Four years pass and michael is being ordained to the diaconate at the seminary. In the film, michael kovak is extremely skeptical when it comes to religion despite being a seminary. The movie is based on the actual experiences of father gary thomas, a california priest who was assigned by his bishop to study exorcism at the vatican. Michael kovak colin odonoghue is the son of a mortician rutger hauer in a nice extended cameo.
Michael kovak is a seminarian on the verge of taking his priestly vows or dropping out due to doubts about gods existence. The rite book did the real michael kovak take classes in rome to become an exorcist. What is real in the anthony hopkins exorcist movie. The rite more closely resembles the cinematic subtlety and theological accuracy of the exorcism of emily rose, according to fr.
Anthony hopkins is as excellent as ever, but hes no match for the rites dawdling pace and lack of chills or colin odonoghues tentative performance in the leading. The rite inspired by true events, the rite follows skeptical seminary student michael kovak colin odonoghue, who reluctantly attends exorcism school at the vatican. Michael kovak colin odonoghue is the son of a successful funeral home owner and businessman, istvan rutger hauer. The making of a modern exorcist by journalist matt baglio, the film follows young priestintraining michael kovak colin odonoghue, who flees a depressing life working at home in his fathers rutger hauer mortuary business by enrolling in seminary school. However, michael is not the stalwart man of faith his. The making of a modern exorcist by matt baglio and covers the time spent in rome by him and father gary thomas michael kovak in the film. Screenwriter michael petroni adapting journalist matt baglios nonfiction book about reallife exorcist gary thomas sets kovak up as the most unlikely of divine weapons. Five true thingsfive untrue thingsabout the rite, last weekends no. Psychological thriller follows an american seminary student as he ventures out to europe to experience an exorcism course. Two priests, one an unbeliever actor colin odonoghue, portraying priest apprentice michael kovak who entered seminary to work out his own demons of unbelief, and another actor anthony hopkins, portraying father lucas trevant who spends his advancing years looking after his truly demonpossessed neighborhood, only to finally catch the. Using this reallife initiative as a jumpingoff point, rite charts the education of chicagoborn michael kovak newcomer colin odonoghue, a recent seminary graduate whos shipped off. The rite starts promisingly and with a similar lack of an overt horror agenda. Washington, dc catholic online on friday, january 28, the rite will premier in theaters across the u. This exorcismthemed film isnt terrible, just completely forgettable.
Released friday, the rite is an underwhelming horror movie starring anthony hopkins and newcomer colin odonoghue. Michael novak september 9, 1933 february 17, 2017 was an american catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat. According to the rite true story, father gary thomas, who is portrayed by actor colin odonoghue in the movie, attended exorcism classes, among others, during his nine month stay. Exorcist father gary thomas interview exorcist michael kovak s real life counterpart, father gary thomas, 57, is interviewed in 2011 about the movie the rite and demonic possession. The author of more than forty books on the philosophy and theology of culture, novak is most widely known for his book the spirit of democratic capitalism 1982. O donoghue plays michael kovak, a skeptical seminarian sent to rome to.
I saw the film a few years ago, then recently read the nonfiction book that. The rite is a 2011 supernatural horror film directed by mikael hafstrom and written by michael petroni. Exorcist praises new movie the rite for showing power of faith. The rite is a wonderfully produced movie from 2011 starring anthony hopkins, perhaps the only actor alive today who could drop you simply by leveling his trademarked deathstare. Kovak ultimately must perform an exorcism on his mentor when satan takes possession. In mikael hafstroms the rite, a troubled young seminarian named michael kovak colin odonoghue travels to italy and turns to the practice of exorcism under the tutelage of the renegade father lucas trevant anthony hopkins. It even opens with a credit that claims it is based on a true story, although this is watered down a few credits later where we learn that the film is only suggested by matt baglios book the rite. Writer michael petroni, a practicing catholic whose.
They were both attending a class on exorcisms in rome. In the rite, he becomes father michael kovak colin odonoghue from chicago, and the closing credits tell us hes now working in a western suburb. Film le rite the rite en streaming vf gratuit complet hd. The opening credits state that the movie is suggested by the book by matt baglio which is called the rite.
