JOSHUA —** —Tony Goldwyn, F. Murray Abraham, Kurt Fuller, Stacy Edwards, Eddie "Bo" Smith, Michael Guido, Colleen Camp, Giancarlo Giannini; rated G (nothing offensive); exclusively at the Consolidated Broadway Film Center.
If "Joshua" were as intelligent and thought-provoking as the filmmakers evidently think it is, they might have really had something.
But this thinly veiled, modern-day Jesus parable settled for being earnest, instead. It's played in the most straight-faced fashion, with little humor to lighten things up. The heavy-handed film is almost laughable as a consequence.
That isn't to say that films trying to promote faith should be laughed at. Given the state of affairs in the world today, many would agree that such movies should be encouraged.
But when they take themselves as seriously as this one does, they do a disservice to their prospective audiences. (The odd feeling of religion-bashing in this drama doesn't help.)
The film is based on the best-selling novel of the same name, about a mysterious stranger calling himself Joshua (Tony Goldwyn), who arrives one day in the small Southern town of Auburn.
There, he quickly sets up shop (in a barn that he rents from a diner owner) as a woodworker and craftsman. He also sets to work rebuilding the local Baptist church, which is in serious disrepair.
Many in the community are taken with the charismatic newcomer who lets his actions do most of the talking.
His fans, though, do not include local Catholic priest (F. Murray Abraham), who sees Joshua as an evil influence on the town's residents — especially his hold on a fellow clergyman, Father Pat (character actor Kurt Fuller, taking a break from his usual villainous roles).
Where this is all going will be painfully obvious to anyone who's paying attention throughout the movie — though given the plodding pace, you just might find yourself nodding off.
The no-frills camera work and chintzy set pieces betray the ultra-low budget of the project (most of the money probably went to the cast and to acquire the rights to the country-western songs that overwhelm the soundtrack).
As far as the acting is concerned, Goldwyn usually succeeds as a supporting character (witness his villainous turn in "Ghost"), but he doesn't have the charisma necessary to be a leading man — especially in this case.
To their credit, members of the supporting cast try to make up for that. Former "Chicago Hope" star Stacy Edwards is as appealing as ever, and surprisingly, Abraham isn't as hammy or over-the-top as he usually is.
"Joshua" is rated G and contains nothing that could be considered offensive by today's audiences. Running time: 90 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com