Watch In God We Tru$t
- PG
- 1980
- 1 hr 37 min
-
5.4 (1,205)
In God We Tru$t is a satirical comedy film from 1980, directed and produced by Marty Feldman. The movie, which takes a humorous approach to some of the more controversial and taboo topics of the time, stars Feldman himself as the protagonist, a young and naive monk named Brother Ambrose. The movie opens with Brother Ambrose living in seclusion in a monastery in the middle of a desert. He has led a sheltered life, cut off from the outside world, and is therefore completely oblivious to the rampant corruption and depravity that has swept across society. However, his idyllic existence is soon disrupted when he receives a letter from a wealthy benefactor, urging him to leave the monastery and take up a new mission in the outside world.
Intrigued and eager to do God's work, Brother Ambrose dons his monk's robes and sets off on a journey of discovery, encountering all manner of strange and eccentric characters along the way. When he arrives in the nearest town, he is immediately confronted with the stark reality of the world outside the monastery walls. Everywhere he looks, he sees evidence of greed, corruption, and moral decay.
Undeterred, Brother Ambrose sets about his mission with gusto, determined to bring the word of God to those who need it most. He soon finds himself embroiled in a host of bizarre and often hilarious situations, including a run-in with a crooked televangelist (played by Peter Boyle), a meeting with a seductive and manipulative psychiatrist (Louise Lasser), and an encounter with a group of hippies who have formed their own spiritual movement.
As he struggles to reconcile his own religious beliefs with the harsh realities of the world around him, Brother Ambrose becomes increasingly disillusioned with the hypocrisy and corruption he encounters. Nonetheless, he persists in his mission, determined to bring hope and salvation to those who have lost their way.
The film is a biting satire on numerous aspects of American society in the late 1970s, taking aim at everything from organized religion to consumerism, celebrity culture, and sexual morality. Its humor is often dark and irreverent, but it is also tempered by moments of genuine insight and poignancy. Feldman, who was known for his offbeat and idiosyncratic approach to comedy, delivers a nuanced and multilayered performance as Brother Ambrose, finding both humor and pathos in the character's wide-eyed innocence and childlike naivete.
Overall, In God We Tru$t is a thought-provoking and entertaining film that combines satire with social commentary, delivering a provocative commentary on the moral and spiritual malaise that characterized American society at the time. While its humor may not be to everyone's taste, it remains a unique and daring work of satire that is well worth seeing for fans of this genre.