The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Plot synopsis:
In an extremely rare decision, the Catholic Church officially recognized the demonic possession of the 19 year-old college freshman. Told in flashbacks, The Exorcism of Emily Rose chronicles the haunting trial of the priest accused of negligence resulting in the death of the young girl who is believed to be possessed and the lawyer who takes on the task of defending him.Lawyer Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) takes on the church and the state when she fights in defense of a priest, Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who performed an exorcism on a young woman, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter). Bruner must battle the state lawyer as well as her own loneliness, as she realizes that her career so far has not fulfilled her. She takes the case, albeit reluctantly, because she believes it will elevate her to senior partner at her law firm. The priest agrees to let her defend him only if he is allowed to tell Emily's story.The trial begins with the calling of several medical experts by the prosecutor, Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott). One expert testifies that Emily was suffering from both epilepsy and psychosis. The defense contests that she may have actually been possessed, though Bruner is careful never to say that in so many words intially. Indeed Bruner explains that Emily was suffering from something that neither medicine nor psychology could explain, and that Father Moore as well as her family realized this and tried to help in another way. Several flashbacks show how this began. Alone in her dorm room one night, at 3:00 AM, she smells a strange burning smell from the hallway. When she checks on it, she sees the door open and shut by itself several times. When she goes back to her room, she sees a jar of pencils and pens move by itself. Additionally, her covers roll themselves down, and a great weight seems to press down on her, a force which also proceeds to choke her and seemingly to possess her momentarily. Through these episodes she wonders if they are really happening or if it is just a hallucination she is experiencing. She suffers more "visions", is hospitalized, and diagnosed with epilepsy. She is given anti-seizure medications which she claims do not work. Her visions continue, as do her severe bodily contortions.She leaves school and returns to live with her parents. She and her parents become convinced she is not epileptic or mentally ill but is possessed by demons. They ask for their local parish priest to be called in to perform an exorcism, and the Church agrees. The prosecution counters that all this could be explained by a combination of epilepsy (the contortions) and psychosis (the visions).Meanwhile, Bruner begins to experience strange occurrences in her apartment at 3:00 AM, including strange smells and sounds. Father Moore warns her that she may be targeted by demons for possibly exposing them. Later in the film Father Moore explains that 3:00 AM is the "witching hour" which evil spirits use to mock the Holy Trinity. Significantly, it is the opposite of 3:00 PM, traditionally taken to be the hour at which Jesus died.Seeing that the prosecution is putting up a seemingly solid medical case, Bruner decides to try to show that Emily may have actually been possessed. She calls in an anthropologist, Dr. Sadira Adani, to testify about various cultures' beliefs about spiritual possession.A medical doctor present during the exorcism comes forward to reveal an audio tape made during the rite. The priest is then called to the stand to testify. The tape is played and the movie then flashes back to the exorcism. It is performed on Halloween night because Father Moore believes it might be easier to draw out the demons on that night. The priest, Emily's boyfriend, and her father are in the room. Emily is tied to the bed. The priest uses holy water and various words from the Rituale Romanum. She speaks in tongues, including Latin, German, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Several cats run into the room, jumping on the priest and knocking him down. Emily breaks her ties and jumps out the window, running into the barn. They follow her. Inside the barn, they are subjected to more supernatural phenomena such as unnatural gusts of wind and demonic screams and voices. The demon inside Emily refuses to name itself after repeated demands from the presiding Father but finally reveals contemptuously that there are not one but six demons. They go on to identify themselves in dramatic fashion, naming themselves one after another in dual voices from Emily. They identify themselves as the demons that possessed Cain, Nero, and Judas Iscariot and one of the Legion. Beyond that two demons name themselves directly as Belial, and "Lucifer, the devil in the flesh."The film returns to the court room. The priest says that after this, Emily refused another exorcism but also refused to take her anti-psychotic medication, having accepted her fate. She died a few weeks later. The prosecutor contends that her speaking in tongues can be explained by her having gone through Catholic Catechism, in which she could have learned the ancient languages, and that she had studied German in high school. The priest admits that it might be possible that she could have learned these languages in school.Bruner then wants to call the doctor as a witness, but he does not show. She walks outside and sees him on the street. He says he can no longer testify, but he does believe in demons. Before he can explain he is hit by a car and killed. Later that night Bruner's boss tells her she has ruined the whole trial and that if she recalls the priest to the stand she will be fired.Nevertheless, Bruner calls the priest back to the stand the next day. He reads a letter that Emily wrote him before she died. In the letter Emily describes another vision she had, the morning after the exorcism. She walks out of the house and sees the Virgin Mary, who tells her that although the demons will not leave her, she can leave her body and end her suffering. However, the apparition goes on to say, if she returns to her body she will help to prove to the world that God and the Devil are real. She chooses to return. She concludes the letter by saying "People say that God is dead, but how can they think that if I show them the Devil?" She then receives stigmata, which the priest believes is a sign of God's love for her, but the prosecution counters that she could have received the stigmata wounds from a barbed wire fence on her property.Father Moore is ultimately found guilty; however, on a recommendation from the jury, the judge agrees to a sentence of time served. In modern American legal practice, juries are only allowed to answer questions specifically directed to them, though sometimes they are asked separately to sentence defendants. The jury's recommendation in this fictional case does not follow American practice.Bruner is offered a partnership at her firm for saving Father Moore from extended jail time, but she refuses and in fact quits. She goes with Father Moore to Emily's grave, where he has put a quote (which she recited to him the day before she died) from the second chapter twelfth verse of Philippians on her grave: "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling".

