i suppose if you wanted to be gutsy or perverse about this you might suggest that this film has a religious element. personally i think that's a stretch, but i once read a review in a Christian monitor claiming the 'Oh God' movies with George Burns were good Christianity in film. oh okay. if that's the case i suppose you could make a similar argument here, if you so choose to go there.
to be perfectly honest and open about this, i consider myself to be a serious Christian, but i don't prescribe to any superstitious or medieval beliefs. i consider myself to be somewhat of a realist and try to be as practical about serious matters as i can be. most of our common beliefs about Heaven and angels are based on medieval artwork and superstitious notions. the whole "guardian angel" idea also seems like some corny contrivance out of nostalgic Hollywood movies like "It's A Wonderful Life" or "The Bishop's Wife". i've never really been into movies like that. i guess i always felt they were more my parent's thing.
Disney's 'Charley and the Angel' manages to be a Disney comedy of substance without being too preachy about a message. older Disney films seldom were because Disney did't believe in burdening his audience with anything too thought provoking. 'Charley and the Angel' manages to be poignant and offer good and correct insights into life without sacrificing it's usual formula of fun and humour to convey it's message. i doubt most viewers will even realize there was much said when the film is over.
this movie is also outright hilarious. it's almost "get away from me with that" kind of funny. there is a outrageous subplot concerning Charley's two little boys driving a automobile and running bootleg alcohol for gangsters. all a little questionable since the boys are only twelve and ten. WHOA. what was Disney thinking?! that's bound to unnerve any uptight parent concerned about wholesome content. fortunately the whole thing doesn't get too out of hand and remains within the confines of "G" rated entertainment. a wacky car chase with tommyguns doesn't help though, it just fuels the crazy, over the top giddiness of the events.
this film has got to have one of the funniest depictions of children in film ever. Charlie's two boys, Willie and Rupert, provide most of the humour here and come off as red blooded, all-boy types rather than namby pamby sweetie pie child actor types. the subplot of Willie and Rupert running bootleg whiskey after Charley tells them to stop being lazy freeloaders and get jobs (keep in mind the boys are only twelve and ten), is probably some of funniest and most off the wall humour concerning children i've ever seen in the movies.
the acting here is also amongst Disney's best in a live action feature. this was Fred MacMurray's last film for Disney and it's a great reminder of why his fans love him so much. MacMurray was a wonderfully subtle actor, something he didn't get a chance to show on his routine sitcom 'My Three Sons'. MacMurray makes Charley seem believable and a realistic focal point for the film. Cloris Leachman is just great and gives a equally realistic performance that helps to keep the whole film somewhat grounded and convincing. Harry Morgan was one of Disney film's best assets in the seventies. his performance also gives the angel a earthly humanness which is needed since the angel almost always appears with FX effects and gag imagery. Morgan gives the angel a feeling of normality which dilutes a lot of the eerie surrealism of the character. and any film that stars Vincent Van Patten is uber cool in my book. i mean hey, Vince VP was in 'Rock n' Roll High Skool' with the Ramonees. there is also a kiddie junior version of Kurt Russell here looking no older than a baby faced nineteen or twenty.
this film is a good American history lesson as well. it's depiction of life in America's great depression of the 1930's is effective and accurate. particularly a scene where the bank closes it doors on it's depositors. my grandparents told stories of that one. of course there's the whole Willie, Rupert and the prohibition thing.
look. i happen to be a Christian but i'm no prophet or psychic. i don't know what the afterlife is supposed to entail or what a seraphim is to look like. i know that most of our notions are based on superstition and medieval artwork. i don't think this movie is attempting any kind of literal interpretation.
it's said "that a good man cannot be unhappy or a unhappy man do good". don't know much about that. but i do know that Charley's destiny seems fairly ambivalent about him and his fate. that is until he reaches his "self discovery". i don't claim to know if tomorrow brings rain or sunshine, but most people should RELAX and not worry about money or worldly things to the point you forget the promises life can hold for you. this has got to be one of my very favorite Disney films. and one of my film favorites period.
