Thursday, January 18, 2007

Suing god and wild weather

It's blowing a gale, and various things are clattering down the path as the wind takes them. I could go out and put them somewhere safe, but I'd rather not. :D

There are some very pretty snowdrops peeping out of the hedge, however.




Last night I watched Billy Connolly in The Man Who Sued God, which was jolly good fun.

I liked the notion that insurance companies were infringing on religious "copyright" and presuming to identify "acts of god" in order to escape paying claims. Connolly's boat is destroyed by a lightning bolt, and of course, the insurers refuse to pay out, despite his fully comprehensive cover. This leaves him, his ex-wife (Jules), her new partner and his daughter in dire straits, so he decides to sue.

Jules: You're going to sue one of the world's biggest insurance companies?
Meyers: Well, apparently I wouldn't stand a chance... I'm suing God.

I liked this review:

"Either the Act of God clause is "some kind of giant all purpose lying mechanism" used by insurance agents to crush the little man, or it's what it says it is: an act for which God ought to be responsible. So, Myers decides to sue the Church, summoning representatives of every major faith. As the legal twists and turns kick in, the religious leaders will only be able to win the case if they can prove one thing: that God doesn't exist. "

A couple of bits that I felt didn't mesh too well:

spoilers: the ludicrous slap-stick moments set in a restaurant where the love-interest got her skirt torn off, which was a bit too Benny Hill for my liking and I also thought the "divine intervention" scene, where a window is blown in & a cockatoo flies in, towards the end of the court case was unnecessary and answered a question that could have been left open. I think this may have been a sop to a small percentage of the audience (I'm thinking humourless US right-wing Christian, in rather naughty and presumptive manner) that might be offended by the topics raised. I suppose that questioning/doubting god & church was an element of the film, but it was more to me about the weaselly ways of insurance companies.

I rather liked the romance between the cranky journalist and ex-lawyer/crank (in the other sense :D) Connolly. There was no leaping into bed right away, it was a slow burn and build-up, and seemed credible.

All-in-all, it was a pleasant, amusing movie with some interesting ideas.

Edited to add that this was an anniversary post for my blog. Happy 1st birthday, hippernicus. :P

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