Tags: good versus evil, psychological, murder, flashback

Review:
In this way, the film doesn't distance its audience by declaring that "well, demons were in the film which was 'based on a true story', so demons must actually exist".But in many ways, 'Emily Rose' is different from almost every past horror movie in the sense that it doesn't make really obvious attempts to frighten its audience.
(although the cheesy demonic animation, as shown in the trailer, could have been done far better) It's true that composer Christopher Young seems unable to resist the horror movie cliché of having horribly over-dramatic music which builds to a climax at the most frightening moment, but for the most part the movie is able to surpass the usual horror clichés.It helps of course that the cast all deliver quality performances, the obvious standout being Jennifer Carpenter as Emily.
If you ignore the assertion that this has all happened in reality and just accept that you're in for a supernatural movie, you'll have a gay ol' time with "The Exorcism Of The Emily Rose".The first thing to mention is that there has never been a combination of horror movie and courtroom drama before, and while some reviewers have stated that the two genres don't go together well, I have to disagree.
One just has the feeling that the priest and the trial made a whole lot of fuss about nothing, because there's no real solution in the end."The Exorcism Of Emily Rose" has enough chilling moments not to be overshadowed by "The Exorcist", the big Kahuna of the exorcism genre, but it's not going to be remembered as a cornerstone of the horror genre.
I know a lot of people won't be able to see it for what it is because of the supernatural/horror elements (which are usually a turn-off for film snobs), but the movie is just extremely well-made.Consider the fact that Linney's character's true conflict is not winning the trial, but a satisfyingly complex internal struggle which I will not name so as not to spoil the movie.
I found it to be less of your stereotypical demonic possession movie (ie: The Exorcist), and more of a film that leaves you pondering the possibilities and questioning our more modern perspectives and scientific rationales for things that sometimes can't be adequately explained through these means.
What makes this film different than the obvious 70's classic "The Exorcist" (which also entirely revolves on the possession of an innocent girl) is that the story takes place after the actual exorcism and in the courtroom where father Moore is on trial for negligent homicide.
The screenplay of this film was based on a true story and director Scott Derrickson does a great job in making the extended courtroom sequences interesting and compelling.
It definitely makes Linda Blair's bad performance (in the 'Exorcist') look miserable.I'm not much of a horror movie fan, mostly because they tend to be ridiculous and end up being funny or boring rather than having the intended effect.
It will be wrong to lable 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' is much more than just another horror flick because it does raise questions and tackles some issues without coming to a definitive conclusion (as there are simply no answers to some things that happen)..
A good movie for psychology majors--as am I--who are trying to learn about mental illness, diagnosis, and the DSM-IV.You don't need to know much about Emily, science, exorcism, or the Bible to be able to follow this movie; but, if you do, it'll definitely make you raise questions about your own faith, beliefs, and what you've learned throughout life about yourself.Will you like this movie?
When one reads here the opinions of a lot of fellow cinema lovers on this film they will realise that there are a lot of creditable variables by which one perceives the ''right'' course this film should have taken.To my mind though,technicalities and possible directorial ''irregularities'' are not what's most important about this film.This film shows strong ,excellent performances by all the main actors and the director has managed to make this seem like a real story that could have happened to just anybody.We don't see the horrible violence of ''The Exorcist'' nor are the images and scenes shown as scary.What we see, lays emphasis on the drama and suffering of a girl and touches on the human side of things.I think that the perspective of this film is to a have more a social impact,not so much to be a horror film.It conveys a lot of messages and stresses how important it is to have integrity how sometimes you have to sacrifice your ambitions ,to do what your heart tells you.How some life experiences change us,our personality,and give us a true,deeper wisdom and understanding of life.How they can make us revise some views that previously we thought were unshakeable.Finally,the film provides an explanation why sometimes God allows some horrible things to take place and some people to become martyrs.I do agree though that for a materialistic,atheistic person this film might be less ''thrilling'' than he would have expected it to be.I have called it a ''modest masterpiece'' because in a simple,humane,full of strong performances way,it touches our hearts and strengthens our beliefs in justice,moral values,and for those of us who believe,in God and His mercy..
