Leap of Faith (film)

Infobox Film
name = Leap of Faith

---

caption = "Leap of Faith" original theatrical poster
director = Richard Pearce
producer = Michael Manheim
David V. Picker
writer = Janus Cercone
starring = Steve Martin
Debra Winger
Lolita Davidovich
Liam Neeson
music = Cliff Eidelman
cinematography = Matthew F. Leonetti
editing = John F. Burnett
Mark Warner
Don Zimmerman
distributor = Paramount Pictures
released = December 18, 1992
runtime = 108 min.
rating = PG-13 (US) / PG (UK)
country = USA
awards =
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id = 1:28675
imdb_id = 0104695

"Leap of Faith" is a 1992 American drama film, directed by Richard Pearce and starring Steve Martin and Debra Winger. The film is about Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent Christian faith healer who uses his revival meetings, in Rustwater, Kansas, to milk believers out of their money.

According to Ole Anthony, Martin "modeled the evangelist character on Benny Hinn". [cite news | url=http://www.rickross.com/reference/hinn/hinn2.html | title=The Miracles and the Money | publisher=Transcript of CNN Impact |date=March 16, 1997 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-04-13]

The story is similar to the book "The Faith Healers" by James Randi surrounding Peter Popoff.cite news | url=http://www.randi.org/jr/120701.html | title=Leap of Faith| publisher=James Randi Educational Foundation | date= December 7, 2001 | first=James | last=Randi | accessdate =2007-05-11] Randi claims the movie borrowed heavily from his book.

elected cast

* Steve Martin — Jonas Nightengale
* Debra Winger — Jane Larson
* Lolita Davidovich — Marva
* Liam Neeson — Sheriff Will Braverman
* Lukas Haas — Boyd
* Meat Loaf — Hoover
* Philip Seymour Hoffman — Matt
* M.C. Gainey — Tiny
* La Chanze — Georgette
* Delores Hall — Ornella
* Troy Evans - Officer Lowell Dade

Trivia

*Plainview, Texas, where the movie was filmed, the downtown water tower still bears the name and mascot of the fictional town in which the movie is set: The Rustwater Bengals
* Martin became the film's star after Michael Keaton quit the production.cite news | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104695/trivia | title=Internet Movie Database: Leap of Faith Trivia | publisher=Internet Movie Database |date=2007 | first= | last= | accessdate =2007-04-23]
* Jonas' "mind-reading" trick is similar to the method used by televangelist Peter Popoff.
* In a scene where Neeson's character reveals "Jonas Nightengale"'s true past, he states that Nightengale's birth name was "Jack Newton". John Newton was a slave trader who converted to Christianity, became a priest and later an abolitionist, and wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.
* Part of the filming took place near Denton, Texas. Then televangelist Robert Tilton, who was in nearby Dallas, was a fan of Steve Martin and wanted very much to meet him. Steve Martin told the movie production staff that he didn't want anything to do with Mr. Tilton.Fact|date=February 2007
* The theme music (instrumental piano) used throughout the film is not included on the soundtrack.

References

External links

*
* [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE7DD1730F93BA25751C1A964958260 Review/Film; Steve Martin as a Healer With Faith Only in Lies] December 18, 1992
* [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19921218/REVIEWS/212180302/1023 Leap Of Faith] by Roger Ebert
* [http://www.acs.appstate.edu/dept/physics/caton/Columns/BennyHinn.htm Faith Healers deal in phony shows and false hopes] "The Observer"
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/ni/2006/12/randi_and_popoff.html Randi and Popoff] "BBC" 9 Dec 06
* [https://www.skeptic.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Session_ID=aabd4073b4deacff93fddaff1d9869c0&Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SS&Product_Code=b003PB&Category_Code=BR Listing notes Steve Martin’s Leap of Faith was based on this book ]
* [http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=kurtz_20_2 On Entering the Third Decade] by Paul Kurtz
* [http://ntskeptics.org/1993/1993january/january1993.htm The third eye] by Pat Reeder