, that's why this film was not a comercial success.

Eddie Murphy has created a phenomenal character in G and plays him with enough love and abandon I found myself smiling all the way through. Forget wondering exactly who G is. If you're really spending time on that, you've failed to see the point of the story. Besides, some things are best left to the imagination. Ambiguity doesn't have to be a scary concept.

The love story between Goldblum and Preston isn't perfect, but their performances-particuarly Goldblum's-are worth seeing. All in all, my only complaint is that their aren't any special features to speak of and letterbox format stinks. Otherwise, let go of yourself and rent this wonderful film. Watch it with a close friend or a loved one. You'll be glad you did!

Average customer rating:

Holy Man [Region 2]
Starring: Eddie Murphy , Jeff Goldblum , Kelly Preston , Robert Loggia , and Jon Cryer
Director: Stephen Herek
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYRF

Average customer rating:

The movie is great for the whole family
Eddie's turned into a religious man!
How did I miss seeing this before!!
Stop Comparing it to Other Movies!
Clever, Funny, & Deep

Holy Man [Region 2]
Starring: Eddie Murphy , Jeff Goldblum , Kelly Preston , Robert Loggia , and Jon Cryer
Director: Stephen Herek
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004RYZK

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The movie is great for the whole family .......2007-09-16

Eddie's turned into a religious man!.......2006-11-27

How did I miss seeing this before!!.......2006-05-02

Stop Comparing it to Other Movies!.......2005-10-16

Clever, Funny, & Deep.......2005-09-27

Average customer rating:

Jesus, Man of Nazareth
Starring: Jesus Man of Nazareth
Manufacturer: Madacy Records
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Music Video & Concerts | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

Christian Contemporary Music | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0002IQL2G
Release Date: 2004-08-10

Average customer rating:

The movie is great for the whole family
Eddie's turned into a religious man!
How did I miss seeing this before!!
Stop Comparing it to Other Movies!
Clever, Funny, & Deep

Holy Man [Region 2]
Starring: Eddie Murphy , Jeff Goldblum , Kelly Preston , Robert Loggia , and Jon Cryer
Director: Stephen Herek
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00004CZA3

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

The movie is great for the whole family .......2007-09-16

Eddie's turned into a religious man!.......2006-11-27

How did I miss seeing this before!!.......2006-05-02

Stop Comparing it to Other Movies!.......2005-10-16

Clever, Funny, & Deep.......2005-09-27

DVD:

DVD

DVD