Paradise

When I saw that Frank Pierson (who did an amazing job with "Conspiracy") had done a film with David Strathairn and James LeGros, I was really excited, given that three of my little known favorites had done something together on a subject near and dear to my heart (that'd be the hypocrisy of Christian evangelism). Unfortunately, the immense satirical potential here is absolutely wasted by attempting to make a "Sopranos" or "Six Feet Under" type family drama in a ninety minute time frame. I'll say that Pierson does an amazing job of making the story flow properly between the unnecessarily large cast, but the story fails to make a concrete or even interesting comment about God or religion in America. But it does have a professional boxing subplot.

Paradise is a break in the tradition of movies depicting Christian faith. This pilot may not have achieved series status with Showtime, but its forthright depiction of the enigmatic mix of transgression, authenticity and humility of religious leaders is fresh and honest. The characters show real conflict between human desire and higher calling. The psychologically sophisticated conversations between Elizabeth Paradise and the other family members are intellectually stimulating, and the interactions between Senator Linney, billionaire Jeremiah Alcott and the Paradise Ministries officers are probably not far from the reality of the politics of international ministry organization. Although the heart of Reverend Paradise is shown to be simple and pure, there is an authenticity in the total behavior of the character that makes him believable. The strange twist around a middleweight price fight and the unexpected, uninvited supernatural abilities of renegade son Luke shows a candid window into the unpredictable nature of God. But it is the structural frame of the campfire and the strange visitor that likes double stuffed Oreo cookies that leaves the viewer with a final sense of wonder and a desire to watch it again from the beginning.

"Paradise" is a pilot for a proposed series on Showtime that didn't get picked up. Certainly the subject matter of the televangelist world has a host of excellent possibilities, particularly for a pay cable channel that can take bigger risks than a commercial TV network.

Unfortunately, "Paradise" comes off as nothing more than a "Dallas" clone with a different setting. And like most pilot episodes, this one spends a lot of time with the necessary job of introducing characters and setting up situations. But the story lines are pretty stale and unimaginative for the most part.

The story centers on Bobby Paradise (David Strathairn), a former astronaut who had a near-death experience after a spaceship landing in the ocean, resulting in a religious conversion (we suppose). When the show opens, he's a major star in the televangelist circuit, raking in millions of dollars and presiding over huge stadium-size crowds at his revival meetings.

But Bobby is also going through a psychological crisis that is hinted at in the beginning, and there's the potential for trouble when he aligns himself with a hedonistic media baron for the sake of reaching more people on TV and radio.

His immediate family participate in his business, led by his wife (Barbara Hershey). His daughter is a bit of a tramp and hooks up with a professional boxer; his older son is the one who tries hard but never pleases Dad; the daughter-in-law wants more of a role but is brushed aside. And then there's the black sheep son who just got out of jail for manslaughter in a bar fight, and is still rejected by Dad.

So you can see that the stage is set for the kind of soapy family dynamics that any viewer of "Dallas" or "Dynasty" will recognize.

And that's too bad, because the subject of televangelism is a great one, with endless possibilities for a hard look at religion, commerce, media manipulation, and political ambition - particularly given the current residents of the White House. This pilot touches on some of this, but you can bet the more interesting dramatic (and perhaps satirical) aspects of this subject would have been brushed aside for more commonplace dramatics.

Even so, there's some fine acting talent on display. Strathairn is a great choice for the role of Bobby: this kind of morally gray character gives him am opportunity to show off his talent for suggesting multiple facets of Bobby at once. The role also lets him play a dynamic, dominating character rather than the more quiet roles people usually associate with him.

Hershey is good in a role that is pretty vague, but would have probably deepened had the show continued. Elaine Stritch adds some necessary vigor and vinegar as her mother, who enjoys all the perks of Bobby's empire, but isn't exactly the pious type.

However, the actors playing the children are a mediocre bunch, including James LeGros who has been good elsewhere.

"Paradise" is truly a squandered opportunity, and based on this pilot, it's just as well that the show didn't go any further.

Frank Pierson's "Paradise" is an interesting look at the business of organized religion. In fact, it shows a man, at the center of the story, that may well be a fake.

An astronaut turned evangelist? Well, anything is possible. Bobby Paradise found salvation on his way back to earth. Bobby Paradise and his family are a success story. They live the life of privilege. We see the mansion, the luxury which probably stick out in sharp contrast with the life his followers lead. One wonders how can they justify this life style, which seems to be the norm for most of the people in this business.

The film's main interest is generated by its stars. David Strathairn, who brings an integrity to everything he does. Barbara Hershey, one of the best actresses in the business, who alas, is not seen much these days. And of course, Elaine Stritch is delightful playing a matriarch that loves her drinking.

While the film doesn't answer any questions about the subject of TV evangelism, it's not a total waste because of the cast and the direction.

This movie fails to redeem itself, even after that possibility became miraculously available. I was certain that I was wasting my time through the first 80 minutes of gratuitous TV-preacher bashing (which might actually be appropriate if it were not handled with such apparent fiction and superficiality) when suddenly, at the very last moment, it seemed that a story was about to emerge.

I was wrong. The only interesting tension in this film goes entirely unresolved and unexplained. It almost seems like this film was re-written in editing and they lacked the footage to explain the revision. So they released it.

I can't believe I actually bought a used copy of this. I hate that I spent $5.99 for it. But I have to much love for humanity to return or exchange it. Someone else might end up with it.

Only the producer can be blamed fully, but any director that would put his name on this movie deserves a measure of disgust.