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In Jim Carrey's new US smash movie 'Bruce Almighty'
- the studio used a real phone number for God. Now
some poor souls have spent days taking calls from
the world's wackos.
In the hit movie, a TV newsman played by Jim Carrey
is endowed by God with divine powers, allowing him
to perform such feats as parting a bowl of tomato
soup like the Red Sea.
God's phone number is repeatedly displayed on the
newsman's pager whenever the Lord tries to summon
him. Bruce Almighty opens in the UK on June 27.
Usually, movies and TV shows use the telephone exchange
555, which is not used for homes and businesses. But
'Bruce Almighty' used a seven-digit number valid in
many parts of the country.
Many moviegoers have remembered the number and put
it to work in their own area codes.
A woman in Pinellas Park, Fla., has threatened to
sue the movie studio because of the 20 calls per hour
clogging her cell phone. A Colorado radio network
was getting dozens a day Wednesday, five days after
the movie hit theaters, and is planning to build a
contest around the phenomenon.
In Sanford, N.C., the listing belongs to a church
whose minister is actually named Bruce. And he is
not amused.
'It's a movie that mocks God and makes a mockery of
religion', said the Rev. Bruce MacInnes, pastor of
Turner's Chapel Church. 'I'm not too thrilled with
it at all. But the Lord God is one that could use
something that's meant for evil and turn it around
for good. So this may very well be the reason that
that number showed up'.
Universal Pictures, which produced the film, said
in a statement Wednesday that the phone number was
chosen because it does not exist in the Buffalo, N.Y.,
area, where the movie is set. The studio offered no
further comment.
A database search turned up more than 30 listings
nationwide for the number in the movie.
In Cornelia, Ga., the number belongs to the Rev. Patrick
Collington, an evangelist who runs Souls for Christ
Ministries. His wife, Tracy, said they have gotten
about 100 calls since Friday - mostly people asking
for God and hanging up - but they are not bothered.
The family went to see the movie Tuesday night and
loved it. 'It was funny, and knowing God's phone number
was our number was really something to be excited
about', she said.
Donna Augustin of Parrish, Fla., said her family has
received about 200 God calls since Friday. Her three
children think it is hilarious. A new message on their
answering machine informs callers that they have reached
'God's messenger' and should 'call Jim Carrey' instead.
Some callers of the Augustin home leave messages ranging
from sweet to obscene. Most try to come up with something
funny. One guy wanted to know when God would answer
his prayers and make him a porn star.
In Longmont, Colo., the Colorado Radio Network's nine
lines started lighting up Monday with God callers,
a good number of whom actually seemed to think they
found a direct line to the Lord, according to Ron
Nickel, the network's senior vice president.
'God, I really need to talk to you', one woman said
in a message. 'I need to repent because I've cheated
on my husband five times, but I guess all of us people
who are prostitutes eventually cheat on our husbands'.
Nickel said the network of five stations plans to
turn the whole thing into a contest. Listeners will
be asked what they would say to God if they could
call Him. The host of the stations' only religious
show will pick the winner.
'This just dropped right out of the sky into our lap',
Nickel said. 'We would have to be stupid to get angry'.
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