The Exorcism of Emily Rose

The exorcism of Emily Rose,really is an average to pretty mediocre courtroom drama, made worse by the constant and heavy handed introduction of blatant Christian propaganda permeating pretty much every scene. It's one redeeming factor was Jennifer Carpenter's superb performance,her scenes unfortunately were few and far between though, she really worked for her fee here. It felt to me from quite early on that the message about the agnostic lawyer eventually accepting the existence of a god was just really obviously and the whole point of the film. So unless you really want to sit through what feels like hours of pro Christian cinema, don't bother.

College freshman, a scholarship student living in the campus dorm, dies after being treated for epileptic-like seizures and violent self-inflicted behavior not medically but spiritually, by a priest who believed she was possessed by a demon and who now stands trial for her death. An awful lot of very talented people worked on this baleful freak-show, all to no avail. 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! Embarrassingly silly and derivative stuff that an earlier generation would have roundly dismissed as garbage, yet audiences in 2005 went for it. NO STARS from ****

When i saw the previews of "emily rose" i got excited. I love scary movies. This one just looked so scary and freaky. I just watched the movie tonight and was so pumped about it. BUT...i did NOT know the movie would be like 60% courtroom drama. That was disappointing to me. I want the thrill of being scared, not the drama. The plot was good and some of the scenes were scary but I already saw those scenes in the previews and on the website. I do not recall seeing any scenes of the courtroom in the previews. That is how they suck you in...they show all the scary parts and leave out the rest to make you think "man this is going to be so scary." One good part was the exorcism part of course, but that lasted like 5 minutes tops. Its good movie, but i'd wait until it comes out on DVD...

When dealing in matters of faith many people tread lightly. Sometimes it because we want to be sensitive and not offend. Other may fear that their agendas may air on the side of propaganda rather than inspiration. In the case of THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE I believe the film makers committed an even bigger sin, they made a film that was just plain stupid. When young Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter, Whit Chicks) went off to college she thought all her dreams were coming true. That is until the six demons climbed into her body, one claiming to be Lucifer himself. The medical community thinks she may have epilepsy and so they put her on meds. Her parish Priest Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson, In The Bedroom) suggests a higher form of intervention and performs and exorcism on her. Now Emily Rose is dead and it's up to a hotshot Lawyer (Lauren Linney, You Can Count On Me) to defend Father Moore's actions and to keep him out of jail. Director and Co-Screenwriter Scott Derickson (Hellraiser:Inferno) claims to have invented the first Horror/Courtroom Drama. I think he's right, and after sitting through this film I know why it took so long for it to happen. It doesn't work Not only because you cannot stop and think for one moment that this is how a courtroom is run. But mostly because you're not quite sure why Father Moore is up on the stand and not the doctor (Duncan Fraiser, The Claim) who was checking her vitals the whole time, Emily's Father, and/or Emily's Boyfriend who were all there at the scene of the crime . They were all present and did nothing to stop it. Why the heck do you only charge Father Moore with the crime? If you go to this movie thinking it's a horror film your seriously mistaken. It's more like the worst written episode of Law and Order you've ever seen. Courtroom cliché's abound, even a minor character who can shed light on the situation is bumped off. Why? Well for once it was an accident, or was it an act of God? The plot thickens, okay not really. The sad part is that there could have been a compelling movie here. Emily Rose's story could have been fascinating. But alas for a film in which the Father Moore spouts out a half dozen times "I need to tell Emily's story." We only scratch the surface of who Emily Rose was? Why was she possessed? I can't for one moment believe it was for the half-baked and silly reason the film claims. What was she like before she went to college? Except for on old house full of cats and parents whom I might consider a little odd the film never delves into that. Instead of telling Emily's story the film focuses on a trail that is so convoluted and silly that I almost burst out laughing. The final argument for Father Moore's innocence is that "There are No Facts Only Possibilities." Give me a break, what kind of numb-skull logic is that? Did Linney's character get a law degree off the back of a fortune cookie? That's not to say their aren't some redeeming qualities to the film. Lauren Linney and Campbell Scott (The prosecutor) do a tremendous job with a half baked script, and while he should probably stick to directing Scott Derrickson shows that he could make a nice moody Horror film if given the right material. THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE misses the mark so badly its pretty much unredeemable. It's almost a shame because you can tell that a great many minds worked hard to make a film that asked us to explore our faith "with fear and trembling." Next time forget platitudes and try to tell a good story. Because good intentions, with poor plotting and sloppy story telling make a joke of any message you might try to foist on your audience.

