mjneu59 Review of Waiting for the Light

Waiting for the Light (1990)

celebrating superstition and stupidity

[3/10 · 14 January 2011]

Teri Garr plays a single mother trying to guard her two rambunctious children against the mischievous influence of her Aunt Zena (Shirley MacLaine), but what begins as a mild and amusing slice of early '60s nostalgia develops, instead, into an unbelievable fantasy-spoof of born-again religious hysteria. A misfired practical joke is the catalyst, fooling an unsuspecting town into believing a heavenly visitation has occurred. That single plot twist then leads to even more contrived comic misunderstandings until, after every shred of credibility has been exhausted, each separate conflict is resolved by a well-aimed bolt of lightning: saving the kids, curing MacLaine's heart condition, inspiring the town, and (believe it or not) ending the Cuban Missile Crisis. The point of all this is unclear, except perhaps to lampoon the credulity of rural town folk, in which case writer-director Christopher Monger's intended satire has no teeth. Even the most gullible hayseed isn't this stupid, and by relying on a timely deus ex machina climax Monger seems to be embracing the same blind faith he should have been poking fun at.