Evan Almighty is a 2007 American epic fantasy disaster comedy film, and a sequel of Bruce Almighty (2003). The film was directed by Tom Shadyac, written by Steve Oedekerk, based on the characters created by Steve Koren and Mark O’Keefe from the original film. The film is a modern-day touch of Noah’s Ark. Evan enacts this because God commands him. And he will not stop even after pursuing a new career in government. Production of the film began in January 2006. Many visual effect companies did CGI for the animals and the climactic flood scene. It became the most expensive comedy film ever.
Directed by
- Tom Shadyac
Screenplay by
- Steve Oedekerk
Story by
- Steve Koren
- Mark O’Keefe
- Tom Shadyac
- Steve Oedekerk
- Joel Cohen
- Alec Sokolow
Based on Characters
- By Steve Koren
- Mark O’Keefe
Produced by
- Tom Shadyac
- Gary Barber
- Roger Birnbaum
- Neal H. Moritz
- Michael Bostick
- Steve Oedekerk
Cinematography
- Ian Baker
Edited by
- Scott Hill
Music by
- John Debney
Production companies
- Spyglass Entertainment
- Relativity Media
- Shady Acres Entertainment
- Original Film
Distributed by
- Universal Pictures
Release date
- June 22, 2007
Running time
- 96 minutes
Country
- United States
Language
- English
Budget
- $175 million
Box office
- $173.4 million
Plot
Local television news reporter Evan Baxter leaves his hometown of Buffalo, New York, and later moves to the community of Prestige Crest, located in the fictional town of Huntsville, Virginia. His congress campaign officially declares that he will change the world. Evan prays to God to give him the opportunity. His wife, Joan, also prays that she, Evan, and their three sons will be closer together as a family. On his first day at Congress, Evan receives a letter that he’ll be in the prime office to join him at Integration of Public Lands Act.
Thereafter Evans’s life starts to change. Pairs of animals start following him around everywhere he goes and he starts to grow beard uncontrollably. The number 614 appears everywhere in his daily life. Evan comes to realize that this number actually refers to verse 14 in chapter 6 of the Book of Genesis, where God instructs Noah to build an ark for the flood. He rejects this idea. God starts appearing to Evan and tells him that a flood will come and the only way he can change the world will be by building the ark.
God warns him the flood will likely come mid-day on September 22. Believing that Evan has gone insane, Joan leaves him, causing Evan to continue building the ark alone. God disguises himself as a waiter in a restaurant and later speaks to Joan. Joan finally returns to help Evan. On September 22, Evan’s staffers tell him Long had planned to build a dam. Evan realizes that the flood will be a result of Long’s dam failing. The dam indeed fails. Evan rides the ark rides in flood, down the streets of Washington, D.C. He interrupting the vote for the Public Land Act Bill. At the end of the film, Congress investigates Long for corruption. All the animals return to their places. Evan is back to Congress after the flood.
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Cast
- Steve Carell as Evan Baxter / Noah, a former news reporter who is now a congressman
- Morgan Freeman as God
- Lauren Graham as Joan Baxter, Evan’s wife
- John Goodman as Congressman Chuck Long, a senior congressman
- John Michael Higgins as Marty Stringer, Evan’s chief of staff
- Wanda Sykes as Rita Daniels, Evan’s executive assistant
- Jonah Hill as Eugene Tennenbaum, one of Evan’s staffers
- Jimmy Bennett as Ryan Baxter, Evan and Joan’s youngest son
- Graham Phillips as Jordan Baxter, Evan and Joan’s middle son
- Johnny Simmons as Dylan Baxter, Evan and Joan’s oldest son
- Molly Shannon as Eve Adams, the Baxters’ real estate agent
- Ed Helms as Ark Reporter
- Rachael Harris as Ark Reporter
- Brian Howe as Builder
- Harve Presnell as Congressman Burrows
- Madison Mason as Congressman Dodd
- Bruce Gray as Congressman Hughes
- Paul Collins as Congressman Stamp
- Jim Doughan and Meagen Fay as Neighbors
- Dean Norris as Officer Collins
- Jon Stewart has a cameo appearance as himself
- Catherine Bell as Susan Ortega
- Maile Flanagan as Mail Carrier
- Lisa Arch and Simon Helberg as staffers
- David Barrera as Ark reporters
- Ruth Williamson as a neighbor
- Jim Doughan as a neighbor
- Michael Roper as Congres Reporter
- Emily Eby as Animal Wrangler
- Bart the Bear 2 and Honey Bump as bears
