The only good that came out of this is "Swinging on a Star" which was excellently used in the Best Picture winner of a 1991 parallel universe, Hudson Hawk.
It's more or less standard Crosby fare. There are some songs sprinkled throughout but nothing that jumps out and grabs you. It's also a bit long, at 2:10 it drags on a little in a few places. Bing is fine in the role but in the end it seemed a bit mediocre.
What an absolute fluffy schmaltzy nothing burger. Scenes go on way too long, the stakes are next to zero, and there’s a whole lot of singing. I guess the Academy needed a distraction from the war, and Bing Crosby and the Catholic Church were just the thing.
chemosh6969: He's done, well, two movies like that. This one, and its sequel, "The Bells of St. Mary's." Since the character's job is basically to help out parishes in trouble, I think we can forgive the plot repetition. ;)
Looking at Going My Way today, it's a little surprising that it made so much money back in the day and won the Oscar for best picture in 1944, to the point where they had to go to sequel. It's just a little loose and slow for that, often more like vignettes about a progressive pastor (Bing Crosby) who comes to a depressed parish to get the church out of hock and improves the community with good works and songs. I don't love the title song, I'm with the music execs on that, but The Mule is a treasure. The film lives and breathes in the dynamic between Crosby and an older priest played Barry Fitzgerald; their story comes to a touching resolution. Another vignette I wouldn't part with is Alfalfa getting slapped silly. Now THAT'S peak physical comedy! Other subplots are more or less geared towards forcing musical numbers - it's the kind of padding the movie's going for - as there isn't very much of a plot. Ultimately, director Leo McCarey pushes the performances into a fun, semi-improvised place, and religion is shown as a community builder, not a strict off-putting doctrine. Crosby's Father O'Malley deserved a sequel and got it, or a TV show in which he saves a church every week, but that just wasn't a thing back then.
I enjoyed this movie very much and didn't find it "slow" at all. (Well, perhaps the sequence depicting a number from the opera Carmen could have been cut down.) It's a feel-good story that depicts religion in a positive light for once, which is refreshing. (And I'm not even religious! I just get tired of seeing Christianity depicted as shorthand for 'evil hypocrisy'--it's lazy writing.) And the ending is a tearjerker.
Such a heart-warming little story - and a wonderful message that happiness and joy can indeed be found in your faith. The songs are lovely and Bing Crosby's character is very sweet and caring. I actually teared up in the end! A warm watch, one for which I enjoy movies for.
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Darkgod
Throws like an aethiest might be my new favorite line.fonz
The only good that came out of this is "Swinging on a Star" which was excellently used in the Best Picture winner of a 1991 parallel universe, Hudson Hawk.DisneyStitch
It's more or less standard Crosby fare. There are some songs sprinkled throughout but nothing that jumps out and grabs you. It's also a bit long, at 2:10 it drags on a little in a few places. Bing is fine in the role but in the end it seemed a bit mediocre.greenhorg
Double Indemnity obviously deserved the Oscar.greenhorg
Throw like an atheist?Punisher
I teared up a bit in the end too.But, sadly, i concur with both of greenhorg's comments below.
Public Enemy
Another Bing Crosby movie where's he's the new, unconventional minister of a church with no money and someone else wants a parking lot built.How many movies like this has he done?
jmars
What an absolute fluffy schmaltzy nothing burger. Scenes go on way too long, the stakes are next to zero, and there’s a whole lot of singing. I guess the Academy needed a distraction from the war, and Bing Crosby and the Catholic Church were just the thing.LordKinbote
chemosh6969: He's done, well, two movies like that. This one, and its sequel, "The Bells of St. Mary's." Since the character's job is basically to help out parishes in trouble, I think we can forgive the plot repetition. ;)Siskoid
Looking at Going My Way today, it's a little surprising that it made so much money back in the day and won the Oscar for best picture in 1944, to the point where they had to go to sequel. It's just a little loose and slow for that, often more like vignettes about a progressive pastor (Bing Crosby) who comes to a depressed parish to get the church out of hock and improves the community with good works and songs. I don't love the title song, I'm with the music execs on that, but The Mule is a treasure. The film lives and breathes in the dynamic between Crosby and an older priest played Barry Fitzgerald; their story comes to a touching resolution. Another vignette I wouldn't part with is Alfalfa getting slapped silly. Now THAT'S peak physical comedy! Other subplots are more or less geared towards forcing musical numbers - it's the kind of padding the movie's going for - as there isn't very much of a plot. Ultimately, director Leo McCarey pushes the performances into a fun, semi-improvised place, and religion is shown as a community builder, not a strict off-putting doctrine. Crosby's Father O'Malley deserved a sequel and got it, or a TV show in which he saves a church every week, but that just wasn't a thing back then.maarow
I enjoyed this movie very much and didn't find it "slow" at all. (Well, perhaps the sequence depicting a number from the opera Carmen could have been cut down.) It's a feel-good story that depicts religion in a positive light for once, which is refreshing. (And I'm not even religious! I just get tired of seeing Christianity depicted as shorthand for 'evil hypocrisy'--it's lazy writing.) And the ending is a tearjerker.inhonoredglory
Such a heart-warming little story - and a wonderful message that happiness and joy can indeed be found in your faith. The songs are lovely and Bing Crosby's character is very sweet and caring. I actually teared up in the end! A warm watch, one for which I enjoy movies for.