History Film / EvanAlmighty

Evan Baxter (Creatod/SteveCarell), Bruce's rival from the first film, becomes a congressman and moves to Washington D.C. where {{God}} (Creator/MorganFreeman) forces him to become the next Noah, presumably to save people (and animals) from the next Flood. This causes people, even his family, to think he's going crazy.

The sequel to ''Film/BruceAlmighty'', spoofing the biblical story of The Flood and Noah's ark. Evan Baxter (Bruce's rival from the first film) becomes a congressman and moves to Washington D.C. where God forces him to become the next Noah, presumably to save people (and animals) from the next Flood. This causes people, even his family, to think he's going crazy.

The sequel to ''BruceAlmighty'', spoofing the biblical story of The Flood and Noah's ark. Evan Baxter (Bruce's rival from the first film) becomes a congressman and moves to Washington D.C. where God forces him to become the next Noah, presumably to save people (and animals) from the next Flood. This causes people, even his family, to think he's going crazy.

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Besides the use of "works in mysterious ways", at the end of the Great Flood God had promised to never flood the entire world ever again. It's subverted because[[spoiler: although a global flood was implied, it was actually localised and not global (even if it did make a temporary ''inland sea''. Besides, God didn't cause it; man did.]]

* BigDamPlot: [[spoiler:the source of the flood.]]

* NoPartyGiven: Evan drives a Hummer and watches {{MSNBC}} and to explain for non-US tropers this is a stereotypically Republican car and a network whose opinion shows tend to be Democratic-leaning.

* PunnyName: When God poses as a human, he claims to be "Al Mighty". There's also a waitress named "Eve Adams".

* ShoutOut: Coupled with ActorAllusion, Jon Stewart and ''Series/TheDailyShow'' make a cameo appearance making fun of Evan. Carrell started off as a corresponant for ''The Daily Show'' along with Stephen Colbert in the "Steve and Steve" segment.

* TookALevelInJerkass: God's behaviour towards Evan is often bordering on downright ''[[KarmicTrickster cruel]]'', compared to the TricksterMentor he was to Bruce in the first film. At least he didn't make Bruce and the people in his life, question whether Bruce was losing his grip on reality, whereas Evan often is forced to look utterly ''insane''.

* ContinuityNod: Susan Ortega ([[Series/{{JAG}} Catherine]] [[ArmyWives Bell]]), the sexy co-anchor from the first film turns up briefly in the second (besides God and Evan she is the only returning character).

* ArcNumber:: 614. See AsTheGoodBookSays.

* BelatedBackstory: Evan Baxter goes from a smug, vapid antagonist to a nice, well-meaning father and husband whose only real flaw is that he is a {{workaholic}}. Considering he [[WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs doesn't even have the same job]] he had the first film he comes across more as a a brand new character that coincidentally has the same name and actor as the original Evan. Creator/SteveCarell admitted in an interview around the time of the movie's release, that ''Evan Almighty'' should just be looked upon as its own stand alone movie, and not as a sequel to ''Bruce Almighty'', and that all it really is, it's a retelling of Noah's Ark set in the present day.

The biggest budget comedy movie made at its time, although its critical response[[note]]23% on RottenTomatoes[[/note]] and box office performance might indicate money doesn't buy fun.

* [[IncrediblyLamePun Ark]] [[ArcNumber Number]]: 614. See AsTheGoodBookSays.
* [[ArcWords Ark Words]]: "One '''a'''ct of '''r'''andom '''k'''indness at a time."

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Besides the [[SarcasmMode very subtle]] abuse of "works in mysterious ways", at the end of the Great Flood God had promised to never flood the entire world ever again. Subverted because[[spoiler: although a global flood was implied, it was actually localised and not global (even if it did make a temporary ''inland sea''. Besides, God didn't cause it; man did.]]

* BelatedBackstory: Evan Baxter goes from a smug, vapid antagonist to a nice, well-meaning father and husband whose only real flaw is that he is a {{workaholic}}. Considering he [[WhyDoYouKeepChangingJobs doesn't even have the same job]] he had the first film he comes across more as a a brand new character that coincidentally has the same name and actor as the original Evan.
** Creator/SteveCarell admitted in an interview around the time of the movie's release, that ''Evan Almighty'' should just be looked upon as its own stand alone movie, and not as a sequel to ''Bruce Almighty'', and that all it really is, it's a retelling of Noah's Ark set in the present day.

* DolledUpInstallment: Was not originally written as a sequel to ''Bruce Almighty''. That would explain why the character Evan Baxter has a different personality, and really isn't the {{Jerkass}} he was in the first film, though Evan did go through character development at the end.

* GaiasVengeance: God's plan [[InMysteriousWays looks like this]] at times. He seems to think the valley Evan lives in looked better before it was filled with houses, and then there's the NoEndorHolocaust ending.
** Ultimately a subversion, as it turns out [[spoiler: The flood was caused by corrupt humans cutting corners on the construction of a dam, not by God or nature.]]
* GreenAesop: In the first ten minutes, we see Evan driving a Hummer, ordering kitchen units in wood from old-growth rainforests, and considering sponsoring a bill to open up national parks for development. Oh, and he [[KickTheDog hates animals]]. Wonder where this is going?

