HOLY MAN (1998) **1/2 There's something spiritual about Eddie Murphy, man. There just is. It shines through the most base material, it eclipses the nonsense of Holly wood that shines it at us, it encompasses the mistakes that we know have been made by the man. It's an inner joy at the root of it, but that's not all there is and that's not much of a description. The sad part, really, is that they haven't figured out what to do with it. They think Eddie's a clown, so they give him these clown movies. They did the same thing to Bill Murray, for a long time and even after Razor's Edge , though they finally gave in and now realize he's serious. They need to do that with Eddie. As it is, this is entertaining enough. Eddie endows it with a grit and spirit and presence that renders much of the commonplace profound, and it does throw a few punches-as psychological as spiritual I think-that aren't entirely featherweight. Jeff Goldblum is wonderful as always as the aggressively bewildered straight man, and Kelly Preston hasn't been this winning since Twins , if ever. And you have to, absolutely have to , admire the sheer courage of the gang as they aim it down the home stretch. It takes guts to steer a course so unabashedly and obviously and self-indulgently schmaltzy, I know that too. There isn't much in it aimed at IQs higher than maybe 82, but I like it.
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