Review – Leap of Faith

I’ve wanted to re-watch this movie ever since I first saw it in its original theatrical release. I can remember thinking at the time that it was an entertaining piece of work, but I had such a terrible time later that evening (caught in an ice storm and stranded on the Interstate overnight) that the entire experience ended up tainted. Thus it was with some relief that my original opinion of the movie was confirmed upon second viewing: this really is a charming piece of cinema. Steve Martin stars as a tent preacher running his usual elaborate cons on the people of a small Kansas town. We see Martin’s character struggle (more or less) with the ethics of taking money from people already brought to the brink of poverty by an extended drought. Then matters come to a head when a genuine miracle occurs during one of the preacher’s shows. Debra Winger and Liam Neeson turn in fine supporting performances, and the script gives them more than enough material to work with. Though the temptation must have been powerful to take a cynical approach to the subject at hand, this production manages to avoid bitterness while simultaneously not veering so far from the sarcastic that it steps into the smarmy pit on the other side of the highway. Those who have a little faith in this picture will find their trust more than rewarded. Worth seeing