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November 16, 2017

Catholics and the reel world

The era of the Legion of Decency is long gone, but there’s still plenty of truth and good to be found in film ... if you look for it.

“Sorry lady, but I am not going to call you mother.”

The theatre audience snickered during the sole moment of comedy in the film Novitiate. In the scene, a concerned mother of a young novice was confronting the Mother Superior about the wellbeing of her daughter, newly arrived at the convent.

The film, which opened in theatres Nov. 3, follows a 17-year-old novice as she becomes a nun during the mid-1960s. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, both Catholic and secular, for its content and its portrayal of the Church. To some it is historically inaccurate and unworthy of support; to others the story and the message is compelling enough to overlook whatever artistic license the director may have taken. 

111617 novitiate 01 text

What’s a Catholic movie-goer to think?

Published in Features