Bruce Almighty (2003), starring Jim Carrey as Bruce Nolan, a frustrated news reporter given the powers of God for a limited time, is more than just a comedy—it’s a spiritual satire that illustrates the futility of trying to control the world and the liberating power of surrender. While the film plays with miracles in the traditional sense—changing traffic lights, parting soup like the Red Sea, answering prayers en masse—it ultimately delivers a message closely aligned with A Course in Miracles: You are not in control—and that’s where your freedom begins.
Bruce begins the story full of grievances. He blames everyone and everything for his dissatisfaction—his job, his boss, even God. He sees himself as a victim of circumstance, a mindset ACIM identifies as the ego’s core strategy: “I am not responsible for the world I see.” The Course turns this around, teaching that we are not victims of the world—we made it, in thought, and we can choose again. But Bruce doesn’t want to choose again; he wants power. So, when God (played by Morgan Freeman) grants him divine abilities, Bruce grabs the wheel with both hands.
At first, Bruce uses his newfound powers to indulge his ego—manipulating reality to suit his personal desires. He gets the job he wanted, humiliates his enemies, and tries to win over the affections of his girlfriend, Grace. But none of it brings peace. Everything begins to unravel, and Bruce slowly discovers what ACIM reveals so clearly: that trying to change the world to make yourself happy will never work. True joy comes not from changing the world, but from changing your mind about the world.
One of the film’s pivotal moments comes when Bruce realizes that answering everyone’s prayers with a “yes” leads to chaos. He learns that he cannot fix the world by giving everyone what they think they want—because most people don’t know what they truly need. This echoes the Course’s idea that we don’t know what anything is for. We think we want more money, better relationships, success, fame—but the Course teaches that all of these are substitutes for love. Only love heals, and only forgiveness sets us free.
Grace (Jennifer Aniston) becomes the film’s spiritual center. Her name is no accident. She represents the love Bruce is constantly trying to manipulate but cannot control. When she leaves him, Bruce is devastated—not because he’s lost her, but because he realizes he never truly loved her selflessly. In one of the film’s most moving scenes, Bruce finally drops to his knees and says, “I surrender to your will.” It’s not a moment of defeat—it’s the beginning of healing.
ACIM would describe this as a holy instant: the moment when the ego’s defenses drop and the mind becomes willing to let go of control. Bruce stops trying to play God and instead becomes willing to listen to God. He shifts from trying to do miracles to allowing miracles to be done through him. As the Course says, “Miracles are expressions of love.” And love is not about control—it’s about trust.
By the end of the film, Bruce has learned what ACIM aims to teach every student: the world cannot make you happy. Only joining with others in love, truth, and forgiveness can. He returns to his life, but everything is different—not because the world changed, but because he did.
In a way, Bruce Almighty is a parable about every spiritual seeker. We all, at some point, want to play God. We think we know what will make us or others happy. We try to fix, manage, and control. But the Course reminds us that real power lies not in control, but in alignment—with love, with peace, with the Will of God.
And when Bruce stops trying to be God and starts trying to be love—he finally becomes free.
