Our Fathers (2005) (TV)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Dan Curtis

Writers (WGA):

David France (book)
Thomas Michael Donnelly (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The catholic church in an age of scandal.

Plot:

A dramatized account of the hidden sexual abuse and scandal that shook the foundation of the Catholic Church, and the characters, events, and policies that brought the abuse and scandal into existence.

Plot Keywords:

Cardinal | Priest | Scandal | Catholic Church | Catholic

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 5 nominations

Cast

Ted Danson	...	Mitchell Garabedian
Christopher Plummer	...	Cardinal Bernard Law
Brian Dennehy	...	Father Dominic Spagnolia
Daniel Baldwin	...	Angelo DeFranco
Ellen Burstyn	...	Mary Ryan
Kenneth Welsh	...	Bishop Murphy
Will Lyman	...	Wilson Rogers Jr.
Wayne Best	...	Father Doyle
Colin Fox	...	Daniel Kibbe
James Oliver	...	Patrick McSorley
Jan Rubes	...	Pope John Paul
Steven Shaw	...	John J. Geoghan
Damien Atkins	...	Young Geoghan
Hugh Thompson	...	Tom Blanchette
Aidan Devine	...	Bernie McDaid

MPAA:

Rated R for language, including some graphic depictions of sexual abuse.

Runtime:

USA:130 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA (cable rating) | Finland:K-11

Company:

Dan Curtis Productions

Quotes:

Angelo DeFranco: Why did this happen to me?

Powerful, but....

Yes its powerful, primarily because the acting is powerful and effective. Anyone in the cast would deserve an acting award.

Major script problems. Too many characters and too many individual stories crammed into 2 hours. Some characters have little or no character development. Big mistake to concentrate on media-circus. The media is notoriously shallow and insincere, and it contrasts sharply with the otherwise deep tone of this film. Perp walks and media rabble on the sidewalks will work fine in the Martha Stewart trial movie, but it is way overemphasized here where it seems silly and unnecessary. Probably the writers were trying to show the "American-ness" of the situation but if so they have failed.

Danson is great at conveying the essence of the legal aspect. So good that we are reminded that the essence is all we need. Legal detail is great in a Courtroom Drama but that is not what we expect here. Also, you feel like some of the characters are Courtroom Drama-style "witnesses" rather than human beings. A movie with such spiritual aspects should show each character as a human being.

Gentle and dignified portrayal of the late Pope. Seems the rest of the Catholic world could not comprehend the depravity and the generally different nature of American society and of this particular monstrous problem.