By Kurt Jensen
(OSV News) – For those attempting to bring any part of the Gospel story to the screen, whether big or small, the four canonical accounts, as books of faith, prove to be of limited help. They’re not motion-picture treatments, and their descriptions of historical details and dialogue tend to be brief.

That’s why, ever since the first filmed versions of Scripture were produced more than a century ago, their makers have introduced non-Biblical characters, dialogue and subplots, using their own research and judgment about what will appeal to audiences. The aim is to make such narratives three-dimensional and relatable.

Now, that approach has been applied to Mariology – the theological study of the Blessed Mother – in “Mary,” an earnest drama that will be available for streaming on Netflix Dec. 6. Specifically, director D.J. Caruso and screenwriter Timothy Michael Hayes rely heavily on the “Protoevangelium of James,” a text generally dated to the middle of the second century.

While not recognized by the church as inspired, the Protoevangelium is both Mary-centric and rich in particulars. It deals with the Virgin’s life even before her conception – which it describes as miraculous – introducing its readers to her elderly parents, Sts. Joachim (Ori Pfeffer) and Anne (Hilla Vidor).
They consecrate their daughter to God and, as a child (Mila Harris), she leaves home to live in the Temple in Jerusalem. As Mary grows up (Noa Cohen), her dedication to God steadily increases and matures. However, Caruso and Hayes have taken liberties with this source material as well.
The Protoevangelium has a nameless angel telling Anne that her prayers to become a mother have been answered. Now he’s identified as the Archangel Gabriel (Dudley O’Shaughnessy). Gabriel becomes a continuous presence in Mary’s life, both before and after the Annunciation, and at one point he directly confronts Satan (Eamon Farren) to protect her.

In the movie, moreover, Gabriel – who is usually shown as a winged figure in white – appears in a blue robe, sans wings. Caruso, a lifelong Catholic from Norwalk, Connecticut, told OSV News that the change in apparel was his idea.

“A few famous icon paintings done throughout history depicted Gabriel in blue. ‘The Archangel Michael Defeating Satan’ was created in 1635 by Guido Reni, and that was an image I used for inspiration. I felt Gabriel would visually pop in blue – in contrast to some of the chaos around the Virgin Mary.”

In another visual motif, as a youth, Mary finds herself attracted to, and surrounded by, butterflies. They represent the new life conferred in baptism.

The Protoevangelium presents St. Joseph (Ido Tako) as much older than his bride. But Caruso decided they should both be about 20 when they first meet – in an encounter stage-managed by Gabriel.
In contemporary terms, the story is about Mary growing into her power and accepting her unique destiny, albeit not without occasional fears. She receives much encouragement along the way, especially from the prophetess Anna (Susan Brown) who becomes her mentor.

At one point, Anna – a familiar figure from Luke’s account of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple – exclaims to Mary, “You are more powerful than words, child!” And Mary herself resolutely tells high priest Bava Ben Buta (Mehmet Kurtulus), “I am here to fulfill a promise.”

“I always felt that Mary’s story was a little underappreciated,” Caruso said. “The discovery for me was (that) in all these movies, no one ever put the emphasis on (Mary saying) ‘Let it be me!’”

He added, “Like Mary, we all have choices to make.”

After filming wrapped in Morocco, Caruso unexpectedly found himself caught up in an avalanche of toxic online sniping about the casting of the two principals. Tako and Cohen are both Israeli.

The leading topic of criticism on social media, where hate festers worldwide, was the charge that Joseph and Mary were actually Palestinians. That’s an absurd canard, the staying power of which can be attributed to centuries of anti-Semitism. It’s been given new life, however, by anguish over Israel’s war in Gaza.

The idea, nonetheless, is easily disproved. Two of the Gospels trace Jesus’ genealogy back to Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob, while the Gospel of Luke adds that Joseph was “of the house of David.”
The same evangelist tells us, moreover, that both Jesus’ parents “went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover” every year. In fact, no reliable ancient document so much as insinuates that Joseph and Mary were not Jews.

