Product Details

• Actors: Steve Martin, Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich, Liam Neeson, Lukas Haas
• Directors: Richard Pearce
• Writers: Janus Cercone
• Producers: Burt Bluestein, David V. Picker, Janus Cercone, Michael Manheim, Ralph S. Singleton
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: September 23, 2003
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (85 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000A2ZNZ
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #50,280 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Leap of Faith" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

LEAP OF FAITH stars Steve Martin as Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent faith healer who makes a living visiting small towns and giving hope in the form of prayer. Aided by his no nonsense manager, Jane (Winger), Jonas sets up his tent in a small suburb of Kansas where he soon learns that their hidden mikes, cameras and computers can’t fool the neighborhood sheriff (Neeson). But, when Jonas is touched by a local waitress (Davidovich) and her disabled son Boyd (Haas), he learns something new about truth and what real miracles are made of.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars The Well Known Correlation Between MEATLOAF & Word Of Faith! May 26, 2004

By Sheila Chilcote-Collins VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Steve Martin is born to play the starring role of Jonas Nightingale, a travelling huckster, fraud of a faith healer, demon "caster outer", "slay in the spiriter" & more importantly, a money grubbing false prophet. Along with his no-nonsense sidekick manager, Jane, played aptly by Debra Winger, they bilk poor souls from a small town out of their hard earned cash with the oldest profession in the world. No, not prostitution. The selling of the Gospel Of Jesus Christ!

This film exhibits many word-faith doctrines such as "positive confession", "gospel of health", "gospel of wealth" and the whole "name it and claim it" belief. More imporantly, what it also has is some great smaller role performances given by Lolita Davidovich as waitress Marva, Lukas Haas as Boyd, Liam Neeson as Will, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Matt, and MEATLOAF as Hoover!

This movie also has a great soundtrack with samplings from Don Henley, Patti LaBelle, Wynonna Judd and of course, the great Meatloaf with "Paradise By The Dashboard Lights"!

Seriously though... This film has a great ending and shows what REAL MIRACLES are made of and EXACTLY where they are made...

A fun & entertaining family film!

Happy Watching!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A film about a con that goes disaterously right... June 11, 1999

By Dana Rich

Format:VHS Tape

When con-man turned preacher Jonas Nightingale rolls into a small town plagued by drought and unemployment he has two things on his mind... getting his truck fixed and separating the locals from what little money they have. Before the film ends he finds himself in the center of a situation that borders on the supernatural. As Jonas finds himself doing the right things for the wrong reasons this hardened huckster finds himself in the last position he expected to find himself... out of control. This movie looks at the life of a traveling evangelist/flim-flam man with an honesty that is at the very least unsettling. It shows some of the "tricks of the trade" in a way that makes you wonder about even the most sincere traveling evangelists. Plus, this film is backed up by some of the finest gospel music ever put on a movie soundtrack. The scene with the choir singing acapella as the crew put up the tents is worth the price of the movie. Steve Martin does a great job as Jonas. Supporting players Debra Winger and Liam Neeson round out a fine cast. I highly recommend this film

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Martin December 7, 2003

By Eric V. Moye

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

What a great film. A spellbinding performance by Steve Martin, who seemingly was born to play this role. He portrays Jonas Nightingale, a traveling huckster of a preacher, who leads an entourage going from town to town bilking poor hopeful people out of what little they do have.

Another reviewer was dead on - it is impossible to watch any of his scenes in this film without focusing totally on him. He is so full of the role but not in an overbearing way (unlike Jim Carey whose portrayal as Batman's foil The Riddler, comes to mind as a poor comparison).

It's not merely a send up of preaching, Christianity or of films like the great Elmer Gantry (to which it is often compared and found severely lacking). It is much more than that. It is also much much lighter. It also has a brilliant musical score, dominated by some of the most stirring and uplifting gospel music ever to come from any of God's creations.

Different from any role Steve Martin ever did. Brilliant!