In this film of her one-woman show, former Saturday Night Live cast member Julia Sweeney recounts the worst year of her life. Something more than a stand-up routine, the comedienne performs on a stage set with only a couch, a chair, a table, and a lamp. With her run on Saturday Night Live and a marriage both behind her, she moved into the cozy house of her dreams in Los Angeles. But then, "God said 'HA!'". Her beloved brother Mike was diagnosed with lymph cancer, and he moved in with Sweeney so she could care for him. Their parents, worried, moved in as well, treating Julia like a teenager in her own house. Her house became crowded, and she slept on the couch in her backyard office. Then it really got personal; Julia was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Sweeney recounts her brother's struggles with chemotherapy, spinal taps, and a shunt in his forehead until Julia witnesses the performance of the Last Rites. She counterpoints the dark material with much humor, including an examination of her parents' many eccentricities. They force meatloaf upon her vegetarian diet, her mother communicates by stringing together several thoughts to make a single idea, and her father is addicted to National Public Radio and speaks of announcer Cokie Roberts as a life long friend. Julia Sweeney developed the material that would eventually become God Said, "Ha!" in comedy workshops in order to find the humor in her experience. It eventually became a 45 minute piece and then premiered in its final form in San Francisco in 1996. After an extended run, she moved the show to Los Angeles, and finally to Broadway. ~ Ron Wells, All Movie Guide
Review
It seemed a risky gamble to adapt Julia Sweeney's tragicomic one-woman show to a cinematic setting (and have Sweeney direct it as well), but it's one that pays off wonderfully. The film lets her choice words speak for themselves as it utilizes an interesting visual technique to prevent it from becoming too stagebound. Her tale of a rocky road to recovery for both her and her brother following their untimely cancer battles is one laden with sadness, but the inventive monologues have a deeper understanding of human fallibility and how humor can be used as a weapon during hard times. The film never feels depressing, or worse yet, like a futile exercise in self-important therapy. While never reaching the heights of, say, the best stage work of Richard Pryor or Lily Tomlin -- both of whom have a similar life-experience focus -- God Said Ha! is heartfelt and memorable and the best showcase of Sweeney's talents to date. The film wasn't much more successful than Sweeney's short-lived Broadway run, but has come to enjoy a following all its own. Incidentally, God was produced by good friend Quentin Tarantino, who urged Sweeney to create her own big-screen vehicle. ~ Jason Clark, All Movie Guide
Caylah Eddleblute - Art Director, Steve Joyeur - Art Director, Mark Friedman - Associate Producer, Greg Kachel - Co-producer, Mary Zophres - Costume Designer, Stephen Wren - First Assistant Director, Julia Sweeney - Director, Fabienne Rawley - Editor, Quentin Tarantino - Executive Producer, Dawn Todd - Line Producer, Anthony Marinelli - Composer (Music Score), Gail Bennett - Production Designer, John Hora - Cinematographer, Rana Joy Glickman - Producer, Thom Biggert - Set Designer, Craig Woods - Sound/Sound Designer, Julia Sweeney - Screenwriter, Julia Sweeney - Play Author
