| Overall Grade: |
B |
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| Story: |
B- |
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| Acting: |
B+ |
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| Direction: |
C+ |
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| Visuals: |
C+ |
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powerful core burst out of lame 1950's plot
by Tony (movies profile)
Dec 14, 2006
This biography of scottish Peter Marshall during the early 20th century, who became a minister of the US Senate.
This is definitely not a movie that Hollywood would produce today, both for good reasons (milk toast sexism/racism) and bad (preaching goes against modern relativism/subjectivism).
On the one hand this is a very tame 1950's "father knows best" type of movie without much excitement. On the other hand, it has elements of rebellion against the even more conservative members of his congregation, and some truly powerful preaching.
Richard Todd is excellent as the minister. Some of his sermons are truly moving and timeless. In contrast, Jean Peters as his swooning wife seems very dated both in attitude and style!
If you can get over the boring plot (even skip through the arts with Peters), there really is something powerful in this movie. I would love to see an update (without the lame 50's characture of his wife). |
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