Sick Product of a Sick System

Perfectly adorable

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

This is a fine film that depicts the Catholic Church in a age of crisis and scandal. The casting and acting was first rate. The director could've easily painted a portrait that would've had a blatant anti-Catholic strain to it but instead chose an aura of sadness and compassion. Perhaps this leads, external of the film, to a cathartic redemption.I am waiting for a similar film involving scientists and their use of psycho-subliminal weaponry and related technology and the secret abduction of unknowing People for purposes of torture and various levels of R&D. This fact, not unlike the current condition of the U.S. Catholic clergy, is embroiled in sickening secrecy and depraved indifference. Outfits like SAIC, with their legion of predators 40000 strong, would be like an Archdioses and NASA would be like the Vatican. Clearly the semi-sympathetic tone on "Our Fathers" would be almost impossible to convey in "Our Scientists" whose crimes against Humanity are far greater than any of the sins of the Catholic Church.

Our Fathers is a terrific movie made by Showtime depicting the Boston scandal involving pedophile priests and their effects on the children they abused so many years ago.With an outstanding cast, the film brilliantly shows the impact on the lives of those abused and focuses on the church, in not the best of terms.An all-star cast is headed by Ted Danson portraying the lawyer for the abused. Christopher Plummer, as Cardinal Bernard Law, and Brian Dennehy, as an accused priest-abuser turn in masterful Emmy nominated performances in supporting roles. They are just terrific but will probably cancel one another out on the Aug. 27th awards show.Ellen Burstyn, who is at her best when she is miserable, appears in one scene as the mother of several of the victims.The film goes all out in showing the culpability of higher ups in a major cover-up of the priest-abuse scandal. We probably haven't seen such an cover-up since Watergate.Danson appears in the opening scene and acts as he did but in a non-comical way as TV's Becker.The language is salty and surprising given the nature of the Catholic church. Four letter words are prevalent and unfortunately appropriate as the story goes on.Plummer is just fabulous as Law, a guilt-ridden priest who is ready to sacrifice anyone to save his own neck. Equally good is Dennehy, who seems to be able to beat an abuse charge until his homosexuality is revealed.Sin was never better than this.

Yes its powerful, primarily because the acting is powerful and effective. Anyone in the cast would deserve an acting award.There are 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 weren't very successful.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.

My congratulations to Ted Danson, Christopher Plummer, Brian Dennehy, David France and Thomas Michael Donnelly and Dan Curtis for their brave efforts in tackling such a controversial subject. Ten years ago, this film would have never been released.It was so disturbing to watch that I was up all night thinking how excruciatingly painful it was for the parents and the victims. It took many brave souls to take on the Catholic Church on such a horrifying subject as the pedophilia that occurred by the very same Priests to which we entrusted our children. Not to mention the years of cover-up by the Boston diocese! And yet, this cast and crew somehow managed to have this unspeakable subject matter come across so compellingly and tastefully that they deserve a 10 for their efforts. This is truly an award-winning effort. I can almost guarantee that this will be a critically acclaimed film.