| Leap of Faith | |
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Leap of Faith original theatrical poster |
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| 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 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $23,369,283 |
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 bilk believers out of their money.
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Jonas Nightengale is a fraudulent 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.
The movie was filmed in Groom, Texas, though parts of the movie were filmed in Plainview, Texas, where the town water tower still has the fictional town mascot painted on the side. Martin became the film's leading actor after Michael Keaton quit the production.[1]
On April 11, 2006, Taylor Hackford announced that he would be making his directorial debut on Broadway by bringing the film to the stage as a musical. The score was written by Alan Menken with lyrics by Glenn Slater. Hackford chose Leap of Faith even though he had previously been offered the opportunity to bring his film Ray to the stage. "What got me here was Alan Menken's score and how it so beautifully fit the book," Hackford said.[2] According to an article in the January 20, 2010 New York Post, Hackford is no longer the director of this project.[3] The Center Theatre Group presented the musical at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, in September 2010, with Rob Ashford as director and choreographer.[4] On June 21, 2010, it was announced that Raul Esparza will play the role of Jonas Nightengale (originated by Steve Martin in the film) and Brooke Shields will play the role of Marva (originated by Lolita Davidovich in the film) at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in September. Performances began on September 11, 2010, with an official opening on October 3, 2010, running through October 24, 2010.[5]
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