The Third Miracle (1999)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Agnieszka Holland

Writers (WGA):

Richard Vetere (novel)
John Romano (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 April 2000 (Singapore)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Vatican sends a priest to verify some miracles, performed by a woman who has been nominated for sainthood...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Bishop | Beatification | Crisis Of Faith | Miracle

Cast

Sofia Polanska	...	Young Helena
Pavol Simon	...	Helena's Father
Ivan Lukac	...	Young Priest
Patrik Minar	...	Young German Soldier
Michael Rispoli	...	John Leone
Kenny Robinson	...	Front Desk Manager
Rony Clanton	...	Higgins
Ed Harris	...	Frank Shore
Angela Fusco	...	Charity Woman
Charles Haid	...	Bishop Cahill
Susan Henley	...	Sister Margaret
Ken James	...	Father Paul Panak
Jade Smith	...	Young Maria
Monique Mojica	...	Sister Mary Catherine
James Gallanders	...	Brother Gregory

MPAA:

Rated R for some language, sex-related and violent images, and brief drug use.

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:12 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Denmark:15 | Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Company:

American Zoetrope

Trivia:

The German expression "dummes Zeug", uttered by archbishop Werner during the tribunal, means "rubbish".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: At one point when Frank is reviewing the video of Helen and the children by himself, the children are playing ring-around-the-rosy and Helen is bending down in the middle of them. The shot then fades to a face forward close up shot of Helen just standing there looking at something, but the children are still singing/playing ring-around-the-rosy

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Liza kai oloi oi alloi (2003)

Somewhat entertaining, but highly inaccurate.

The producer should have hired a technical consultant [such as yours truly] for details about the canonical process of Canonization in the Catholic Church, as well as details about the life of a Catholic priest. At least twice in the dialogue there is mention of a "vow of obedience" that a priest makes. A priest is "ordained", not "vowed" into existence. Nuns take vows and Brother take vows. Only priests living in monasteries or religious orders take vows There is no such vow made by a diocesan priest ordained to minister in a parish church. There is a promise of obedience, that is really only binding if the priest accepts his bishops' orders. There is a misquote of Tertullian [early Church Father]. One of the priests quotes him saying, "I believe because it is impossible." That is not correct. What Tertullian said was, "Credo quia absurdum est" ["I believe because it is absurd".] When the priest enters the confessional to confess his sins to another priest, the words of absolution are entirely incorrect. First of all, at that time [the time setting of the film] the absolution would have been recited in Latin. Secondly, the English words used in the script were not even close to a poor translation. Lastly, it is entirely unreal that the Vatican would send a delegation from Rome to investigate "crying statues." They never have and they never will. Crying and bleeding statues are "regular" anomalies, really not worth investigating. The film was entertaining, but as I priest I found that lack of authenticity disturbing. "Attention must be paid."