“You can’t control what other people think or believe,” Caruso told OSV News with some resignation.
His intent was authenticity. He cast Cohen, a 22-year-old former model, “because we thought it was important that Noa was from the region (in central Israel) where Mary was born.”

The online noise became so ugly, Cohen’s management would not make her available for what was expected to be a joint interview with Caruso.

Instead, OSV News had to settle for an email: “I decided to take on the role of Mary because it offered a unique opportunity to explore a side of her that hadn’t been fully portrayed before,” Cohen wrote.
“This film,” she continued, “allows audiences to see Mary not just as a vessel for something greater but as a young woman navigating the complexities of life, balancing her divine role with her humanity.”

The role, Cohen added, “was an incredible experience that felt both humbling and a tremendous responsibility. Embodying her vulnerability and resilience as she faced both divine and very human challenges was deeply fulfilling. It was a special opportunity to bring her story to life in a way that will hopefully allow the audience to connect with her on a deeply human level.”

Two-time Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins plays King Herod, who, in the Gospels, seeks to kill the new Messiah. But Caruso thinks Herod was a victim of his own bitterness. “Yes, he’s looking for the Messiah. Maybe not necessarily to destroy him, but because he has a hole in his life.”

Making Mary relatable, Caruso says, was his principal goal. “Wouldn’t it be great,” he thought, “for a younger person to see this movie and think, ‘These are people I understand?’ They can be role models for a younger generation. (Young women might think) ‘Mary could be my friend. Someone I could reach out to; someone I could talk to.’”

(Kurt Jensen is a guest reviewer for OSV News.)

By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Considered purely from an artistic viewpoint, the lavish musical “Wicked” (Universal) represents a confluence of the best both Broadway and Hollywood have to offer. On a moral level, however, the film’s content, while largely free of overtly problematic material, nonetheless demands careful assessment.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the opulent production has a long lineage. It provides an origin story for the Wicked Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo) – here dubbed Elphaba – who features in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” its classic 1939 film adaptation and the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire on which the show was based.

Born with green skin, which those around her find repellent, Elphaba grows up an unloved daughter and social outcast. But a turning point comes when Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh), a revered professor of sorcery, discovers Elphaba’s magical powers and insists on enrolling her in the university her wheelchair-bound sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode) is attending.

There Elphaba meets – and initially clashes with – her unwillingly assigned roommate, Galinda Upland (Ariana Grande), the future Good Witch of the North. Though the two eventually become best friends, their bond is repeatedly tested.

First, both Elphaba and Galinda fall for their dashing and fun-loving fellow student, Prince Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey). While Fiyero becomes Galinda’s boyfriend, plot developments reveal that he may have more in common with Elphaba, who masks her attraction to him by an outward attitude of disdain for his apparent frivolousness.
A further strain on the pals’ relationship is eventually introduced by their encounter with Baum’s title character (Jeff Goldblum). Although Elphaba has long idolized the Wizard, on closer scrutiny, he may not prove to be what she was expecting.

Winnie Holzman’s script for this first installment in a two-part adaptation incorporates the stage tunes and lyrics of Stephen Schwartz. Moviegoers will not be left wondering at the outstanding success of the source material since excellent, hard-driving performances and soaring musical numbers fully sustain the ambitious two-and-a-half-hour plus running time.

Additionally, Holzman’s screenplay evokes sympathy for the pathos of Elphaba’s plight as she finds herself continually misunderstood and shunned while it garners laughs from Galinda’s vain ditziness. Mercurial Galinda turns out to be an ideal foil for the resolutely upright Elphaba since she is capable of maliciousness but is also often goodhearted.

“Wicked’s” basic message about the need to stand up against prejudice and persecution is obviously congruent with Gospel values. But a scene of marital infidelity as well as the subtle but clear gay sensibility by which the proceedings are occasionally tinged both suggest parental caution.

