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.
Review of Our Fathers
