The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

I'm still on the fence about this one. I didn't think it was awful, but it wasn't that great either. Its hard not to compare this to The Exorcist. Which is a tough act to follow. After all these years and many viewings that movie still gives me the heebie jeebies. It's portrayal of the struggle between good and evil is what made that movie so powerful. That balance comes across beautifully. This is what is sorely lacking in "Emily Rose". It's uneven, and the argument is almost to the favor of the medical aspect of what Emily’s ailment might have been. There was no strong defense, which, if that’s how it was in reality, well, we can see where the problems during the trial arose.

I wanted this movie to be a bit more frightening and more involving where the characters were concerned. The acting is decent, although it tends to fall towards overacting at some points. Laura Linney, believable as a lawyer, takes us through the motions, trying to comprehend what really happened during the exorcism. Tom Wilkinson, who plays the priest, is great, but I did not really understand where he got his strength from, other than his faith of course, but it wasn't brought across strongly enough. The girl that plays Emily, Jennifer Carpenter, shows promise, with her role.

To its defense, I can understand where the director,Scott Derricks, and the writer, Paul Harris Boardman, were trying to go with the movie. They had a great premise for a story, some very good actors, and well, the interest in Exorcisms going for them. I just don’t think it was thought out thoroughly before they decided to go forward with this film.

Originally published in the San Jose Mercury News, September 2005:

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2005/09/16/reader_review_t/