You remember Jules and Gedeon Naudet? They were the charming and courageous Parisians who came to New York eight years ago to produce a doc on the FDNY and wound up getting the story of their lives (and in some ways, OUR lives) instead: A first hand look at Nine Eleven and the rescue efforts, with their own extraordinary story of survival that day. It yielded "9/11," airing March 10, 2002, which - for my money - was the single best film on one of the most horrific days in American history. And produced by two Frenchmen and the stellar and extraordinary Susan Zirinksy - "Z" to those who love her - to boot, who also does production honors here.
The boys and Z are back Sunday with what you might call Part Deux of their original film: "In God's Name" - CBS, 9 to 11 - is an earnest search for answers to not just the meaning of evil but the meaning of life itself. "A lot of people asked themselves different questions, whether you're religious or spiritual or not," says Jules at the outset. "And the common one most people [had on 9/11), 'where was God that day?'"
And with a question on their minds and apparently trouble in their souls, Jules and Gedeon set out for the answer. The result: A terribly long doc stuffed with far too many terribly dull interviews with twelve spiritual leaders. They are bigshots, these leaders, and they believe deeply and fervently in God and faith. For the Naudets, the Kumbaya moment - arriving in the waning moments - boils down to this: We all have much more in common than that which divides us. "I realized," said Gedeon, "at the end of this journey that the search for truth is in itself a religious act."
Noted.
These twelve leaders include Pope Benedict XVI (the brothers seem a little frosty to him), and Frank Page (head of the Southern Baptist Convention; they seem to love this uniquely American type.) There's also Yona Metzger, Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel, and The Dalai Lama and Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, and important representatives from other world religions. It's an amazing array of talent, so to speak, yet their discursive on life, faith, spirituality, meaning, God, evil and on and on and on never seems to soar. Maybe the Naudets were more interested in creating a "film" than a deep, urgent, sustained and scholarly look at what really DOES unite the world's religions or what really IS the meaning of life.
Bottom line: You have to love and admire the Naudets - and CBS deserves credit too - for trying to tackle something so profoundly important and vital. These guys do have the heart of a lion, and a glorious career lays before them.
But that doesn't mean you should feel guilty when you stifle a yawn while watching - or when you turn off the set and hit the sack before the closing credits.
(Pictured above, from left, Gedeon, James Hanlon - formerly of the FDNY, now an actor - and Jules.)