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Leap of Faith
Leap of Faith original theatrical poster
Directed by	Richard Pearce
Produced by	Michael Manheim David V. Picker
Written by	Janus Cercone
Starring	Steve Martin Debra Winger Lolita Davidovich Liam Neeson
Music by	Cliff Eidelman
Cinematography	Matthew F. Leonetti
Editing by	John F. Burnett Mark Warner Don Zimmerman
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	December 18, 1992
Running time	108 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

Leap of Faith is a 1992 American dramedy film, directed by Richard Pearce and starring Steve Martin, Liam Neeson and Debra Winger. The film is about Jonas Nightengale, a fraudulent Christian faith healer who uses his revival meetings, in Rustwater, Kansas, to milk believers out of their money.

According to Ole Anthony, Martin "modeled the evangelist character on Benny Hinn".^[1]

James Randi, author of a book about Peter Popoff titled The Faith Healers, claims the movie borrowed heavily from his work.^[2]

Plot Summary

Jonas Nightengale is a fraudulent Christian faith healer who makes a living travelling around America holding revival meetings and conducting 'miracles' with the help of his friend and manager, Jane, and their entourage. One of their trucks breaks down in Rustwater, a town in desperate need of rain to save their crops. While waiting for spare parts, Jonas decides to hold a revival meeting in the town. The local sheriff, Will Braverman, is skeptical and tries to prevent his town and its people from being conned. However a local disabled boy, Boyd, believes Jonas could make him walk again. Events in Rustwater make Jonas examine his own faith and doubts.

Selected cast

• Steve Martin — Jonas Nightengale
• Albertina Walker - Lucille
• Debra Winger — Jane Larson
• Lolita Davidovich — Marva
• Liam Neeson — Sheriff Will Braverman
• Lukas Haas — Boyd
• Meat Loaf — Hoover
• Philip Seymour Hoffman — Matt
• M.C. Gainey — Tiny
• La Chanze — Georgette
• Delores Hall — Ornella
• Troy Evans - Officer Lowell Dade

Trivia

• Plainview, Texas, where the movie was filmed, the downtown water tower still bears the name and mascot of the fictional town in which the movie is set: The Rustwater Bengals
• Martin became the film's star after Michael Keaton quit the production.^[3]
• Jonas' "mind-reading" trick is similar to the method used by televangelist Peter Popoff.^[3]
• In a scene where Neeson's character reveals "Jonas Nightengale"'s true past, he states that Nightengale's birth name was "Jack Newton". John Newton was a slave trader who converted to Christianity, became a priest and later an abolitionist, and wrote the hymn Amazing Grace.
• Part of the filming took place near Denton, Texas. Then televangelist Robert Tilton, who was in nearby Dallas, was a fan of Steve Martin and wanted very much to meet him. Steve Martin told the movie production staff that he didn't want anything to do with Mr. Tilton.
• The singer Meat Loaf has a minor role in the film. During a scene while Winger and Martin are driving, the Meat Loaf song Paradise by the Dashboard Light plays loudly.
• The theme music (instrumental piano) used throughout the film is not included on the soundtrack.

References

External links

• Leap of Faith at the Internet Movie Database
• Leap of Faith at Allmovie
• Review/Film; Steve Martin as a Healer With Faith Only in Lies December 18, 1992
• Leap Of Faith by Roger Ebert
• Faith Healers deal in phony shows and false hopes The Observer
• Randi and Popoff BBC 9 Dec 06
• Listing notes Steve Martin’s Leap of Faith was based on this book
• On Entering the Third Decade by Paul Kurtz
• The third eye by Pat Reeder