Faith in Film — The Exorcism of Emily Rose

Tonight we'll look at "The Exorcism of Emily Rose," a hybrid courtroom drama-exorcism film, made by Christians for a purpose.

Discussion Questions:
1. Did this movie work for you, why or why not?

2. What is your experience and belief regarding the idea of demons?

3. What do you think really afflicted Emily Rose?

4. Do you agree with Father Moore’s explanation for why God allowed Emily, a devout believe, to be afflicted and suffer?

Thoughts:

This 2005 film is based on a true story. It tells the story of a young girl, a devote believer, that becomes afflicted by demon possession. After considering medical opinions and a variety of other methods to help cure her, Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) and her family turn to a local priest, Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), to perform an exorcism. Things don’t go according to plan, and Emily can’t be saved.

Most of Emily’s story is told through flashbacks throughout the film, which is as much a courtroom drama as an exorcism story. Moore is put on trial for causing Emily’s death, defended by an unbelieving attorney, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney), who is grappling with aspects of her job. The prosecutor, a Christian named Ethan Thomas (Campbell Scott), is convinced that Moore’s methods caused Emily suffering and led to her eventual death. It is left up to the audience to determine what they believe is true.

This film was written and directed by a Christian, Biola graduate Scott Derrickson, and takes a hard look at demonology. In addition, the film asks hard questions about the nature of evil and the nature of faith. But does it do so correctly?

In the real life account, the story of a woman named Annelise Michel, she began to have a "Christ complex" near the end of her life. She is credited with telling others that she was dying to atone for wayward sinners and was purported to have shown signs of stigmata, the marks Christ had after being crucified. Either way, the truth of the situation remains unclear.

The filmmakers don't take it quite that far, and it remains unclear to me whether they believe Michel was sent as a messenger from God, or whether the beats of her story made for a good movie. Either way, their heart is in the right place but their theology isn't.

There are two areas where I struggle with the theology put forth. The first in in Emily Rose's demons. She names, among others, demons that dwelt within Cain, Judas, and Nero. It might seem like a subtle thing, but crediting the actions of those with demonic possession fundamentally changes our understanding of them. If Cain was demon-possesed when he killed Abel, rather than suffering jealousy, then why did God punish him? Those possessed by demons need help, not rebuke?

But the other qualm I have is greater. When we become Christians, we undergo a change. The film, in attempting to explore the idea of God and demons for the world, seems to lose grasp of some of those fundamentals of faith. That's something we'll explore tonight.

"The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is a movie made with noble intentions, but one that doesn't quite achieve it's aims. Still, it's an example of Christians trying to think outside the box when it comes to sharing their faith with an unbelieving world, and that should be commended.