`DEAR GOD' NOWHERE NEAR DIVINE : THE FACTS.Byline: Chris Hewitt Chris Hewitt is a sound engineer, manager and entrepreneur best known for his contributions to the British music industry, particularly in the North West of England , specifically Rochdale, and in particular his close association with the cult rock band Tractor. Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire Ben Franklin pretty much invented the U.S. Postal Service The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) processes and delivers mail to individuals and businesses within the United States. The service seeks to improve its performance through the development of efficient mail-handling systems and operates its own planning and engineering programs. and, probably, a fair amount of the tired jokes in the postal comedy, ``Dear God.'' Greg Kinnear plays a character known only to the movies: the hardened criminal with chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. looks and the heart of a softie Short for "Microsoftie," a person who works for Microsoft. (if you've ever been to the movies, you know he will have a sad story about his childhood to explain why he became a hardened criminal). In ``Dear God,'' he's assigned to do community service at the post office's Dead Letter Office. He and his generic co-workers (the one who's really quiet, the one who's crabby crab·by adj. crab·bi·er, crab·bi·est Informal Grouchy; ill-tempered. crab  bi·ly adv. , the one who's deaf - these are the jokes, folks) cook up a plan to do favors for people who write letters to God. You're probably thinking it's a sentimental/funny premise in the Frank Capra mold, but ``Dear God'' doesn't deserve to load the film in Capra's camera. The cast, assembled from sitcoms that TV viewers rejected long ago (Tim Conway, Rue McClanahan, Ellen Cleghorne), can't be expected to do much with these underwritten roles, but it is a surprise that veteran director Garry Marshall (``Pretty Woman,'' ``Frankie and Johnny'') couldn't goose up the movie's sluggish pace. Kinnear has a disarming, wry manner. Although he's only been in two movies and they both stink (``Sabrina'' is the other), he may well be a movie star. And Laurie Metcalf (Jackie on ``Roseanne'') is always worth watching - here, she gives an odd, tic-filled performance as a social glob who is a Kinnear colleague (the one who's a nerd). Throughout ``Dear God,'' there are wild shifts in tone. Is it an ``Airplane''-like parody of TV news? A sloppy romance? A sentimental fable? A raucous farce? Even if you watch the whole thing, you'll never find out. The film: ``Dear God'' (PG; mild profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity ). The stars: Greg Kinnear, Laurie Metcalf, Maria Pitillo, Tim Conway, Roscoe Lee Browne For the Tuskegee Airman, see . Roscoe Lee Browne (May 2 1925 – April 11 2007) was an American Emmy Award-winning actor and director, known for his rich voice and dignified bearing. and Hector Elizondo. Behind the scenes: Directed by Garry Marshall. Written by Warren Leight and Ed Kaplan. Released by Paramount. Running time: One hour, 52 minutes. Playing: Citywide. Our rating: Two Stars. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: Greg Kinnear stars in his second feature film, ``Dear God,'' about a con artist who finds his softer side answering letters addressed to God. |
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