Priest (1994)

Director:

Antonia Bird

Writer:

Jimmy McGovern (writer)

Release Date:

24 March 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

In a world of rituals, in a place of secrets, a man must choose between keeping the faith and exposing the truth.

Plot:

Father Greg Pilkington (Linus Roache) is torn between his call as a conservative Catholic priest and his secret life as a homosexual with a gay lover...

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Love | Church | God | Confession

Awards:

3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Linus Roache	...	Father Greg Pilkington
Tom Wilkinson	...	Father Matthew Thomas
Robert Carlyle	...	Graham
Cathy Tyson	...	Maria Kerrigan
Lesley Sharp	...	Mrs. Unsworth
Robert Pugh	...	Mr. Unsworth
James Ellis	...	Father Ellerton
Christine Tremarco	...	Lisa Unsworth
Paul Barber	...	Charlie
Rio Fanning	...	Bishop
Jim R. Coleman	...	Funeral director
Bill Dean	...	Altar boy
Gilly Coman	...	Ellie Molloy
Fred Pearson	...	Patrick
Jimmy Gallagher	...	Mick Molloy

MPAA:

Rated R for depiction of mature themes involving sexuality.

Runtime:

105 min | USA:98 min | Argentina:98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:III | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Blundellsands, Merseyside, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

The Catholic Church in Ireland were very vocal about their views in having the film banned from theatrical distribution. The film censor disagreed and the film was released with an 18 certificate. This marked a major turning point in the relationship between the church and the Irish Film Censor board.

Goofs:

Continuity: Father Greg holds up a communion wafer which is smooth. The scene cuts to Graham and then back to Father Greg, and the wafer has a diagonal line across it.

Quotes:

Charge Sergeant: [Father Pilkington is being charged with public indecency] Occupation?
[Father Pilkington is too embarrassed to answer]
Charge Sergeant: What's your job?
Father Greg Pilkington: Priest.
Charge Sergeant: Catholic?
Father Greg Pilkington: [quietly] Yes.
Charge Sergeant: [grinning] You little devil!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Italiensk for begyndere (2000)

Soundtrack:

GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME

Powerful and Intense

The ending of this film at the communion rail, is the MOST powerful scene I have ever seen in any movie for a long long time. It will have you sobbing like a baby, guaranteed. Film is an emotion charged look at the Catholic Church's problems and cover-ups concerning a closeted guilt ridden gay priest's sexual desires, and a little girl being molested by her disgusting father who relates in the confessional not for penance, but to tell the priest it is his right and not to interfere. Priest has guilt over his sexuality and about the confession, but he can not tell about the girl because of church rules. Meanwhile it's found out about his being gay with parish congregation and church hierarchy is in an uproar. Linus Roache plays gay priest. His performance is outstanding. Very thought provoking movie. makes you think for weeks afterward about guilt and redemption. I gave it 10/10. This movie blew me away with it's intense plotting, powerful themes and the courage to film it with such insight. Recommend this film very highly but have a box of tissue for final 5 minutes. I warned you.