Sharp-eyed viewers will note, for instance, that the uniforms male extras playing college students wear have trousers but also half of what looks like a skirt. And at least one such background figure is in full-blown drag.

More substantially, a secondary character in Galinda’s entourage, Pfannee (Bowen Yang), is shown to be as susceptible to Fiyero’s appeal as any of the ladies. During a brief conversation with the prince, in fact, he does everything but fan himself to cool down.

The moment passes and we’re back on track. But, along with some bloodless but possibly scary scenes of action, these details point to an appropriate audience of older teens and their elders.

The film contains some stylized mayhem, an adulterous incident and momentary same-sex flirting. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Gentle and family-oriented, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” (Lionsgate) offers top-flight holiday entertainment for a wide range of age groups. In adapting author Barbara Robinson’s 1972 children’s novel, helmer Dallas Jenkins blends wry humor and touching drama while also successfully conveying some valuable insights.

As a small-town church prepares for the annual production of its tradition-bound yuletide pageant, the show’s long-standing director, Mrs. Armstrong (Mariam Bernstein), is suddenly put out of commission by an accident. So youthful stay-at-home mom Grace (Judy Greer) volunteers to step into the breach.
As Grace tries to get her bearings, she’s daunted to find that the Herdman children, a brood of six notoriously misbehaving siblings – led by the eldest, Imogene (Beatrice Schneider) – have bullied their way into the principal roles. Imogene, in particular, is determined to play the Virgin Mary.

Grace is inclined to give the neglected kids a chance to prove themselves. Yet she also justifiably fears that they’ll wreak disaster.

As she wavers, Grace is cheered on by her young daughter, Beth (Molly Belle Wright), and gets guarded support from her husband, Bob (Pete Holmes). She’s opposed every step of the way, however, by a band of close-minded fellow parishioners.

As narrated by the adult Beth (Lauren Graham), this is a mutual conversion story in which characters on both sides of the little controversy end up getting a better grip on the reason for the season. Thus the Herdman kids, as newcomers to worship and scripture, bring a fresh perspective to the tale of Christmas that helps renew the faith of those jaded by its familiarity.

Penned by Ryan Swanson, Platte F. Clark and Darin McDaniel, the script also treats with a delicate touch such themes as pigeonholing prejudice and the positive influence of religious role models. All this far outweighs the few quasi-irreverent exclamations used to illustrate the Herdmans’ naughtiness – wayward language that’s immediately rebuked by others on screen.

Overall, although small fry are unlikely to find it of interest, “Pageant” makes welcome entertainment for all others.

The film contains a few mild oaths and a single rude expression. The OSV News classification is A-II – adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG – parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

(John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.)

Conclave

By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – A serious, even lugubrious, tone and a top-flight cast add heft to the ecclesiastical melodrama “Conclave” (Focus). Yet the film is fundamentally a power-struggle potboiler kept roiling by attention-grabbing plot developments the last and most significant of which Catholic viewers will likely find uncomfortable at best.

The story centers on Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence. In the wake of the sudden death of a fictional, unnamed pope (Bruno Novelli), it’s Lawrence’s duty as dean of the college of cardinals to organize the gathering of the title.

A trio of leading candidates for the papacy quickly emerges as down-to-earth liberal Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) vies with flamboyant conservative Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) as well as with Africa’s favorite son, the supposedly reactionary Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati). A Canadian prelate, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), is also in the running.

As these favorites jockey for position, complications arise. Rumors swirl of shady behavior on the part of Cardinal Tremblay while an unexpected newcomer, Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), makes his mysterious presence felt. Benitez, the Archbishop of Kabul, Afghanistan, produces documentation that the late pontiff appointed him to the cardinalate but kept the matter secret.

Neither references to Lawrence’s shaky hold on his faith nor the clay feet several of his colleagues turn out to possess are cause for much alarm. But rival viewpoints within the church are caricatured with a broad brush in director Edward Berger’s adaptation of Robert Harris’ 2016 novel and the deck is predictably stacked in favor of those who advocate change.

