He's serious and initially just uses Philomena for the story. Over time he learns that there's quite a bit more to the little Catholic woman with the romance novels. Sixsmith's own journey is the thrust of the story and perhaps more interesting than Philomena's. A real crime is that Steve Coogan didn't get any nods for his performance though he did get one for this fabulous script. He co-wrote and executive produced this feature and clearly put a lot into the role.