Bible Idiots

There's a bit of a bait-and-switch going on in Chris Danielson's grating documentary Bible Idiots, which begins as a lighthearted and somewhat charming portrait of Christian-Americans who believe that God surely has a sense of humor, before quickly turning to sharp-elbowed defensiveness, particularly about being vilified for literal belief in the Bible's every word. The film initially centers on a traveling family who evangelize through standup comedy, especially focusing on a dad and his grownup son who have a goofy good time together and make small audiences laugh at churches. But the bulk of the film ends up being a dry and redundant series of arguments by ministers, writers, and teachers who describe a global crisis for the Christian faithful, seeing Satan's hand in many social issues. In rapid succession, familiar targets of fundamentalist ire—evolution, the Big Bang theory, secular colleges, other major world religions—are cited as both obstacles for Christians and the reasons why so many people mock or ignore Christians. Bible Idiots makes a strong initial impression with its sense of goodwill and Christian self-deprecation, only to lose those gains in a blizzard of self-righteousness. Extras include bonus footage and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Optional. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)