The murder took place in the form of an exorcism performed because of the girl's epilepsy and borderline personality.I could have accepted the concept of plain horror movie based on that story, but to turn this sad event into a defence for cold religious fanatics that killed in the name of God - and for two of them even their own daughter - makes me wanna p***.Taking into consideration the fact, that more and more innocent people are being killed directly and indirectly by religious fanatics of various kinds through wars and acts of terrorism, just makes the purpose of this film even more disgusting.If you want to see a horror movie about exorcism go see an "The Exorcist" movie - if you want to see the true story about the case this movie claims to be based on go see the German movie "Requim" (2006)..
It's very different.Story is about an exorcism gone wrong wherein a Priest who did it is convicted of culpable homicide, and gets a atheist lawyer to defend his case, against a society that will not easily believe in the supernatural.The storyline is fabulous, very different from any either horror film, effects are good, all actors have acted very naturally and smoothly, locales of shooting are good, the whole film manages to crate an eerie atmosphere throughout.A must watch for horror fans, TEOER will not lave you disappointed..
Written by Scott Derrickson, who also directed, and Paul Harris Boardman, the story is loosely based on an incident that occurred in Germany, but the usual horror movie clichés are intact: a door opening and closing in a storm, 'scary' shots of feet walking down corridors (to heighten suspense), a pencil case moving by itself, squeaky floors in nearly every house, Emily Rose freaking out during a test in the classroom (complete with a stormy sky outside), the unfortunate girl eating spiders (like Renfield in "Dracula"), as well as a defense lawyer who is 17 minutes late to court because a demonic force shut off her electricity!
The latest creepy horror fest 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' is nothing like the movie trailers make it out to be.
One very positive thing you can say about 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' is that the acting is absolutely top-notch with startling and powerful performances from Linney, Wilkinson, Scott and young Jennifer Carpenter who does a very good job in her first major role.
Maybe the sole reason I didn't like 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' as much as I could have is because I was expecting a totally different film and the movie trailers lead me to believe that.
I love movies like The Exorcist, and Ghostbusters, which are admitted works of fiction, but this one attempts to claim it's based on a true story, and sounds more like religious propaganda against skepticism and science that conflicts with people's personal feelings and world-views.Remember when people thought "The Amittyville Horror" was a true story?
Most people would rather believe the film's message because most paying customers don't consider skepticism an option, but yet want to make sense of this "spiritual world", without even considering once that the REASON the spirit world doesn't make any sense because it doesn't exist in the first place, so a movie like this will get high marks, even if it were shot with a home camcorder, and acted with the local neighbors.I call a mistrial..
When so many players in one production fail to register as believable characters, the Director must be held accountable.The best horror films succeed by taking their audiences out of the real world and replacing normal logic with the story's own internal laws and rules - in such a way that we can be sucked into accepting unreal situations as real.
Rose is a valuable addition to the canon because it is neither over the top as is The Exorcist nor biased in favor of the existence of demons, as is the case in most exorcism films.Rose is rather a treatise about doubt, expounded by Laura Linney as Erin Bruner, an agnostic attorney defending Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) against charges that he neglected the welfare of Rose, who died in his process of exorcism.
This film is enjoyable as a courtroom drama as well as an exploration into the arcane.The Exorcism of Emily Rose, based on a true story, is agnostic heaven for a fallen-away Catholic critic.
The nineteen years old Catholic college girl Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) dies a couple of days after being submitted to an exorcism carried out by her parish priest, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson).
Based on a true event, I was expecting a horror movie like "The Exorcist", but actually it is a great story of trial, with the confrontation of science and religion, but with an agnostic lawyer defending and a religious one accusing a priest.
The direction of Scott Derrickson is excellent, using special effects only when necessary, and very well supported by a magnificent cast, leaded by the wonderful Laura Linney and the great Tom Wilkinson, followed by the unknown Jennifer Carpenter, who is great in the role of Emily Rose, Campbell Scott and Colm Feore.
Still, the scares are top notch (particularly a long exorcism scene which begins like Friedkin's Exorcist but then takes some surprisingly different turns) and presenting both religious and scientific explanations for the possessions (which was never an option for the head-spinning, levitating Reagan) will satisfy both believers and skeptics.
Being a big horror movie fan, i went into this film thinking it might be at least worth my time, possibly evoking the creativity of the original Exorcist movie (also based on a "true" story), which i knew would be too good to be true.
If you want to see some good horror films, i would like to recommend Suspiria (or anything by Dario Argento 70's movies), Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Exorcist, The Brood, etc.
