ambrosewriter
This movie had definite potential that really would not have been hard to fulfill, but yet it still fails. The acting was fully reprehensible. All of the actors/actresses looked almost exactly the same for every emotion. In addition to this, the delivery of their lines was off-kilter, almost robotic, although, admittedly, the fact that the dialog was stilted probably didn't help. The religious imagery was so trite and clichéd, such as the Jesus and Mary with the bright auras. This movie lacked subtlety and everything was exactly how it seemed; in other words, one never really had to think at all. This movie seemed like a "St. Terese For Dummies" manual and seemed preoccupied with everything going on around Terese instead of what was going on inside of her. In addition to this, I was not fond of the directing, and the shots to show passage of time were way too tired and over-used; here again, I point out the lack of subtlety. This movie was poor and I thought the original "St. Terese" was a lot better. This was too geared for a younger audience that really didn't like or understand it. 4/10
wuximom2000
When I first started watching this movie I was a little disappointed at the extremely pious tone. I had read "Story of a Soul" years ago and loved the book but had not studied much about St. Therese in several years. The more I watched it, however, it really moved me in profound way so that at the end I was weeping uncontrollably. I showed it to my husband and children (daughters 6 and 9) and they loved it. I have now seen it several times and I see something new in each viewing. It is a movie that has a very very spiritual message, and if you're not in tune with spiritual messages at this stage in your life, you will not be touched. (A Catholic upbringing will certainly help the film resonate with the viewer.)If you are open to having a movie bring you closer to Jesus, this film will do it.
kellychitwood
Ridiculous, stilted dialogue, wooden acting, less-than-one-dimensional characters...it's hard to see how this film could get much worse. Boy, am I glad I got this one for free on a rental store coupon, because I would hate to have wasted any money on it. For some reason, this turned up as a "New Release" in the video store, and I thought I had somehow managed to miss it in the theatres recently. Not so; it came out in 2004 and evidently was deserved ignored.Having read and been impressed by "The Story of a Soul," the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, I hoped to see a professional rendering of her story that would expand my understanding of the saint. As a devout Roman Catholic, I was disposed to like the film and was pleased to see that the Vatican had endorsed it. What a disappointment! I do wish the Vatican had stayed out of it; it is positively embarrassing to have the Church associated with such an amateurish and poor production. This kind of tripe gives films with religious subjects a bad name.The sole redeeming feature is a rather nice musical score, composed by a cloistered Carmelite nun.As several reviewers have pointed out, the life of St.Therese could yield rich material for a film. Unfortunately, this isn't the one. If you want to learn more about St. Therese, read her autobiography or visit a Carmelite monastery. If you want to honor her, make a donation. But don't waste time and money on this smarmy, pretentious, and utterly unworthy film.
kjstarke
Watch this movie if you are already interested in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux and are curious to see a representation of it on film. There is no pretense of cinematic excellence here. The movie is not entertainment in the true sense. It's almost like a page of the famous compendium "Lives of the Saints" come to life on screen.Moreover, the story of St. Therese may already be a bit distant to 21st century viewers, though she is a modern saint. St. Therese represents turn of the 20th century piety and devotion that probably seems quite strange to many of us today. The story would probably be most strange to non-catholics, still a bit foreign to less pietistic catholics, but probably closer to home to catholics who practice devotions such as to the Sacred Heart or the Child Jesus.I had always associated St. Therese with a sort of saccharine sweet piety, but watching this film showed a different side and made me admire her deep humility, a virtue that is truly strange to us now.
AD
