AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Gary The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

dansview Movies reflect the values of the people who make them. Most of those people are Liberal or even Leftist. So you get thousands of movies per year with a Liberal or Leftist perspective. One of those perspectives is that religion sucks.Whenever I see Danny Glover listed in the cast of anything other than Lethal Weapon, I expect some kind of touchy-feely message.Yet I would not consider this film anti-Catholic. Our main character is very earnest in wanting to serve both God and his congregation. He just struggles with his faith, like many people. The three-man staff of the parish is meant to represent different potential versions of priests. One is old and conservative, one is old and a bit cynical and silly, but still committed, and one is young and confused. To their credit the film makers did not make the old conservative one out to be a bad guy. No one molests children or does immoral things. But what disturbed me was that the spoiled, cynical slacker-woman character is portrayed as the righteous one who teaches life lessons to the out-of-touch clergy. Yet her life is a mess. That part is typical Indie glorification of melancholia. While the dialog hinted at profundity, it never quite gets there. The Glover character does challenge the silly woman, but he is made out to look rude, while she's the hipster. Someone should have told the main young character to loosen up, instead of just implying it. Meanwhile someone should have told the woman that trendy self-pity and dishonesty are not becoming. The Midwest college town setting and slow pace are refreshing compared to the typical L.A., New York, Chicago, Miami redundancy. But pregnant pauses and focused shots of a contemplative face do not create depth. The dialog still has to do its job.

adamkpl The first hour was mind numbingly slow. The ending was as predictable as any other random chick flick. From a production standpoint The Good Catholic leaves much to be desired. It's 2017 and we're still making movies about priests falling in love? I sort of expected something that would make me think a bit more. From a catholic perspective it's clear the movie is an attack on clerical celibacy and pre-k bible interpretation. From a critical perspective, please save your time and money and spend 90 minutes doing something else instead of watching this low budget, predictable, and theologically infantile made for TV movie.

dan-73961 Saw this movie at the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, IN. Both me (Dad) and my 13 year old daughter really enjoyed it as entertainment, but the conversations it inspired were even better.In one sense, the plot may have been a little formulaic, but the struggle between loyalty to what we 'should' do and following our hearts is a pretty universal theme, so it never felt 'trite.' What we particularly liked about this was that the church wasn't treated disrespectfully or as a joke, and the homilies included were as good as you're likely to hear most Sunday mornings, even if surrounded by tension reducing humor. Additionally, there was no "fall" or gratuitous romance scenes - this is about characters and character, and it works.My favorite performance was by John C McGinley, who was not only funny but also (com)passionate, and in my experience knowing many clergy well, he was authentic. His first love is crystal clear, even thought he appreciates much of the world 'outside' the church. Danny Glover's character is fiercely loyal to his calling, and of course Zachary Spicer struggles between "the" passion and being present to people as a priest and finding God in loving another person passionately.We also loved that Bloomington, Indiana, was also almost a character in the film. McGinley's love of IU basketball, the small(ish) town walks around the courthouse square, the local neighborhoods and coffeehouse, together gave a sense of reality and earthiness that wouldn't have played as well in a 'big city' setting. Here's to Indy filmmaking that celebrates 'place'!The ending, though controversial, was perfect for me. I don't believe he leaves the church, even if he does remove his collar. Like the parents of the screenwriter, Daniel may no longer serve as clergy, but he has chosen love, and has not abandoned God, but has found that God who was distant is now close (John 4:12). Isn't it possible that God has honored Daniel's faithfulness by showing him faith through loving another person? At the end, God is love, so maybe we never have to choose between God and love? Daniels answer (and mine) is simply, "Yes."

JanetEB I was lucky enough to see this film and thoroughly enjoyed it! I knew some of the basic story line, but found that I was still glued to the screen as the movie progressed. I was pulled in by the actors and felt their emotions and points of stress! It was fascinating watching how the story grew and changed and how the characters dealt with it all. I work in a church and could relate to the well-acted subtleties of having "church" in the mix! The movie has some really funny parts and very serious and tense parts. This is the kind of movie that sparks conversation. Please don't miss it!