The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Director:

Scott Derrickson

Writers (WGA):

Paul Harris Boardman (written by) &
Scott Derrickson (written by)

Release Date:

9 September 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Horror

Tagline:

What happened to Emily?

Plot:

A lawyer (Linney) takes on a negligent homicide case involving a priest (Wilkinson) who performed an exorcism on a young girl.

Plot Keywords:

Priest | Lawyer | Exorcism | Negligent Homicide | Trial

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Laura Linney	...	Erin Bruner
Tom Wilkinson	...	Father Moore
Campbell Scott	...	Ethan Thomas
Jennifer Carpenter	...	Emily Rose
Colm Feore	...	Karl Gunderson
Joshua Close	...	Jason
Kenneth Welsh	...	Dr. Mueller
Duncan Fraser	...	Dr. Cartwright
JR Bourne	...	Ray
Mary Beth Hurt	...	Judge Brewster
Henry Czerny	...	Dr. Briggs
Shohreh Aghdashloo	...	Dr. Adani
Steve Archer	...	Guy in Bar
Arlene Belcastro	...	Praying Woman #2
David Berner	...	Karl's Crony #1

Also Known As:

The Exorcism of Anneliese Michel (USA) (working title)
Untitled Scott Derrickson Project (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic material, including intense/frightening sequences and disturbing images.

Runtime:

119 min | USA:122 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Assyrian Neo-Aramaic | German | Greek | Hebrew | Latin | Aramaic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS | SDDS

Certification:

Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Finland:K-15 | Australia:M | Taiwan:R-12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Portugal:M/12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | Mexico:B15 | Indonesia:Dewasa | Germany:12 | Czech Republic:15 | France:-12 | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | USA:Unrated (DVD) | USA:PG-13 (certificate #41453) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18PL | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | South Korea:12 | Germany:16 (uncut DVD version) | Japan:U | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

D Block, Buchanan Building, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Screen Gems

Trivia:

Since this film's release, a persistent urban legend has sprung up amongst students at the University of Minnesota. According to the legend, Pioneer Hall, an allegedly haunted dormitory, was where Emily Rose was first "possessed," as seen in the film. However, as Emily Rose is a fictional version of Anneliese Michel, a German woman who never attended the U of M, this legend is obviously false.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: The stop button is pushed on the tape recorder during the courtroom scene, but the tape continues to play for a few more seconds.

Quotes:

Emily Rose: [In German to her father] Dolls and kisses and crosses and wishes... You think that can save your little girl?

Movie Connections:

References "The Twilight Zone" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Prelude, Op. 3, No. 2 in C Sharp Minor

Court-horror!

Ironically enough, "The Excorcism of Emily Rose" got released in my country (Belgium) synchronously with another similar, real-life lawsuit. A self-acclaimed exorcist has to justify the death of a young girl after performing inhuman rituals and fatal exorcism tricks. It's weird having seen this movie and then follow the lawsuit on TV and in newspapers. It's so easy to deny the existence of demonic possession and to brush aside exorcism as quackery, but then – as this film shows – you're also questioning people's beliefs and family values. Emily Rose is the sympathetic daughter of a poor but deeply religious rural family. Shortly after her long-anticipated start at the university, her body becomes the host of no less than 6 different demons. The priest of the little town where she lives, father Moore, is doing everything he can to purify Emily's body but the demons are too strong and she doesn't survive the exorcism. 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. His ambitious lawyer Erin Bruner goes straight for the acquittal of her client, but father Moore only cares for telling Emily's story, despite the fact that this can cost him his career as a priest. 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. The flashbacks, showing Emily's horrible decrepit, are very atmospheric and contain multiple shock-moments. The acting is sublime, with a powerful Tom Wilkinson as the devoted priest and an enchanting Jennifer Carpenter as the poor Emily Rose. This is not a full-blooded horror film, but definitely one of the most unsettling, disturbing and thought-provoking dramas of the last few years. Highly recommended!