* IncrediblyInconvenientDeity: Evan grows a beard all of a sudden, is forced to build an ark, and, well, other VERY annoying stuff.

* NoPartyGiven: Evan drives a Hummer and watches {{MSNBC}}.
** To explain for non-US tropers: that's a stereotypically Republican car and a network whose opinion shows tend to be Democratic-leaning.

* RunningGag: Bird poop. [[ToiletHumor Lots and lots of bird poop.]]

* SelectiveObliviousness: No one seems to notice the changes in Evan that seem to happen instantly. No one notices Evan's clothes teleport off him and into a neatly folded bundle in a nationally televised hearing. No one notices Evan's hair change from brown to white overnight?

* TookALevelInJerkass: God's behaviour towards Evan is often bordering on downright ''[[KarmicTrickster cruel]]'', compared to the TricksterMentor he was to Bruce in the first film. At least he didn't make Bruce and the people in his life, question whether Bruce was losing his grip on reality, whereas Evan often is forced to look utterly ''insane'', for no good reason whatsoever!

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Joan prays that career-obsessed Evan will spend more time with his family.

* TheCassandra: As in the original.

* InMysteriousWays

** Also the Dance.

* SpinOff
* StealthHiBye: God.

-->'''Rita:''' I can't get my cat to use the litterbox...

** To be fair, though, in the Biblical story of Noah, he was harshly mocked by the people around him, and his own family was speculative until they finally decided to rally behind him and help, though this was because they thought the idea of building an ark was ludicrous, not because Noah was '''deliberately''' made to look like a pathetic clown. Bruce Almighty wasn't really based on a Bible story, and the abilities God granted Bruce were used selfishly and for his own benefit for most of the film. Building an ark in your front yard is not going to win you many friends until they figure out why.
** Also to be fair, God was a pretty big Jerkass in Bruce Almighty too. I mean, sure he gave Bruce free reign to do pretty much anything he wanted, but that was only good for Bruce, not all the billions of people who were suddenly at his mercy. All the people who suffered as a result of Bruce's powers, including Evan himself, would argue that God's always been at this level of jerkassery.

** To be fair, though, in the Biblical story of Noah, he was harshly mocked by the people around him, and his own family was speculative until they finally decided to rally behind him and help. Bruce Almighty wasn't really based on a Bible story, and the abilities God granted Bruce were used selfishly and for his own benefit for most of the film. Building an ark in your front yard is not going to win you many friends until they figure out why.

* [[spoiler:BigDamPlot: the source of the flood.]]

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Besides the [[SarcasmMode very subtle]] abuse of "works in mysterious ways", at the end of the Great Flood God had promised to never flood the entire world ever again. [[spoiler: Even if it was localised and not globally, most of the movie made it sound like it would be, and natural dam accidents usually don't make temporary ''inland seas''.]]

** To non-US tropers that's a stereotypically Republican car and a network whose opinion shows tend to be Democratic-leaning.

** SteveCarell admitted in an interview around the time of the movie's release, that ''Evan Almighty'' should just be looked upon as its own stand alone movie, and not as a sequel to ''Bruce Almighty'', and that all it really is, it's a retelling of Noah's Ark set in the present day.

* NoEndorHolocaust: Even if we assume that no one got killed during the initial flood, the huge amount of property damage, resulting mould and the fact that sources of clean water would be compromised after such a disaster make the fact that Evan became a marginally better human being not such a great accomplishment as the movie wants us to think. [[http://www.cracked.com/article/165_6-movie-heroes-who-sucked-at-their-jobs_p2/ This Cracked article]] puts it the best.

* GaiasVengeance: God's plan [[InMysteriousWays looks like this]] at times. He seems to think the valley Evan lives in looked better before it was filled with houses, and then there's the NoEndorHolocaust ending (not to mention that despite his protests to the contrary, Noah's Ark ''is'' a story about God's wrath).

The biggest budget comedy movie made at its time, although its critical response[[hottip:*:23% on RottenTomatoes]] and box office performance might indicate money doesn't buy fun.

The biggest budget comedy movie made at its time, although its critical response and box office performance might indicate money doesn't buy fun.

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Besides the [[SarcasmMode very subtle]] abuse of "works in mysterious ways", the story also violates the whole promise to not wipe out more cities with floods. [[spoiler: Even if it was localised and not globally, most of the movie made it sound like it would be, and natural dam accidents usually don't make temporary ''inland seas''.]]

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Besides the [[SarcasmMode very subtle]] abuse of "works in mysterious ways" (which the Old Testament actually discourages... [[note]]not that it stops modern churches anyways, unfortunately[[/note]]), the story also violates the whole promise to not wipe out more cities with floods. [[spoiler: Even if it was localised and not globally, most of the movie made it sound like it would be, and natural dam accidents usually don't make temporary ''inland seas''.]]