dan-73961 Saw this movie at the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, IN. Both me (Dad) and my 13 year old daughter really enjoyed it as entertainment, but the conversations it inspired were even better.In one sense, the plot may have been a little formulaic, but the struggle between loyalty to what we 'should' do and following our hearts is a pretty universal theme, so it never felt 'trite.' What we particularly liked about this was that the church wasn't treated disrespectfully or as a joke, and the homilies included were as good as you're likely to hear most Sunday mornings, even if surrounded by tension reducing humor. Additionally, there was no "fall" or gratuitous romance scenes - this is about characters and character, and it works.My favorite performance was by John C McGinley, who was not only funny but also (com)passionate, and in my experience knowing many clergy well, he was authentic. His first love is crystal clear, even thought he appreciates much of the world 'outside' the church. Danny Glover's character is fiercely loyal to his calling, and of course Zachary Spicer struggles between "the" passion and being present to people as a priest and finding God in loving another person passionately.We also loved that Bloomington, Indiana, was also almost a character in the film. McGinley's love of IU basketball, the small(ish) town walks around the courthouse square, the local neighborhoods and coffeehouse, together gave a sense of reality and earthiness that wouldn't have played as well in a 'big city' setting. Here's to Indy filmmaking that celebrates 'place'!The ending, though controversial, was perfect for me. I don't believe he leaves the church, even if he does remove his collar. Like the parents of the screenwriter, Daniel may no longer serve as clergy, but he has chosen love, and has not abandoned God, but has found that God who was distant is now close (John 4:12). Isn't it possible that God has honored Daniel's faithfulness by showing him faith through loving another person? At the end, God is love, so maybe we never have to choose between God and love? Daniels answer (and mine) is simply, "Yes."

tmjirgal I read a lot about this movie and since I'm a Catholic I looked up information about this movie from Catholic websites I could trust. I'm not sure what kind of light this shows Catholics in, especially the monk who smokes and seems to not care about the fact that this priest might be breaking his vow of chastity. Yes, I understand that priests are human and temptations are real. But I think it's important to point out that not all Catholic priests act this way. In fact, when a priest breaks his vow, its a very big deal. It sounds like a funny, romantic movie but its good to keep in mind, especially if you don't know much about Catholics, that this is not 100% accurate.

reilly-48714 This is a fantastic independent film. Jane and Daniel, finding comfort in the boundaries created by the Catholic confessional, carry you on their search for life's meaning. Father Victor and Ollie are ahead of this curve but each character struggles with accepting their humanity. Father Ollie challenges Daniel and Jane to wrestle with their frailty and flaws. Sparks fly and judgment is abandoned, until Father Victor exemplifies the voice of reason.Less movie typical, the action in the movie is caring for the sick, watching basketball,and going for a run. Endlessly refreshing you are challenged to realize the action is YOU. With wit and perfection you will find yourself asking what action will I take to live a compassionate life..

Stewball No matter what you might think this is about from the title, you're wrong. IOW, don't not see the film because of it. It's neither a polemic mocking religious faith, nor does it say anything about religion except maybe why don't we all just sit down and start over. All four primary characters are superbly cast, including Danny Glover who is about 3 steps above anything I've ever seen him in before. The subject matter is handled respectfully, albeit with liberal amounts of humor which zeros in on the fact that most religions take themselves way to seriously--which the production company apparently takes to heart, naming itself Pigasus (sic) Pictures.This is about as perfect as you can expect an independent film to be. It's only flaw is there being too much lipstick on Daniel--which is so obvious, I wondered if they just wanted to give the audience something to criticize. Needless to say, there's no actual action for the action junkies, but the dialogue and the subject matter are outstanding--and at times, profound. This is my second "10" of the year, (18th all time), the first being only a week ago, so I was wondering if coming out of the summer movie drought has something to do with it.It' doesn't'.