Religious whimsy for the soft-hearted (and headed). Right in the middle of "Oh, God!", in which supermarket manager John Denver tries convincing his family and the rest of the world that he's frequently visited by the Almighty himself, the protagonist is given a list of very tough religious questions and is locked in a room to answer them; just as he hopes, God (George Burns) pops in and fills out the questionnaire to help this young man out (and ostensibly prove to people he isn't crazy). This sequence is so cogent and well-acted by Denver and Burns that it surely will be the catalyst to turn the movie's third act around and give us some believers. Sadly, director Carl Reiner and screenwriter Larry Gelbart (working from a witless book by Avery Corman) completely drop the ball, and Denver ends up in a courtroom. What might have been a sentimental but incisive look at religion today is turned into an updating of "Topper", with Burns exiting the room like the Invisible Man. A waste of a good premise, although George is wonderful in this, one of his defining roles. ** from ****
Review of Oh, God!