to be perfectly honest and open about this, i consider myself to be a serious Christian, but i don't prescribe to any superstitious or medieval beliefs. i consider myself to be somewhat of a realist and try to be as practical about serious matters as i can be. most of our common beliefs about Heaven and angels are based on medieval artwork and superstitious notions. the whole "guardian angel" idea also seems like some corny contrivance out of nostalgic Hollywood movies like "It's A Wonderful Life" or "The Bishop's Wife". i've never really been into movies like that. i guess i always felt they were more my parent's thing.
Disney's 'Charley and the Angel' manages to be a Disney comedy of substance without being too preachy about a message. older Disney films seldom were because Disney did't believe in burdening his audience with anything too thought provoking. 'Charley and the Angel' manages to be poignant and offer good and correct insights into life without sacrificing it's usual formula of fun and humour to convey it's message. i doubt most viewers will even realize there was much said when the film is over.
this movie is also outright hilarious. it's almost "get away from me with that" kind of funny. there is a outrageous subplot concerning Charley's two little boys driving a automobile and running bootleg alcohol for gangsters. all a little questionable since the boys are only twelve and ten. WHOA. what was Disney thinking?! that's bound to unnerve any uptight parent concerned about wholesome content. fortunately the whole thing doesn't get too out of hand and remains within the confines of "G" rated entertainment. a wacky car chase with tommyguns doesn't help though, it just fuels the crazy, over the top giddiness of the events.
this film has got to have one of the funniest depictions of children in film ever. Charlie's two boys, Willie and Rupert, provide most of the humour here and come off as red blooded, all-boy types rather than namby pamby sweetie pie child actor types. the subplot of Willie and Rupert running bootleg whiskey after Charley tells them to stop being lazy freeloaders and get jobs (keep in mind the boys are only twelve and ten), is probably some of funniest and most off the wall humour concerning children i've ever seen in the movies.
the acting here is also amongst Disney's best in a live action feature. this was Fred MacMurray's last film for Disney and it's a great reminder of why his fans love him so much. MacMurray was a wonderfully subtle actor, something he didn't get a chance to show on his routine sitcom 'My Three Sons'. MacMurray makes Charley seem believable and a realistic focal point for the film. Cloris Leachman is just great and gives a equally realistic performance that helps to keep the whole film somewhat grounded and convincing. Harry Morgan was one of Disney film's best assets in the seventies. his performance also gives the angel a earthly humanness which is needed since the angel almost always appears with FX effects and gag imagery. Morgan gives the angel a feeling of normality which dilutes a lot of the eerie surrealism of the character. and any film that stars Vincent Van Patten is uber cool in my book. i mean hey, Vince VP was in 'Rock n' Roll High Skool' with the Ramonees. there is also a kiddie junior version of Kurt Russell here looking no older than a baby faced nineteen or twenty.
this film is a good American history lesson as well. it's depiction of life in America's great depression of the 1930's is effective and accurate. particularly a scene where the bank closes it doors on it's depositors. my grandparents told stories of that one. of course there's the whole Willie, Rupert and the prohibition thing.
look. i happen to be a Christian but i'm no prophet or psychic. i don't know what the afterlife is supposed to entail or what a seraphim is to look like. i know that most of our notions are based on superstition and medieval artwork. i don't think this movie is attempting any kind of literal interpretation.
it's said "that a good man cannot be unhappy or a unhappy man do good". don't know much about that. but i do know that Charley's destiny seems fairly ambivalent about him and his fate. that is until he reaches his "self discovery". i don't claim to know if tomorrow brings rain or sunshine, but most people should RELAX and not worry about money or worldly things to the point you forget the promises life can hold for you. this has got to be one of my very favorite Disney films. and one of my film favorites period.