The idea throughout the film was "she had faith", and this is portrayed in so many ways that by the time you're 30 minutes into the film, you realise how many times that sentence can be re-phrased.Now, another thing which, was to the amusement of several people around me was my guessing when a "flashback" would occur - it seemed that no sooner had the lawyer opened her mouth that we were presented with another flashback occurred, and i was surprised that when she talked about the bible, there wasn't a flashback to a man sat there, reading it out verbatim.If you're bored by seeing how many times a film can include Christian terminology and try and pass it off as absolute fact, a.k.a "a true story" as well as to bring up seemingly magnificent pseudoscience to illustrate a very long, drawn out point, then i suggest you walk into your video store and laugh if you see this title.Very well filmed, extremely poor acting, enough Christian terminology to tranquilise a herd of elephants and lots of lovely shots of her getting up with tons of make-up on.
This is not a horror flick: this is a thinking person's film that has the courage to discuss the possibilities of things on one can explain.Father Moore (a brilliant Tom Wilkinson) is a priest being tried for negligent homicide in the death of a young college student Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), a parishioner who sought his help feeling she was possessed by demons.
The Exorcism Of Emily Rose Is without a doubt the scariest most frightening movie Hollywood ever done, It makes The Original Exorcist look like a comedy.
He is represented by a career-minded and driven lawyer who does not believe in God. Thus is the story of Emily Rose, told by those in the trial and the priest who watched her through her possession I enjoy the scenes in the scenes in the courtroom as I was hooked on every word.
Even if it was a small part it still makes me wonder could we be possessed like the character or even the real life person who it was based on.I have watched many scary horror films in my time and many of them to me were comical.
I live in a third world where Science has not touched every home where still procession is considered an act of god not logic or Science ,Hence may be my review is confined to bounds of my surroundings .I don't care what the original story is,was it really the way it was shown or some religious fanatics killing their own daughter .This movie is a product of ones understanding of an event and a outright Sincere belief that Good and Bad still exist in Pairs .Don't base your rationale on Speculations watch this with an open mind and I think any one who believes in the definition of Good likes it .Great acting ,Not much about the technical aspects of a movie which thrives more on the Story telling but yes they were all good when needed .Above all it never deviates from the point ought to be shown .Sometimes expectations do kill good movie experiences which happens with this movie as well .Don't expect Nerve wrecking thrills of The Shining or Exorcist but you still get shaken up whenever it is needed ..
The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a movie my partner and I watched just a few nights ago and I must say it's been a while since I've watched a good horror flick...I know, I know, half or three-quarters of horror films are pretty bad but this tops my top five favorite horror films.What intrigues me the most is the court room drama mixed with chilling horror...this film, in fact scared the hell out me and I'm hard to scare with just about any horror film thrown at me but Jennifer Carpenter did an amazing job as Emily Rose with her contorted body joints and demonic shrills!
I thought that the Exorcism Of Emily Rose was a fantastic horror film.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose tells the trial of the priest accused of negligence resulting in the death of the young girl who is believed to be possessed In an rare decision, the Catholic Church officially recognises the demonic possession of the 19 year-old college girl Told in flashbacks, the lawyer Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) takes on the church when she fights in defense of a priest, Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson) who performed an exorcism on a young woman, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter).
The film is based on events which took place back in the 70's; the possession of the young girl Anneliese Michel, who was possessed by several demons.In the film Jennifer Carpenter plays absolutely great as the possessed girl, Emily Rose (name has changed for the safe of the family), and Tom Wilkinson the priest Father Richard Moore, who is under suspicion for the death of Emily Rose (this fact is clear from the beginning of the film, so don't worry, no spoiler).
Not at all, in fact, this one is primarily flash-back, rather than on-site, which is what I prefer, personally.The first thing I look for in a horror film is how realistic the movie is, and, for the record, one that's based on true events USUALLY turns out good.
Some details have been changed for the movie but the heart of the story remains Science takes on religion in a gripping court room throw down.Starring Jennifer Carpenter, now of "Dexter" fame, as Emily Rose a smart and centered farm girl who goes off to college only to be either suffering from a number of medical conditions or possessed by demonic spirits.
Being based on a true story makes it more dramatic.The story is based on court trial where an ambitious lawyer Erin (Laura Linney) is defending the priest (Tom Wilkinson) who performed exorcism on Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) - a young, high spirited devout catholic.
It's actually quite a good film - more of a courtroom drama than a horror film, but still has some "creepy" elements.The story concerns 19 year old Emily, and her supposed "demonic possession" experiences.
Father Moore want's not only to make his case that the Devil does indeed exist but want's to use a modern court of law to prove it even, by being found guilty.With most of the movie taking place in the courtroom and in flashback "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" doesn't have the shock value that you would expect from a Devil/Satanic-like film like "The Exorcist".
Atmospheric and creepy throughout.Jennifer Carpenter puts in a solid performance as the possessed Emily Rose.I am generally not a post 1990's horror film fan but this is one to see.8/10 stars.