THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE
Year: 2005
USA & UK: Sony Pictures / Screen Gems
UK: Sony Pictures Releasing
Cast: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Carpenter, Colm Feore, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Joshua Close, Ken Walsh, Duncan Fraser, JR Bourne, Mary Beth Hurt, Henry Czerny, Steve Archer, Arlene Belcastro, David Berner, Mary Black, Julian Christopher, Aaron Douglas, Lorena Gale, George Gordon, Iris Graham, Taylor Hill, Chelah Horsdal, John Innes, Jeff Johnson, Michael Jonsson, Katie Keating, Terrence Kelly, Darrin Maharaj, Ryan McDonald, Marilyn Norry, Joanna Piros, Marsha Regis, Bobby Stewart, Clay St Thomas, Corlyee Urhahn, Andrew Wheeler, Liduina Vanderspek
Director: Scott Derrickson
Country: USA
USA & UK: 119 mins
USA Rated: PG-13 for thematic material, including intense/frightening sequences and disturbing images
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong horror
USA Release Date: 9 September 2005
UK Release Date: 25 November 2005
Synopsis
In 1999, the Vatican revised the official rite of exorcism text for the first time in over 400 years.
The number of Catholic exorcists in Italy increased from 30 to 300 over the last decade.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago recently appointed the first full-time official exorcist in its 160-year history.
In New York, four Catholic priests have officially investigated over 40 cases of possession since 1995.
In an extremely rare decision, the Catholic Church officially recognized the demonic possession of a nineteen-year-old college freshman. Told in terrifying flashbacks, THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE chronicles the haunting trial of the priest accused of negligence resulting in the death of the young girl believed to be possessed. Inspired by true events, the film stars Laura Linney as Erin Bruner, the lawyer defending Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson), the priest who performed the controversial exorcism.
THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE is the compelling story of a young woman, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), who leaves her sheltered rural home to attend college with no possible inkling of what awaits her. Alone in the dorm one night, she has her first terrifying 'hallucination' and blackout. She becomes desperately and inexplicably ill. Emily Rose experiences terrifying visions and endures wracking convulsions that leave her body twisted and weak. She is diagnosed as epileptic by a neurologist, but the medication he prescribes proves ineffective. Her symptoms worsen, and a second diagnosis by a psychologist is that Emily is not only epileptic, but also psychotic.
As her attacks become ever more frequent and severe, and her suffering becomes more than she can bear and medical treatment offers no relief, Emily, a devout Catholic, chooses to undergo an exorcism conducted by her parish priest, Father Richard Moore. After a long deliberation, Father Moore agrees to perform an exorcism, something he has never done before. Emily and Father Moore put their trust in their religion, which offers an interpretation for Emily's malady; demons have possessed her mind and body and are the cause of her unrelenting torment.
Despite Father Moore's heroic efforts, Emily dies during the exorcism and the priest is subsequently charged with negligent homicide for failing to enlist medical assistance.
Erin Bruner, a high-profile defense lawyer reluctantly agrees to represent Father Moore in exchange for the guarantee of a partnership at her law firm. As the trial progresses, Erin's cynicism and atheism are challenged by Father Moore's unwavering faith and by the eerie, inexplicable events that surround the case. The ensuing trial pits reason and science against spiritual belief and faith, and takes us back through the events of Emily's downward spiraling illness and offers us interpretations from both sides of the divide.
THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE stars Oscar® nominees Laura Linney (YOU CAN COUNT ON ME) and Tom Wilkinson (IN THE BEDROOM) and co-stars Campbell Scott, Colm Feore, Jennifer Carpenter and Shohreh Aghdashloo. From an original screenplay by Paul Harris Boardman and Scott Derrickson, the film is by Derrickson and music by Christopher Young.