benjithegreat-64198 The best part of the movie is the beginning, where they're screwing over all the dumb religious rednecks. After that, it just started getting preachy and had to turn it off.

SanteeFats Wow!! I literally don't know how I feel about this film. It is not a comedy in my opinion. It seems to be a soul search by two religious scam artists, Steve Martin and Debra Winger. They play two scam artist evangelicals who go from big town to big town and make big bucks. Their bus breaks down in a podunk town in need of a rain miracle. They still try to scam the extremely destitute folks out of what little money they have left. They set up a huge revival tent complete with all the fixings including lights, a whole lot of chairs, a rather disturbing white Jesus statute (Jesus was a Semite and was not white by any stretch of the imagination). Meatloaf plays the bus driver and keyboard player and does a good job in the role. Liam Neeson plays the sheriff of the town and sees right through the scam artists but has a hard time convincing the populace. In the end Martin leaves because he can not explain the healing of a crippled teen. He is on a semi out of town when it starts to rain hard. So the town and the crops are saved but is Martin turned to the good???

ReelCheese LEAP OF FAITH takes an interesting premise but doesn't quite know what to do with it. Steve Martin is Jonas Nightingale, a fraudulent faith healer more interested in money and women then doing the Lord's work as he and his crew criss-cross the country putting on big tent revivals. A largely overlooked film, LEAP OF FAITH tries hard to blend some promising comedic elements with drama, but they mix about as well as oil and water. The film is also far too long, repetitive and lacking direction. Martin as the Elmer Gantryish star puts forth his usual likable effort, but even his considerable talents can't lift this one over the hump. A disappointment.

Steve P At times, a bit uneven of a movie that drags in places, but watching it, you're rewarded frequent gems of movie magic. The opening scene of Steve Martin talking his way out of a speeding ticket while his core crew places bets on the potential of his success accurately sets the stage for the charlatan of Martin's character, Jonas Nightengale. He's a shyster and proud of it. He's selling a bill of goods to willing saps and is clearly comfortable with the situation.Seeing the character of Jonas Nightengale operate is a true joy, from his attempt to bed the local beauty queen to how he mixes truth and banter to foil the attempts of an overly wise sheriff played by Liam Neeson.Martin's character very accurately employs techniques used by exposed Peter Popoff and it's worth doing a YouTube search of Peter Popoff to see the similarities.The Angels of Mercy choir is outstanding to watch and to hear. Be sure to stick around during the credits to see and hear more of them.There are undeveloped parts of the story, for example, Jonas's relationship with Jane (played very well by Debra Winger). It would have been worthwhile to know a bit more about how the two of them got started and why there isn't a romantic tension between the two of them. It's easy to assume they've been together, but there's no proof either way. She knows the act and him too well to be just a business partner and she's not presented as having a past seedy enough to get her into the conman business.It's all fun and games, of course, until a real miracle happens and what's a good conman to do when faced with the real deal? Have fun with this movie, forgive the parts that drag, and you'll be rewarded with a movie worth watching.