MOVIES & MANIA rating:
‘Based on a true story’
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 legal drama horror film directed by Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us from Evil; Sinister; Hellraiser: Inferno) from a screenplay co-written with Paul Harris Boardman (Deliver Us from Evil; Urban Legends: Final Cut).
The film is loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic who acts as defence counsel (Linney) representing a parish priest (Wilkinson), accused by the state of negligent homicide after he performed an exorcism.
The film’s budget was$19.3 million and it took$144.2 million at the box office.
The movie stars Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Colm Feore, Jennifer Carpenter, Mary Beth Hurt, Henry Czerny and Shohreh Aghdashloo.
Plot:
A nineteen-year-old girl named Emily Rose dies, attributed to self-inflicted wounds and malnutrition. After news of it spreads across town, a Catholic priest named Father Richard Moore is arrested and sent to court.
The archdiocese wishes for Father Moore to plead guilty, in order for publicity of the incident to be minimised. A lawyer named Erin Bruner is provided to Father Moore to negotiate a plea deal, but Father Moore insists on pleading not guilty. Bruner takes the case, believing it will elevate her to senior partner at her law firm. Father Moore agrees to let her defend him only if he is allowed to tell Emily’s story.
The trial begins with the calling of several medical experts by the prosecutor Ethan Thomas, and Judge Brewster presiding. One expert testifies that Emily was suffering from both epilepsy and psychosis. The defence council contests that she may have actually been possessed but Bruner explains that Emily was suffering from something that neither medicine nor psychology could explain and that Father Moore as well as her family realised this and tried to help in another way…
Main cast and characters:
Laura Linney … Erin Bruner; Tom Wilkinson … Father Moore; Campbell Scott … Ethan Thomas; Jennifer Carpenter … Emily Rose; Colm Feore … Karl Gunderson; Joshua Close … Jason; Kenneth Welsh … Dr Mueller; Duncan Fraser … Dr Cartwright; JR Bourne … Ray; Mary Beth Hurt … Judge Brewster; Henry Czerny … Dr Briggs; Shohreh Aghdashloo … Dr Adani; Steve Archer … Guy in Bar; Arlene Belcastro … Praying Woman #2; David Berner … Karl’s Crony #1; Mary Black … Dr Vogel; Julian Christopher … District Attorney
Technical specs:
119 minutes | 122 minutes (unrated)
Technicolor
Aspect Ratio: 2.35: 1
Audio: Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS
Trailer:
Free to watch online on YouTube:
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