Faith is a fascinating concept – few ideas have divided the population for centuries more than religious belief, especially the kind of blind faith that many religions are impelled to portray, which has led to many cynical conversations about how one can believe in something that is not tangible. However, it has also created a situation where many people have been able to take advantage of those who hold onto their faith with every fibre of their being. This immoral but sadly profitable practice is the subject of Leap of Faith, one of the more compelling satires of its time, especially when we concentrate on how this film navigates some challenging narrative territory, turning into a film that is simultaneously provocative and endearing, and most importantly outrageously funny, which is not something we would necessarily expect from such a dark and sordid story. Richard Pearce is not a director that we often consider as being a particularly notable for his output, but he’s the kind of journeyman filmmaker that is hired to bring films to life, especially in those where the script and performances are already doing the brunt of the work in terms of taking us on a journey. A film that is fondly remembered, but not entirely praised to the point of being considered a classic (and it doesn’t have enough passion behind it to even be called a cult comedy in the true definition of the term, but it has its defenders), Leap of Faith is a fascinating curio, a compelling and deeply moving story of faith as shown through the eyes of people who dedicate their lives to profiting off religious belief, and the consequences that occur when they realize that even the most smart-witted tricksters will eventually be exposed, especially when it becomes clear that there is not always a clear way out once you have become a part of the system.

As that notorious cult leader who shall go unnamed here once said, if anyone wants to become rich, they should start a religion – and for Jonah Nightengale and his ragtag group of misfits that join him in his endeavour to descend on small towns and mount religious revivals under the guise of being sent on a holy mission, he didn’t even need to start a religion to make money. Faith is not something that can be entirely described in only a few words – it’s an experience that not everyone can say they understand fully, at least in terms of the context in which it is used here. Leap of Faith is obviously not the first film to construct itself around religious belief, but it is one of the rare instances where a satirical look at the subject is done without being mean-spirited. This is a satire, so going in and expecting an uplifting and inspirational story of overcoming adversity with likely lead to immense disappointment – but it also refuses to look upon those who hold onto their beliefs with anything less than compassion and warmth. As far as this film is concerned, religion is not something to be mocked, nor are the people who devote their lives to earnestly seeking comfort and joy in whatever denomination or creed they choose. Instead, the focus is on that small but vicious minority, who see the opportunity to make money from every situation, and choose to exploit the vulnerability of those who are dedicated to religion. The main characters in Leap of Faith lack principle and foresight, and choose to go against all that is moral for the sake of some quick money, and the film makes sure that even when they are wildly entertaining (and this film is exceptionally enjoyable), that it isn’t condoning their behaviour as much as it is objectively showing how persuasive they can be, and the techniques used in something that is essentially just a travelling circus, one that preys on those who are most in need of real assistance, which leads to some provocative situations that change the course of the film as a whole.

The character of Jonas is a showman, someone who has chosen to pursue a career as an entertainer, albeit one that uses his skills to manipulate people into doing his bidding. The role clearly required an actor who could capture the manic energy of those wide-eyed, frenzied preachers who build their entire career and reputation on religiously-charged lunacy. Steve Martin was the perfect candidate for the role (even if Michael Keaton was originally cast – and one would assume his interpretation would have been much more sinister, and would have likely changed the entire tone of the film), especially since its a character that is well within his wheelhouse, but still challenged him as an actor. Martin, like the anti-hero in this film, is someone born to entertain, and we’ve seen on countless occasions, if we just place him on a stage with a microphone and a few props, the ensuing results are truly captivating. However, don’t let his presence fool you – Leap of Faith is a very funny film, but it’s not a film where Martin is playing one of his endearing rapscallions who may be vaguely immoral, but still have a good heart – Jonas Nightengale is a repulsive individual, a man who lacks even the slightest moral fibre, and who will gleefully manipulate those who he sees as gullible enough to fall for his tricks. It’s not surprising that the story concludes with him setting off, isolated and lonely, moving towards an uncertain future, while everyone else seems to have their happy ending – and Martin sells every moment of the film, turning in one of his most unexpectedly strong performances that overshadows everyone else (which includes solid work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Debra Winger), the entire story orbiting around Martin and his spirited commitment to the role and everything the character represented, which is a lot more complex than we’d initially think.

Leap of Faith works mainly due to its ability to grapple with the very thin barrier between comedy and drama. This is a film with a sincere sense of humour (and its difficult to imagine it being done as a straight drama – there is far too much absurdity shown in the sequences involving the revival, which is portrayed as an otherworldly event, filled with excess and unhinged madness), but also the ability to work through a number of other subjects that are not quite as easily digestible, but feel genuinely quite interesting when filtered through this film’s perspective. We explore religion, not as the opiate of the masses, but rather as the source of comfort and joy for a lot of people, and the various individuals that see it as a moneymaking opportunity. It takes a lot of work to make a film that is based around faith (rather than a faith-based film – this is an important distinction that needs to be made) and not have it be either heavy-handed or blasé, but this film achieves it relatively well. Obviously this doesn’t mean that Leap of Faith is free of flaws – it often struggles to temper itself properly, the emotions not being handled particularly well in certain instances, especially when it comes to resolving all the different plotlines, since the film introduces so many characters, and could not possibly give them all a satisfactory conclusion – some of them quite literally disappear from the film entirely, never to be heard from again. This is one of the few major problems that keep Leap of Faith from truly achieving greatness, and it often feels like a film that is far too invested in the concept more than it is the execution, which would be fatal had it not been so charming in the areas that work exceptionally well.

It takes a bit of time for Leap of Faith to truly reach its potential, or at least come close to it, which is mightily impressive for a film that is quite as audacious as this without having the necessary foundation to warrant such bold ideas at its centre. We may have some trouble determining whose perspective is most distinct in this film, especially as more characters get introduced, and others fade away into the background – but Martin holds court as brilliantly as ever, dedicating himself fully to the role of this maniacal preacher who finds himself faced with the consequences of his actions, and which prove to be rather intimidating once we realize that he cannot make a living out of fooling people. It’s a film with some very strong concepts, and it manages to be relatively decent in giving them all the time and space they need, at least at the outset. It’s not a particularly revolutionary film, and it acknowledges that it isn’t the most thorough when it comes to exploring these ideas, which turn out to be a lot more complex than we’d expect at a cursory glance. It has its heart in the right place, and a good sense of humour, enough to draw us in and keep us transfixed, which is not an easy achievement in the slightest. If anything, Leap of Faith works as a poignant and meaningful statement on the nature of life in this small town, and the mishaps that occur when outsiders enter and believe they can successfully fleece the natives. This could not be further from the truth, and becomes the foundation on which this delightful, irreverent and beautifully endearing blend of comedy and drama can find its footing, leading to a tremendously entertaining and very meaningful work that may not be entirely original, but offers us enough to keep the audience invested, and perhaps even provoking some deeper discussion amongst those particularly enamoured with the film and its message.