My school got a free advance showing of this film tonight. It is incoherent. It is badly made, the few scary moments of the film can be seen in the trailer (the CGI faces). The script is awkward and hokey in too many places. The cuts are extremely self evident and inhibit any mounting of suspense. I am not sure how Laura Linney got talked into this film. The acting on a whole was not bad considering how terrible the script was. If you see this film i recommend that you sneak liquor into the film and play the following drinking game: Every time a clock shows 3am take a drink If you have a really high tolerance, also take a drink each time Laura Linney takes a drink. And please select a designated driver.

With the exception of the title, " Emily Rose" vs "Anneliese Michel", this was an excellent adaptation of the book. Actually, one of the consultants was Felicitas Goodman, the author and anthropologist who studied this case and I believe, owns the audiotapes of the ritual. It is actually more of a court room drama. However, there is no sparing of pure psychological terror. All and all an excellent movie. Other posters have observed that believing in Christianity or the lack thereof, is not shoved down the viewer's throats. It allows one to form their own opinion. My only concern; the PG-13 rating. Way too intense for viewers 10-13 years old or younger.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is based upon a true story, the events that lead up to the death of Emily Rose. Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) was a young college student, who believed she was possessed. Her family and her pastor did everything they could to save her. This was not your typical horror flick. Though there are some scary scenes throughout, this story is more about Emily Rose and her story. A story that her pastor, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), tries desperately to tell during his trial. Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), Moore's attorney, tries to defend Moore whom she believes is a good man. This movie scares you without confirming Emily Rose's possession. Despite the horror angle, this movie is also about self-sacrifice, love and loyalty. I think horror movie fans might be disappointed with this, however, I thought it was really good. A scary movie with a good plot and a good message.

This is properly one the most disgusting films ever made. In the mid-70th a German girl was killed by a Catholic priest and her deeply religious parents. 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).

I had the opportunity to view an advance showing on Thursday, August 25th. I didn't find one 'dull' spot what-so- ever. There's not much to say that wouldn't spoil the ending, although the ending for the most part was slightly predictable. It's what happens before ... the flash-backs, trial testimony, the suspense that wasn't predictable. I will most likely see this again once it hits the theaters. I was not the only one in the theater to 'jump out of my seat'. Although only rated PG-13, I personally would not recommend viewing by anyone under the age of 18, due to the intensity and religious beliefs. And to know this was based on a true story is the most disturbing ... I'm still wondering if she was possessed, or was it actually epilepsy?? Watch and make your own decision ... just be sure to keep a tight grip on your popcorn!

First of all this was a good movie. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a horror movie like Friday The 13th but it was suspenseful like The Ring. I had to look away sometimes because being a suspenseful movie watcher all my life I knew by the sound of the chilling music something was gonna happen that would freak me out and boy did it do its job. It wasn't overly predictable. It was a look back on what exactly happened when Emily Rose got possessed and how it ended. It wasn't a "push the catholic belief down everyones throat" because defending the Priest was an agnostic lawyer trying to not only get ahead in her career but convince a journey that medical science could not determine she had a medical condition but a demonic possession. Cant tell you anymore than that. The movie had a "dark" look and was cozy it kept me on the edge of my seat and the way she got possessed and how she looked was way freaky. Good movie and worth to own on DVD!