Comedian
Marty Feldman directed and co-wrote this satire of the less-scrupulous side of organized religion. Brother Ambrose (
Marty Feldman) is a monk who has spent nearly his entire life within the walls of his monastery and knows little of the outside world. However, when he learns that the monastery has fallen on economic hard times and may be forced to close, he takes it upon himself to raise the funds to save his home. Ambrose ends up on Hollywood Boulevard, where he solicits donations from passers-by and gets a crash course in life in the fallen world from Mary (
Louise Lasser), a smart-mouthed hooker. Ambrose and Mary soon encounter Armageddon T. Thunderbird (
Andy Kaufman), a fire-and-brimstone televangelist who agrees to help Ambrose by making him a partner in his house of worship, The Church of the Divine Profit. However, Thunderbird's methods don't agree with Ambrose, and eventually he turns to God Himself (
Richard Pryor) for help. In God We Trust was Feldman's second and last directorial assignment; the supporting cast also includes
Peter Boyle,
Wilfrid Hyde-White, and
Severn Darden. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide