Hollywood Movie Depicts Life of St. Therese (Leonardo Defilippis triumph!)

Catholic Exchange ^ | 4/16/03 | Tom Allen

[jobim]

Hollywood Movie Depicts Life of St. Therese

4/16/03

Dear Friends,

As you may be aware, our friend Leonardo Defilippis has produced a delightful family motion picture called Therese, about the "Little Flower," St. Therese of Lisieux.

His plan is to release it to U.S. theaters in October, around St. Therese's feast day. However, the number of theaters in which it's shown — and thus the impact that St. Therese can have on people's lives through this movie — will largely be determined by the popular interest shown in the film NOW. In other words, the more interest Catholic families demonstrate in the movie at this time, the more widely Hollywood is likely to distribute the film in October. So if you'd like to help, here's what you can do.

Hollywood is monitoring the film's website closely to see how many visits it attracts. The site is exceptional and even contains video clips from the movie. So please visit it often, and also email this article to your friends so they can do so as well. It's important that we Catholics show our support right now for this particular kind of filmmaking.

St. Therese is an incredible patron for our time, and many souls worldwide are likely to be touched by seeing this movie. It is a moving love poem to the patron saint of the "Little Way." But its power to inspire the mainstream public will only be realized if Hollywood sees a level of interest in the film that warrants the widest possible theatrical release in October.

Leonardo DeFilippis is a good friend of mine, and I can tell you that he has poured himself into this project at great personal sacrifice. I was privileged to attend a special world premiere screening in Dallas recently with over 40 bishops in attendance. Many in the crowd (including myself) were moved to tears at the end and the standing ovation for Leonardo lasted fully five minutes. On top of that, he was just invited to screen the film privately for Pope John Paul! So please, now that God has blessed Leonardo's vibrant apostolate and opened the door to the production of a major motion picture on the life of a Catholic saint, let's do what we can to help promote it. Many more such films will likely follow if this first one generates sufficient interest by the moviegoing public.

Again, the web site is www.theresemovie.com. Enjoy and spread the word!

In JMJ,

Tom Allen Editor, CE

[jobim]

After what they did to St. Francis this week (see www.diocesereport.com), and of course to Saint Joan of Arc in the not-too-distant past, it is our duty to give full support to this important film.

[Akron Al]

very good

[eastsider]

Just curious -- what didn't you like about The Messenger?

[jobim]

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but didn't they fabricate a rape of a fictional older sister, and thereby gave St. Joan a motive of rage? And didn't they portray her visions from God as the more than probable dementia voices of a lunatic?
Do I have Messenger mixed up with another version? I rely on Catholic movie critics for this kind of info.

[JesseShurun]

wasn't Therese the one who flew thru the air and did all sorts of strange stunts? just trying to recall The Lives of the Saints

[JesseShurun]

Theresita of Cabora was the flying nun, played in the movies and tv by WC Fields daughter, Sally

[BlackVeil]

You mean St Teresa of Avila, the 16th century Spanish saint. She records many miracle stories in her autobiography, including levitation.

I think that this film is about St Therese of Lisieux, the 19th century French saint. She also wrote an autobiography, but very different. Her devotional path was marked by the "hidden life", nothing extraordinary, and self-sacrifice in small things.

[P.O.E.]

When her relics visited the US last year, I was lucky enough to be able to go to an outdoor mass for them up in Morristown. The sun was shining through the early spring dogwoods, and it was probably the most beautiful mass I'd ever been to.

Actually, it was my daughter who turned me onto St. Therese when she picked that as her confirmation name.

[restornu]

Theresita of Cabora was the flying nun, played in the movies and tv by WC Fields daughter, Sally You big spoofer!

Is a second child. Biological father's name is Richard who was a captain in the army. Mother, Margaret was a contract player with Paramount Pictures starring in many B movies.

[JesseShurun]

yes, two of the theresa's flew according to eyewitness accounts, though Avila's were more of an up and downlike elevator effect, and theresita's were influenced by a cowboy not unsimilar to Castenada's Don Juan. She could do loops and figure 8's and he taught her a lot about native herbs and medicines, including but not limited to the teachings of the village elder, Pay Yotee

[JesseShurun]

if you convert, you will get to have these kinds of experiences too, not that you don't already, but this would be wild, and you'll be in a movie and played by Gwyneth Paltrow or Ally McBeal or someone like them, I think

[drstevej]

***Gwyneth Paltrow***

Got to be some King James only family heritage to name a kid Gwyneth!

[JesseShurun]

her twin sister is Wytheth, and the mom is always getting them confused and asking "Are you Wytheth ot Gwyneth?"

[JesseShurun]

ot to be, or, not ot

[JesseShurun]

are there accounts of flying saints where you live?

[drstevej]

or perhaps hie-ing saints?

[JesseShurun]

I think you have to catch an updraft in your wimple to fly or have starched undergarments

[JesseShurun]

the song "The wind 'neath my Wimple" will win for best song, and best picture will be .......?

[american colleen]

bump!

This is great. Now if I can only persuade my kids to go and see it with me.

I hope this is going to be released in regular theatres and not just the obscure artsy fartsy ones with no x-tra buttered popcorn, jujubes, sno-caps and tonic - I hate when that happens!

[JesseShurun]

... and the winner for Best Picture is "Nuns Over Nauvoo"