Secretos de confesión

Yes its powerful, primarily because the acting is powerful and effective. Anyone in the cast would deserve an acting award.

There are script problems. Too many characters and too many individual stories crammed into 2 hours. Some characters have little or no character development. Big mistake to concentrate on media-circus. The media is notoriously shallow and insincere, and it contrasts sharply with the otherwise deep tone of this film. Perp walks and media rabble on the sidewalks will work fine in the Martha Stewart trial movie, but it is way overemphasized here where it seems silly and unnecessary. Probably the writers were trying to show the "American-ness" of the situation but if so they weren't very successful.

Danson is great at conveying the essence of the legal aspect. So good that we are reminded that the essence is all we need. Legal detail is great in a Courtroom Drama but that is not what we expect here. Also, you feel like some of the characters are Courtroom Drama-style "witnesses" rather than human beings. A movie with such spiritual aspects should show each character as a human being.

Gentle and dignified portrayal of the late Pope. Seems the rest of the Catholic world could not comprehend the depravity and the generally different nature of American society and of this particular monstrous problem.

My congratulations to Ted Danson, Christopher Plummer, Brian Dennehy, David France and Thomas Michael Donnelly and Dan Curtis for their brave efforts in tackling such a controversial subject. Ten years ago, this film would have never been released.

It was so disturbing to watch that I was up all night thinking how excruciatingly painful it was for the parents and the victims.

It took many brave souls to take on the Catholic Church on such a horrifying subject as the pedophilia that occurred by the very same Priests to which we entrusted our children. Not to mention the years of cover-up by the Boston diocese!

And yet, this cast and crew somehow managed to have this unspeakable subject matter come across so compellingly and tastefully that they deserve a 10 for their efforts. This is truly an award-winning effort. I can almost guarantee that this will be a critically acclaimed film.

It was 40 years ago when I first became disillusioned with my church. Even then I did not abandon it. I was fully involved - altar boy, seminarian, Knights of Columus - the works. It wasn't until later when the abuses by priests were disclosed, and I was doing sexual abuse investigations myself for Child Protective Services, that I finally got fed up. I sent my baptismal certificate to the military ordinate and asked to be formally excommunicated. They told me to request it in my local parish. What, from another sexually abusing priest? No, thank you. I consider myself excommunicated even if they won't give me a letter.

This film brought it all back. The only reason I do not rate it higher was the fact that there was enough information here for three films. Other than that, it was outstanding.

Ted Danson probably starred in the best role of his career, at least from my standpoint. He was great as the lawyer that took on the almighty church and brought it down. Unfortunately, the church was able to stall real reforms, and you can be sure that priests continue to abuse today.

Christopher Plummer, as Cardinal Law, was magnificent. You almost believed that he truly did not know what he was doing. Don't be fooled. He got a promotion out of the scandal he caused by hiding those pedophile priests. He is living the good life in Rome today.

Brian Dennehy was superb as Father Spags, a gay priest who spoke out against Cardinal Law and was banished because of it.

This film opened old wounds that I hoped were healed. They were opened when Cardinal Law presided at the funeral mass of Pope John II. Those who yell for Sainthood for this pope should know that he allowed Law to remain in Boston and gave him the cushy job in Rome after he was finally forced to resign. Rome knew and let it continue.

This moving was a great film that shows how absolute power corrupts.

Showtime ought to be congratulated for its courage in bringing "Our Fathers" to the television screen as a film. Dan Curtis, the director, gives us a first rate account about this sad chapter of abuse to young children by Catholic priests. Those same priests were supposed to have been examples and role models for young children, but in violating that trust, these men committed crimes one never suspected them capable of doing. The book by David France, "Our Fathers: The Secret Life of the Catholic Church in an Age of Scandal", gets an amazing screen treatment by Thomas Michael Donnelly.

The books emphasizes the role of Cardinal Bernard Law in the whole affair. This sinister figure, who was able to get away with murder by resigning his post as the head of the Boston Diocese, is still not admitting his role in the cover up, even after everything is well known and documented.

Father John Geoghan, the monster priest arrested and convicted of several sexual molestation charges, is one of the most repugnant figures involved in the scandal. We watch as this man is ordained with tears in his eyes in the early 60s. Father John is seen as a holy man who is quite charming hiding behind a facade of being good to the children. Parents love him because what they see a role model for their boys to follow.

The film concentrates on Angelo DiFranco's story. Angelo is seen putting his own fist through a mirror in rage. This young man and his lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian, are instrumental into putting the lawyer in contact with Mary Ryan, a woman whose seven boys are sexually abused by father Geoghan. Mrs. Ryan is asked to keep quiet.

The other priest in the story, Father Joseph Birmingham, is also responsible for abuses to other children. Another accuser, Olan Horne, brings it to the attention of Cardinal Law, who is arrogant and indignant about the accusations. Cardinal Law makes a point to tell Olan that Christ hasn't done anything wrong, if anything, he was the one instrumental in his failure as the man who could have solved the problem, but didn't. In the end we watch Cardinal Bernard Law with tears in his eyes as he resigns. Unfortunately, much too late!

The performances are first rate. Christopher Plummer as the sinister cardinal does an excellent performance. Chris Bauer and Daniel Baldwin, two talented young actors, are seen as Olan Horne and Angelo DiFranco, respectively. Ted Danson, as the lawyer is not as effective, maybe because we don't see him as Mr. Garabedian at all. Brian Dennehy is good as Father Spagnolia. Ellen Burstyn is a great Mary Ryan, full of rage and bitter for what the evil priest did to her sons. Steve Shaw plays the evil Father Geoghan.

The tragedy that was done to innocent children by these heartless men will stay in the victim's memories forever. More than likely, these monster priests were abused themselves as children, and now they feel it's their turn to keep the practice going.

If only I could write a spoiler. That would imply that the final outcome of this the greatest of all scandals to rock the Catholic Church was known. But it is not, and the filmmakers do not pretend they know. They simply present in an honest, unflinching manner, the struggles of one group of victims in one city as they emerge from their own dark closets to seek justice for the pedophilia inflicted upon them by the men they most deeply trusted, their priests. This was a venture that took great courage. These were blue collar workers who had to first buck the macho culture in which they lived to do what they believed was the right thing to do. That was not easy. They received more mockery than plaudits as they sought understanding and healing. Cardinal Bernard Law is presented in a more compassionate light than I thought he deserved. He after all could have ended it all many years ago had he acted decisively in ferreting out and removing evil men like Geoghan and Shanley. Instead, he moved them around from parish to parish, enabling them to continue their perversions on new and unsuspecting victims. The Cardinal and his lawyers were so powerful in their hierarchical world and held the media so completely under their spell, that initially a disbelieving Boston Globe reporter suggests a spin that the bishop could use to modulate his responsibility into a more acceptable justification. She was anxious to set aside honest reporting for the more important act of helping the Cardinal. I saw superb acting, brilliant direction and hard hitting dialogue, but no vengeful lashing out. This was a fair and balanced presentation, with the viewer left to ponder and decide. The film ripped a hole through the surface of this horror exposing the incredible cover-up for all to see, but still maintained its balance. It is left to others to more fully plumb the depths of this scandal. This is a must see film for all, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, as pedophilia is not the exclusive domain of the Catholic Church.