Serious film projects about religion are dangerous enough for filmmakers to handle, but mixing comedy with religion often elicits huge negative responses from audiences who believe that some topics should never be satirized. Bill Maher’s new R-rated documentary Religulous, directed by Larry Charles, dissects organized religion from nearly every imaginable angle.
Religulous Inspires Fans and Critics
Through sarcasm, scholarship, supposition, and suggestion, the former standup comedian deduces that religious zealots are currently the biggest threat to humanity. This stance, along with some of his confrontational interviews, provokes some people into serious thought and others into angry responses.
Religulous is certainly not the first comedy about religion to stir up trouble, however. Seemingly innocuous comedies, such as Evan Almighty and Henry Poole is Here incited vehement outcries among people who felt offended by the comedic take on spiritual matters. When it’s a matter of faith, logical depictions and descriptions carry little weight for true believers.
As more of these religious issues find their way into politics, education, business, and the arts, it’s likely that additional comedy films about religion will find their way into the movie theaters. The following represent a few comedy films about religious and spiritual matters that caused sensations with their theatrical releases.
Comedy Films About Religion
Henry Poole is Here (2008)
- A disillusioned man (Luke Wilson) moves into a new neighborhood to escape from his old life, but his new neighbors upset his tranquility by praying to a mysterious water stain that appears on the side of his house.
- Director: Mark Pellington
- Run Time: 100 minutes
- Rating: PG
Evan Almighty (2007)
- God directs a self-absorbed congressman (Steve Carell) to build an ark to protect his townspeople from the coming flood.
- Director: Tom Shadyac
- Run Time: 96 minutes
- Rating: PG
Bruce Almighty (2003)
- A struggling television reporter (Jim Carrey) tired of his mediocre life, blames God for his unhappiness, until one day he receives the power to change things.
- Director: Tom Shadyac
- Run Time: 101 minutes
- Rating: PG-13
Oh God! You Devil (1984)
- The third part of the Oh God series starring George Burns as God and as Satan. The first film Oh God! (1977) was directed by Carl Reiner and Oh God! Book II (1980) was directed by Gilbert Cates.
- Director: Paul Bogart
- Run Time: 97 minutes
- Rating: PG
Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
- Brian, a reluctant messiah in Biblical times, endures many trials in this social, political, and religious commentary disguised as a comedy.
- Director: Terry Jones
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Rating: R
For a review of the film Religulous, read Bill Maher Stars in Religulous.
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