The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Some horror movies look more fun than others, so I gave The Exorcism of Emily Rose a try. It’s based on an actual court case where the local priest was on trial for negligent homicide. How much of the facts of the trial and the case made it to the movie is unknown but the story is compelling to watch.

The movie revolves around the trial and the exorcism and possession of Emily are shown through a series of flashbacks. What I thought was going to be a straight horror movie, was instead a courtroom drama. Laura Linney plays defense attorney Erin Bruner, who came up with the strategy to not dispute science but to present the side of possession and the validity of exorcism as a religious belief. Tom Wilkenson plays Father Thomas Moore and the movie revolves around the attorney/client relationship and Father Moore's desire to tell Emily's story.

There are few suspenseful moments in the movie. As Emily’s possession or medical disorder increases, the images are more disturbing and invoke a concern for medical care rather than get her to a priest. The otherworld is hinted at briefly as attorney Bruner has some odd electrical occurrences in her home at 3:00 am but this all resolves at the end of the trial.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose has its moments. The movie does not take a stand one way or another and does a decent job of showing both sides of the trial.

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