The Exorcism of Emily Rose


3.5/4

Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Jennifer Carpenter, Campbell Scott, Colm Feore

Rated PG-13 for Thematic Material, including Intense/Frightening Sequences and Disturbing Images

The trailers for “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” make it out to be a horror movie along the lines of “The Exorcist” (which is, in my opinion, one of the most overrated movies of all-time).  This is simply not the case.  Although there are times when the film succeeds in chilling the viewer (and one scene that’s downright scary), this is a courtroom drama that examines the line between faith and fact.

A young college student named Emily Rose (Carpenter) has died after undergoing an exorcism.  The priest, Father Moore (Wilkinson), has been charged with negligent homicide as a result of her death.  Now a hotshot defense attorney, Erin Bruner (Linney), is tasked with defending Father Moore, and she is under a lot of pressure both from her boss (Feore) and the archbishop not to allow Moore to testify.  The problem is that Moore is willing to go to jail for a decade as long as he gets to tell Emily’s story.

Many people, myself included, believe in a higher power.  They believe that there are things that cannot be explained by science or chance.  But as our knowledge about the world we live in continues to grow, the things that we used to credit to God are now being answered by science.  Have we become so skeptical that, despite our beliefs, we cannot believe in the power of God when it is right in front of us?

This is an interesting question, and it’s at the heart of the film.  Thankfully, director Scott Derrickson pays more than lip service to it.  He gives both sides of the argument credit, and it proves to be fascinating material to think about while we are watching this surprisingly involving story.

The acting is solid.  Laura Linney is good, although there is one scene where she fails to convince.  Tom Wilkinson, reliable character actor that he is, is terrific.  He truly loved Emily, and telling her story means more than anything to him.  Jennifer Carpenter, best known for playing Michael C. Hall’s brother on the hit ShoTime series “Dexter,” is excellent in the largely physical role (although one wonders how much of this was CGI).  Campbell Scott is great as always, especially because he has an interesting character to play (he claims to be a believer, but he’s prosecuting Father Moore).  And Colm Feore, another great character actor, is perfectly sleazy as Erin’s boss.

The problem with the film is that it’s a little unorganized at the beginning, and the film stacks the deck.  I’m not going to say how, but Derrickson wants to give the film a definite answer when there shouldn’t be.  Also, the subplot about strange things happening to Erin is unnecessary, and it detracts from the film.  My guess is that this subplot was added by nervous studio executives who didn’t want their movie boring the horror fans.

This is a good film.  It’s always interesting, well-acted, and provocative.  Not many movies, particularly films of this ilk, can make that claim.

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