A 1998 American TV satirical comedy-drama directed by Stephen Herek.
Ricky Hayman (Jeff Goldblum) is an executive at a home shopping channel facing flagging sales and competition from new executive Kate Newell (Kelly Preston). While out driving, Ricky and Kate happen to run into a stange man dressed in all white robes known simply as "G" (Eddie Murphy) claiming to be on a spiritual pilgrimage. After G suddenly crashes a taping at Ricky's network and sales go up, Ricky has the idea to use G to promote products.
The movie also stars Robert Loggia, Jon Cryer, Eric McCormack, Jennifer Bini Taylor, and Adriana Catano.
It was released on October 9, 1998.
Tropes for the film:
- Abusive Advertising: Not to the customer, and he actually is trying to preach the reverse, but try to explain to poor Morgan Fairchild that when G uses the anti-wrinkling device she is hooked to to electrocute the crap out of her and gets a massive increase in sales.
- As Himself: Morgan Fairchild, Betty White, Florence Henderson, Willard Scott, among others make appearances as themselves.
- But Now I Must Go: The film ends with G, after bringing some spiritual enlightenment (and a lot of chaos) to Hayman's life, continuing his pilgrimage.
- Do Not Do This Cool Thing: Invoked. Hayman manages to increase sales by ironically exploiting G causing chaos on the infomercial sets to tech people they don't need more things in their life as a "hey, look at how happy he is! Get this stuff to reach the same enlightenment!"
- Harmless Electrocution: Morgan Fairchild spends several minutes being continuously electrocuted by an anti-wrinkling device that G deliberately set up to eleven as a "this is a thing you do not need" lesson and shows nothing for it other than her face stretching like taffy (and going flawlessly back to normal after she switches it off) and her trying to reach the controls in obvious pain.
- Just Keep Driving: Done egregiously. G walks across several lanes of high-speed traffic without looking, and without getting hit. It's supposed to make it look like he's so in tune with the world that he doesn't need to worry (or has some kind of protection), but the fact that all the cars barely miss him and have no reaction at all just makes it look fake, regardless of how good the special effect is.
- One-Letter Name: G, the titular character of the film.
- Tagline: "God's gift to home shopping".
