Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Deeper than the descriptions

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Blistering performances.

There's a lot of that going around. This is a home organ for the catholic church. No problem. Just label it as such. Trying to present it as some viable miracle is about as believable as sticking pins in voodoo dolls for a curse. I really don't care what anyone believes. But there should be an "R" warning for religious hooey. Movies that try and portray "facts" as true, when they aren't, aren't enjoyable. For instance, when we watch "It's a Wonderful Life" we have no trouble in discerning that it is a fantasy. They needn't label it as "F" for fantasy. Or the Exorcist. We know it's fantasy. Or the Omen. We know it's fantasy or at least I thought it was before "W". But this movie offers no relief. It is a fantasy for the faithful. Fine. Tell me that before I watch it. I kept waiting for the pig's blood to be discovered instead of the red dye on the statue. Instead, we get a lot of complete nonsense from a 3rd rate writer,Richard Vetere, who just keeps chugging these things out on his mimeograph machine. I'll bet half of the audience, as paltry as the numbers were, left thinking that Helena was a real person. Well, to solve that problem, she wasn't. As for those fanciful bombs that never fell... they did... at the box office.

I am not well qualified to comment on this movie from any technical or artistic perspective. However, it has now become my favourite movie for one reason. As a man of faith, I have had to endure years of Hollywood trivializing or sensationalizing most aspects of faith and religion. It seems to be the one subject with which they can find no degree of comfort or reconciliation. The Third Miracle, however, is a luminous study in how several characters learn to deal with their own faith, and yet it never tries to advocate any of those as right or wrong. It even avoids trying to be too specific about just how the struggle is resolved for each person. In the end there is a sense that they are all just a little further down the road. And that is, to me, exactly what faith is all about.It wouldn't matter if the "religion" involved were something other than Christian (spedifically Catholic). This could have been a story about Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, or Zoroastrians. Within the context of each religion is the matter of how each believer learns and lives his faith. It is a personal struggle, a mystical relationship that draws each toward his Creator. The events portrayed in the film may seem to some to be fantastic or surreal, but faith is also each of those. Miracles are intended for those who witness them, and they are simply what happens when a higher law than the one we thought immutable comes into play. One can't prove a miracle to another any more than the other can disprove it.The two most interesting characters are those portrayed by Ed Harris and Armin Mueller-Stahl. Each has had profound experiences with both faith and religion, and come to starkly differing conclusions. And yet each man's dedication to his convictions is compelling. Harris' scene in the confessional booth is a heart-wrenching example of how impotent one can feel when in moments of doubt. Mueller-Stahl later gives a chilling demonstration of the intolerance that can arise when one denies the promptings of the spirit: "Caprice of God! I would say it to His face if He were here now!"As for the rest of the movie, I will leave that to those who write in very clever and articulate language about character and plot development, cinematography, and such. I will say that I found no serious flaws in it, from the small amount I have learned of such things from reading many such reviews. I'm not sure why such illusory fare as Pulp Fiction becomes legendary, while a faithful rendering of human realities like The Third Miracle becomes a marginalized curiosity. Do we derive more inspiration from caricatures than from characterizations?

Bottom line: this is a "crisis of faith" story. The main character (Ed Harris) is a priest who has doubts, but wants to believe. He has already successfully debunked one candidate for sainthood; now his superiors ask him to investigate another. Along the way, he is sexually tempted by the saint-candidate's daughter (Ann Heche), and then opposed by a brilliant but embittered German arch-bishop. There's no sex, violence, sci-fi, or spectacular special effects in this one, folks. Just plain old good acting by the leads and supporting characters, excellent and evocative photography, and a first-rate musical score that adds to the overall enjoyment of the film. The script does have its flaws, which prevent "The Third Miracle" from being absolutely brilliant, but I was disappointed when the movie ended: I wanted more! Would that the absorbing story and its details continue: Is the candidate ever granted sainthood? Does the arch-bishop change his attitude publicly? And whose baby IS that? But these and other theological issues are what you will ponder and debate after the credits are over. And that's what makes this a worthwhile film.

I thought the movie was wonderful. Very intense and thought provoking. Ed Harris did a superb job. It is an excellent movie dealing with faith and Christianity; a subject not dealt with enough in movies today.