As scripted by Peter Straughan, the movie gets canon law wrong, since promotions such as Benitez’s traditionally known as nominations “in pectore” (within the chest) are null and void if not publicly announced during the lifetime of the pope who made them. And Benedict XVI is implicitly slandered in the dialogue via an allusion to a past pontiff who fought for Hitler.

“Conclave” also traffics in sordid secrets of varying plausibility in the lead-up to a climactic revelation that many will find offensively exploitative, others merely loopy. Since this concerns a rare anatomical anomaly rather than any kind of lifestyle choice, its inclusion makes more of a symbolic statement than an ethical one either acceptable or otherwise.

Still, for all the delicacy and bet-hedging with which the matter is handled, it constitutes a characteristic instance of the way the picture elevates the pieties of the current zeitgeist over eternal truths. Thus Lawrence assures his peers early on that the ultimate sin is certainty.

Not only professors of dogmatic theology but all moviegoers committed to the church’s creeds will, accordingly, want to approach this earnest, visually engaging but manipulative and sometimes sensationalist production with caution. The ideological smoke it sends up remains persistently gray.

The film contains murky moral values, plot developments requiring mature discernment and a couple of mild oaths. The OSV News classification is L limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

White Bird

By John Mulderig
NEW YORK (OSV News) – Fans of the 2017 film “Wonder” may recognize the character of Julian Abans (Bryce Gheisar), a student on whose adjustment to a new school the opening scenes of the touching wartime drama “White Bird” (Lionsgate) focus. Julian was the bully who persecuted the facially deformed but heroic-hearted protagonist of the earlier movie.

Having been expelled for his misconduct, Julian is navigating his present environment and wavering between the proffered friendship of an outsider and the somewhat reluctant patronage offered to him by a callous member of the private academy’s elite. Opportunely, Julian’is grandmother, Sara (Helen Mirren), decides to intervene at this decisive point.

A celebrated artist visiting Julian’s native New York from Paris for a retrospective of her work, elderly Grandmere believes that Julian will profit from her own life lessons. So, in a series of flashbacks that make up the bulk of the story, she recounts to him for the first time the travails she endured as a young Jewish schoolgirl (Ariella Glaser) in occupied France.

Initially pampered at home and popular among her peers, youthful Sara is gifted but selfish and ethically neutral. Thus, although she refrains from joining in the persecution of her school’s main outcast, partially-crippled polio victim Julien Beaumier (Orlando Schwerdt), neither does she come to his defense. Instead, like most of those around her, she simply shuns him.

As the domination of her homeland progresses, however, Sara’s life and outlook change dramatically. Soon German soldiers are rounding up local Jews, both adults and children alike, and Sara is suddenly separated from her loving parents Max (Ishai Golan) and Rose (Olivia Ross) and forced to flee into the woods.

Desperate to stay one step ahead of her pursuers, Sara finds that the only person willing to come to her aid is Julien. Not only does he put himself at risk by helping her evade those hunting her down, he also provides her with long-term shelter in his family’s barn.

With the active help of his father (Jo Stone-Fewings) and mother (Gillian Anderson) who eventually come to regard Sara as their adoptive daughter Julien succeeds in concealing Sara over the weeks and months that follow. As the two youngsters mature, meanwhile, their bond of friendship is gradually transformed into a burgeoning romance.

A paean to kindliness and the power of imagination, director Marc Forster screen version of R.J. Palacio’s 2019 graphic novel “Wonder” was also based on Palacio’s work lacks subtlety at times. Yet, as scripted by Mark Bomback, “White Bird” effectively tugs at the heart by showcasing altruistic heroism in the face of dire evil.

The picture’s formative moral impact, moreover, outweighs its few problematic elements, making it a valuable experience for teens as well as grownups. Both age groups will find themselves rooting enthusiastically for the central pair and joining in the screenplay’s recurring slogan: “Vive l’humanite!”

