God Can't Come to the Phone Right Now ...

[Dralix]

In the new movie Bruce Almighty, god (Morgan Freeman) contacts Bruce (Jim Carrey) via pager, and his phone number is displayed on screen. Usually movies use the exchange "555" which is not used in the US or Canada. But in Bruce Almighty they used a phone number that is valid in many cities.

So ... people are actually calling this number trying to talk to god. Some calls are cranks, but some are people actually think that they are calling god.

From a CNN article

"God, I really need to talk to you," one woman said in a message. "I need to repent because I've cheated on my husband five times, but I guess all of us people who are prostitutes eventually cheat on our husbands."

A Google search for "bruce almighty phone number" turned up hits from all kinds of local news sites where people are trying to call god ...

EDIT: grammar

 

[napoleon526]

You'd have to be pretty stupid to think that a phone number you saw in a movie was actually God's phone number.

 

[Stile]

Wouldn't surprise me if some people expect God to look like George Burns.

 

[cgannon64]

One born every minute...

 

[Greadius]

How do they remember the number? Do they write it down or memorize it? Shows an ... odd obsession. Very odd

 

[Toasty]

It appears 3 or 4 times in the movie.

 

[napoleon526]

Originally posted by Toasty
It appears 3 or 4 times in the movie.

So you admit you saw this movie? For shame!

 

[Toasty]

Originally posted by napoleon526

So you admit you saw this movie? For shame!

Bah, mediocre at best .

 

[WillJ]

Darn, I wish it were my number. Then I'd talk in a deep voice and pretend I really am God. I'm sure at least some nutcases would fall for it. Just think of all the things I could say... Plus, since my parents haven't seen the movie (and I have), when they hear all the messages on the answering machine for "God," I could say, "What, you mean you didn't know?"

 

[Ohwell]

I think I'm gonna call.

 

[Archer 007]

Well, there are plenty of stupid people out there.

 

[Tsukemono5]

That's great. I think I'll go give God a ring now...

 

[MummyMan]

That must be hell for the people that have that number. Getting calls all the time.

 

[Mrogreturns]

Well I phoned and spoke to god and he answered all my questions and now I feel a huge sense of anticlimax and wonder what point there is left in living now that I know everything I ever cared to know. I mean- where can I go from here? Take my advice folks- don`t call.

 

[JonathanValjean]

If someone actually thinks that number would connect them to God, they need their head examined. Of course, people of different theological (dis)beliefs would think that I need my head examined for what I say next. As a born-again Christian, I had a talk with God today, and I didn't need a phone. I only needed an humble heart and reverence.

 

[SunTzu]

whats the number!

 

[Gastric ReFlux]

How stupid were the moviemakers though? That's why they have the 555 prefix.

 

[WillJ]

Originally posted by Gastric ReFlux
How stupid were the moviemakers though? That's why they have the 555 prefix.

From the article:

Universal Pictures, which produced the film, said in a statement Wednesday that the phone number was chosen because it does not exist in the Buffalo, New York, area, where the movie is set. The studio offered no further comment.

I guess they assumed that people would realize that, since it's set in Buffalo, NY, calling your local version of the number would be pointless. Of course, they didn't understand that you shouldn't overestimate the intelligence of nutcases, plus the fact that many call just to have some fun, not really looking for God, and that any number that matches the number in the movie would be exciting enough.

And they probably wanted to be different from the countless uses of the number "555..."

 

[Dralix]

Originally posted by WillJ
And they probably wanted to be different from the countless uses of the number "555..."

Not to mention all the free* publicity.

*Pending lawsuits

 

[Gastric ReFlux]

Like people who are trying to call God are gonna think he or she has an area code.

They screwed up, and are probably gonna end up giving some people money for it.