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The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005
horror/thriller
film directed by Scott Derrickson. The film is based on the true story of Anneliese Michel a young Catholic woman who died in 1976 after unsuccessful attempts to cure her from the alleged state of demonic possession with the means of psychotropic drugs. Also, church-approved exorcism was performed on her, according to her wish. According to the court, her death was caused by medical neglect at the wishes of the priest watching over her. The story of her short life, strong faith and exhausting struggle with what seemed to be supernatural powers served as the basis for this horror movie. The screenplay was written by Scott Derrickson and Paul Harris Boardman.
Many saw the it was a courtroom drama that was marketed as a
horror film, it was largely dismissed by critics who were expecting a more terrifying experience. As of July 18, 2006 it had made $144,166,820 worldwide according to .
Plot
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 believed to be possessed and the lawyer who takes on the task of defending him.
Lawyer Erin Bruner takes on the church and the state when she fights for the life of a priest, Father Richard Moore who performed a deadly
exorcism on a young woman, Emily Rose . Linney 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 completely tell Emily's story.
The trial begins with the calling of several medical experts by the prosecutor, Ethan Thomas who testify that Emily was suffering from both
epilepsy and psychosis. The defense contests she may have actually been possessed. Several flashbacks show how this began. Alone in her dorm room one night, at 3:00 AM, she smells a strange burning smell, hears noises, and sees a jar filled with pens and pencils 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 lift her shirt up and seems to posses her momentarily. Through these episodes she wonders if they are really happening or if it is it 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 and psychosis .
Meanwhile, Erin begins to experience strange occurrences at 3:00 AM, including strange smells and sounds. Father Moore warns her that she herself may be targeted by demons. 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, the hour at which
Jesus died.
Seeing that the prosecution is putting up a seemingly solid medical case, she decides to try to show that she may have actually been possessed. She calls in an
anthropologist, Dr. Sidur Adani, to testify about various
cultures' beliefs about spiritual possession.
A psychiatrist 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 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
Bible. She speaks in tongues, including
Latin,
German,
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 until it is revealed she is possessed by SIX demons, rather than one. 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,
Judas Iscariot, and Legion. Beyond that two demons name themselves directly as
Belial and "
Lucifer, the devil...in the flesh."
The audience flashes back to the court room. The priest says that after this Emily refused another exorcism but also refused to take her anti-psychotic medication. She died a few weeks later. The prosecutor contends that her speaking in tongues can be explained by her having gone through the Catholic
Catechism, in which she could have learned these ancient languages. The priest admits that it might be possible that she did indeed learn them there.
Erin then wants to call the psychiatrist 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. He is then hit by a car and killed. Later that night her boss tells her she has ruined the whole trial and that if she recalls the priest to the stand she will be fired.
She calls him the next day. The priest then 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 found guilty but on the recommendation of the jury is sentenced to time served.
The movie continually debates back and forth whether Emily was really possessed or merely suffering from mental illness. It is largely left for the viewers to decide for themselves.
Erin 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 from the second chapter of Philippians on her grave: "work out your salvation with fear and trembling".
Cast
- Jennifer Carpenter as Emily Rose
- Laura Linney as Erin Bruner
- Tom Wilkinson as Father Richard Moore
- Campbell Scott as Ethan Thomas
- Duncan Fraser as Dr. Cartwright
- Shohreh Aghdashloo as Dr. Sidur Adani
- Ken Welsh as Dr. Mueller
- JR Bourne as Ray
- Joshua Close as Jason
- Henry Czerny as Dr. Briggs
- Aaron Douglas as District Attorney
- Colm Feore as Karl Gunderson
- Lorena Gale as Jury Forewoman
- Taylor Hill as Sister #3
- Chelah Horsdal as Asst. DA
- Mary Beth Hurt as Judge Brewster
- Katie Keating as Alice
- Darrin Maharaj as On-scene reporter
- Marilyn Norry as Maria Rose
- Iris Graham as Sister #2
Trivia
- The character of Emily Rose is based on the true story of Anneliese Michel, a young German Christian woman who died in 1976 after unsuccessful attempts to cure her from the alleged state of demonic possession with the means of psychotropic drugs. The court accepted the version according to which she was epileptic, refusing to accept the idea of supernatural involvement in this case. Two priests involved in the exorcism on her, as well as her parents, were found guilty of manslaughter resulting from negligence and received sentences, generating controversy. The girl's grave is still a place of pilgrimage for many Christians.
- German director Hans-Christian Schmid is launching his own treatment of Anneliese Michel's story, Requiem, around the same time in late 2005. His movie stays very close to the real-world events and is a drama rather than a horror film.
- According to the director, this may be the first ever courtroom horror film.
- The movie earned the MPAA rating of PG-13 for "thematic material including frightening sequences and disturbing images".
- The courtroom scenes and the university scenes were shot at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
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