The film contains mostly stylized violence with a few brief images of gore, mature themes including ethnic persecution, a single crude term and a couple of crass expressions. The OSV News classification is A-II adults and adolescents. The Motion Picture Association rating is PG-13 parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

(John Mulderig is media reviewer for OSV News. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @JohnMulderig1.)

By Michael R. Heinlein

“Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer”
Orianne Pietra Rene Dyck, FSP and Allison Regina Gliot, FSP
Pauline Books & Media (2024)
133 pages, $10.95

Over the course of the National Eucharistic Revival, I’ve seen several proposals that we need a “Confession Revival,” too. It’s hard not to agree. We’re all sinners in need of God’s grace. We all need the experience of God’s mercy in order to be people of mercy. We need all the help we can get as we press on to live Christ and give Christ.

I’ve personally noticed confession lines growing again in many nearby parishes. I hear priests preaching about the sacrament of reconciliation again. I see more resources for the faithful made available. The sacrament is vital, truly — for in it we encounter the life of the world, by whose dying we have been set free.

And they’re needed. It often seems like there’s an insurmountable gap in catechesis and praxis when it comes to confession. People hear about it. They had their training in first grade or OCIA, but there is not further consideration of the beauty, power and efficacy of the sacrament and its necessity for fruitful discipleship and growth in holiness.

And so I was very pleased to find in my hands the newly released “Forgiven: A Guide to Confession & the Examen Prayer” this summer. What a treasure-trove of material packed in just 133 concise pages. It features a thorough primer on everything related to confession: catechesis, FAQ, practical material for preparing to receive the sacrament and themed scriptural and prayer resources.

The book is very accessible and geared toward anyone who might be hoping to engage the sacrament more fully. Readers will find no stone unturned when it comes to all things confession. It accomplishes a great deal despite its small size in helping clarify confusion about the sacrament, dispel myths and lead the reader into a deeper experience and ease the anxiety that can often prohibit celebrating the sacrament.

One minor suggestion I would’ve proposed to the authors is an additional section connecting confession and the Eucharist more concretely, as I’ve often found that we have much more to realize when it comes to the reciprocal tie between those two sacraments and it could contribute uniquely to the overall efforts to revive Eucharistic faith today.

“Forgiven” would make a great gift for any Catholic, or anyone considering becoming Catholic — best for those of high school age or over — because it is a book I’d like to think each Catholic would find useful. Such a handy, portable and practical resource like this can boost the confidence many Catholics need just to feel comfortable entering the confessional. It gives what’s needed to be fully prepared, and it can be brought into the confessional, too. The detailed outline of the rite itself is indispensable. But so, too, is the examination of conscience proposed so that one can be spiritually ready for confession. And the FAQ clarifies many lingering questions Catholics and non-Catholics alike might have about the sacrament who don’t have the benefit of sitting down for a chat with a priest or theologian to find out the answers.

Our faith is shaped by community, which is impacted by our sin. I think readers will greatly appreciate the quotes from saints and other holy people at the start of its various sections. It is a reminder that this sacrament is a gift to all God’s people and was a sure, steady, grace-filled means to holiness for the holiest among us. And for those of us who wish to follow their way, this book gives us the tools we need for overcoming sin and vice, but, more importantly, to becoming more conformed to Christ. Which makes its concluding section on prayer and Scripture quite valuable. Concise and carefully chosen, the biblical passages included, along with related prompts for reflection, reiterate the themes of the sacrament. And they compel us to more readily embrace those themes in our own discipleship and quest for sanctity.

All that makes “Forgiven” an important book for our time. I hope that dioceses, parishes and schools can find ways to make it available in bulk. We can all benefit from such a rich, convenient and useful resource to better prepare us for and deepen our experience of God’s forgiveness and mercy in the sacrament of penance and reconciliation.

(Michael R. Heinlein is author of “Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I.” and a promised member of the Association of Pauline Cooperators.)