But thats what we get in mikael hafstroms adaptation of matt baglios book. The devil is back and hes still mad national catholic. In the film father thomas is renamed michael kovak, played by. And the rite, in turn, is a cinematic fictionalization inspired by the true events baglio wrote about. The making of a modern exorcist and it tells the true story of a california priest and his astonishingly scary experiences in 2005 while studying exorcisms in rome. The rite 2011 american seminary student michael kovak colin odonaghue travels to italy to take an exorcism course. The rite thus continues a theme running through a number of recent exorcism films. Michaels impulse is to turn to a psychiatrist rather than an exorcist. Michael kovak is a seminarian on the verge of taking his priestly vows.
Baglios book explores the current reality of satanic activity in our day and. With the rite, however, screenwriter michael petroni, who has a list of religious themed films to his credit, and the filmmakers focus on the mans faith journey as revealed when he deals. Pulpy new religious thriller the rite will fit you out with all the expunged demons and possessed souls you can handle. The author of more than forty books on the philosophy and theology of culture, novak is most widely known for his book the spirit of democratic capita.
Near the end of his four years of seminary training, michael is plagued by doubt and convinced hes not fit for the cloth. Did the real michael kovak take classes in rome to become an exorcist. Three things i learned from the rite steven ramirez. Gary thomas, the priest from the book on which the film is based. Michael kovak colin odonoghue is having a severe crisis of faith, so much so that he is. To his credit, academy award winner anthony hopkins earns his paycheck in mikael hafstroms the rite, an inspired by a true story flick about a skeptical seminary student, michael kovak colin odonoghue who rather reluctantly finds himself attending exorcism school at the vatican under the guidance of father xavier ciaran hinds, who also recommends his spending time with father trevant. The rite stars anthony hopkins and colin odonoghue. The film opens with michael kovak colin odonoghue, a young catholic man expected to inherit his fathers mortuary business, deciding instead to enter the priesthood.
At the start of his research, baglio believed he would. The rite promptly becomes another exorcism film that is claiming to be based on a true story. Abstract michael, an american and son to a funeral director, yearns to shake up his surroundings and decides to join a seminary. While in rome, he meets an unorthodox priest, father lucas anthony hopkins, who introduces him to the darker side of his faith. The making of a modern exorcist, which itself is based on real events as witnessed and recounted by american thenexorcistintraining father gary thomas. At the urging of one of his teachers at seminary, michael goes to italy to study at the vaticans exorcism school. This month the rite opens at movie theaters across the united states. The rite is all wrong by tom charity, special to cnn. The biggest difference between the film the rite and the book on which it is loosely based is the character of the man called to rome to be trained as an exorcist. Demons ive faced as an exorcist express yourself comment. O donoghue plays michael kovak, a skeptical seminarian sent to rome to become an exorcist who ends up hooking up with an eccentric welsh priest, father lucas anthony hopkins, who performs exorcisms.
It is about a young man, michael kovak, who has finished catholic seminary but has not yet taken his vows for the priesthood because he is doubting his faith. Recently ordained to the transitional deaconate, michael kovak. Michael is a sympathetic character and the films dramatic exposition of the tragic origins of his faith crisis help the audience sympathize with. The rite is a supernatural thriller that uncovers the devils reach to even one of the holiest places on earth. The seminarian michael kovak is played by colin odonoghue, and the exorcist father lucas trevant is played by anthony hopkins. The making of a modern exorcist was published in 2009 by doubleday with an audio version shortly thereafter by st. In the film, this man is the fictional michael kovak, an affable seminarian who doubts his vocation and suffers from weak faith. Matt baglio, an american journalist in rome, wrote a book based on father garys story. Inspired by true events, the film follows seminary student michael kovak colin odonoghue, who is sent to study exorcism at the vatican in spite of his own doubts about the controversial practice and even his own faith. This intense spiritual thriller revolves around two dramatically different characters. Odonoghue plays michael kovak, a skeptical seminarian sent to rome to.
The rite is based on a real priest trained in exorcism. Michael kovak colin odonoghue has always been a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The rite gets it all wrong arts the harvard crimson. Michael kovak colin odonoghue, disillusioned with his father, a mortuary owner, decides to enter a seminary school and abdicate his vows upon completion, thereby getting him a free college degree. The making of a modern exorcist, which served as the basis. According to the rite true story, father gary thomas, who is. He is a mandated exorcist working in california who, like his counterpart in the movie, was trained in rome. Inspired by true events of an actual roman catholic priest, the movie follows the life of seminarian michael kovak colin odonoghue who is sent to rome to study exorcism. Its the gripping tale of a san jose, california, priest, father gary thomas, who at his bishops request went to rome to study exorcism. While the spiritual journey undergone by odonaghues michael kovak seems fairly true to life.
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