Evan Almighty

Evan Almighty is a 2007 American fantasy disaster comedy film, and the stand-alone sequel and spin-off 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, and starring Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham and John Goodman.

Production of the film began in January 2006. Several visual effect companies were used to provide CGI for the numerous animals and the climactic flood scene. The main plot is a modern-day retelling of Noah's Ark. By the time the film had completed production, it had become the most expensive comedy film ever (this record was later overtaken by Men in Black 3). In October 2007, the film was released on DVD and HD DVD.

The film grossed less than its budget of $175 million worldwide, and received generally negative reviews.[1][2] Evan Almighty was also notable for allegations that the many animals used in the film were treated poorly, but Universal Pictures stressed that the animals' conditions were acceptable.

Plot
Newly elected to Congress, former local television news reporter Evan Baxter (Steve Carell) leaves his hometown of Buffalo, New York, and later moves to the fictional community of Prestige Crest, Virginia, where his congressional campaign officially declares that he will change the world. Evan prays to God (Morgan Freeman) to give him this opportunity. His wife, Joan (Lauren Graham), also prays that she, Evan and their three sons Dylan (Johnny Simmons), Jordan (Graham Phillips) and Ryan (Jimmy Bennett) will be closer together as a family. On his first day, Evan receives a letter from his greedy boss, Congressman Chuck Long (John Goodman), who provides him with a prime office and the opportunity to join Long as the junior co-sponsor to his Citizens' Integration of Public Lands Act (CINPLAN) bill. Over the next several days, strange events in Evan's life occur: 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 in preparation for a coming flood. Although Evan initially rejects this idea, God himself starts appearing to Evan in various guises, assuring him that a flood is coming and the only way Evan can change the world will be to build the ark. Evan himself decides to start building the ark with the tools and materials provided, giving him an opportunity to get closer to his sons, although Joan sees this as a midlife crisis.
 * Eight vacant lots in Prestige Crest are purchased under his name, and ancient tools and gopher wood are delivered there.
 * Pairs of animals start following Evan around everywhere (even into Congress).
 * He uncontrollably starts growing a beard that keeps instantly growing back no matter how many times he shaves.
 * The words "Genesis 6:14", as well as the number 614, starts appearing in various forms throughout his daily routines.

Although Evan still maintains his career in Congress, his appearance alienates his three staffers, Rita Daniels (Wanda Sykes), Marty Stringer (John Michael Higgins), and Eugene Tennanbaum (Jonah Hill), and the animals that follow him everywhere become very disruptive. God reappears and provides Evan a robe, and warns him the flood will come mid-day on September 22. When Evan dons the robe, he finds he is unable to wear any other clothes, the robe seemingly displacing anything else he wears. Outraged by Evan's slothful appearance, Long has his name is removed from the Public Land Act bill. Believing that Evan has gone insane, Joan leaves him, causing Evan to continue building the ark alone. In a restaurant, Joan encounters God in disguise as a waiter at a diner, He assures Joan that she should see this as an opportunity for the entire family to get closer to each other. Joan is inspired and finally returns with the kids to help Evan finish the ark to prepare for the flood.

On September 22, Evan's staffers show him research that Long had planned to build Prestige Crest after damming off a nearby water source, but Long had cut many corners in building the dam. The staffers suspect Long would do the same with the Public Land Act Bill. With the ark complete, the police try to destroy the ark with a wrecking ball, as it violates land codes. As animals start to load the ark, and rain falls, Evan realizes that the flood will be a result of Long's dam failing. He warns the onlookers to get aboard the ark as the dam indeed breaks, destroying all of Prestige Crest. The ark later floods the streets of Washington, D.C. and comes to a halt in front of the Capitol, interrupting the vote for the Public Land Act Bill. This results in Evan accusing Long's cost-cutting for the dam's failure, leading to several other members of Congress voting against the bill.

Long is being put under investigation for his profiteering and ethics, while all the animals are returned to their natural habitats. Evan is finally reinstated in Congress, all the changes forced on him by God are no longer remaining. Evan re-encounters God during a hike, and He states that Evan's life is now perfect as he prayed for, being closer to his family and having changed the world for the better through his one Act of Random Kindness (ARK).

Cast

 * Steve Carell as Evan Baxter, 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, Evan's greedy boss
 * John Michael Higgins as Marty, Evan's chief of staff
 * Jimmy Bennett as Ryan Baxter, Evan and Joan's youngest son
 * Wanda Sykes as Rita, Evan's assistant
 * Jonah Hill as Eugene Tennanbaum, one of Evan's staffers
 * Molly Shannon as Eve Adams, the Baxters' real estate agent
 * Graham Phillips as Jordan Baxter, Evan and Joan's middle son
 * Johnny Simmons as Dylan Baxter, Evan and Joan's oldest son
 * Ed Helms as Ed Carson (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

Screenplay
The film's screenplay was originally titled The Passion of the Ark and was written by Bobby Florsheim and Josh Stolberg.[3] It became the subject of a seven-studio bidding war in April 2004. The script was sold to Sony Pictures in a deal worth $2,500,000 plus a percentage of the profits, a record for a spec scriptfrom previously unproduced writers.[4] Universal Studios immediately made a deal to co-produce the script with Sony and have Steve Oedekerk rewrite it into the sequel to Bruce Almighty. Steve Oedekerk had been involved with Bruce Almighty as an executive producer and co-writer of the screenplay (with Steve Koren and Mark O'Keefe, who wrote the story). The studio later discarded the original The Passion of the Ark script completely, and Oedekerk fashioned a new script from scratch (only he received final credit on the finished film as screenwriter). Jim Carrey was asked to reprise his role as Bruce in the sequel and, when he declined, director Tom Shadyac convinced Steve Carell to accept the leading role.[5] Shadyac, reflecting on the first film, stated "[Carell] delivered some of the funniest stuff in the movie. We thought, 'Why not take that character and spin him off into a different film?'"[6]

Casting
Jim Carrey declined to reprise his role from the original Bruce Almighty. Although Carrey did act in a sequel to Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, he has said that he is "not a big fan of doing the same character twice."[7] This marked the third time a sequel has been made to a film for which Carrey declined to reprise his role; the others being Dumb and Dumberer and Son of the Mask.

Budget
The initial budget, at approximately $140 million, led Evan Almighty to become the most expensive comedy film ever made. Added costs such as set construction, visual effects, and problems with filming multiple animals in a controlled location brought the budget up to $175 million.[8] Once marketing for the film was also included, the film's entire budget was estimated to be around $200 million.[9] The ballooning budget caused Sony to drop the project and hand it over entirely to Universal Studios.[8] Part of the budget was Carell's payroll, where he earned a reported $5 million for his leading role.[7] The Virginia Film Office estimates the film brought $20–25 million to Virginia, with the majority of it in the Charlottesville area.[10]

Ark design and construction
Construction of the ark began in January 2006 and the scenes involving the ark were shot in a Crozet, Virginia subdivision called Old Trail.[6] The ark was designed to meet the actual measurements of the biblical ark, measuring 450 feet (137 m) long, 80 feet (24 m) wide, and 51 feet (16 m) high.[7] The ark's layout was also based on pictures in several children's books that crew members had read in their childhoods.[6] When the characters were filmed during the day building the ark or were on location elsewhere, crew members would further construct the ark at night.[6] A concrete base was built to support the weight of the large ark; after filming was completed, the ark was taken down in a week, and the base in another week.[6]

In disassembling the set, everything that was salvageable from the ark was donated to Habitat for Humanity. "Leave no trace" was the slogan used by the director as part of the DVD's bonus features, "The Almighty Green Set".