The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

Inspired by a series of real events, “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” details the story of a young university student who may or may not have been the victim of a demonic possession, and the subsequent charge of negligent homicide against the priest involved in the attempted exorcism that led to her untimely death. Through flashbacks dovetailed with scenes of the criminal trial of Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson), we learn of Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter), a 19-year-old, small town, devout Roman Catholic college student who, after a disturbing nighttime experience in her own dorm room, begins exhibiting symptoms of what doctors believe to be epilepsy, or epileptic psychosis, but which both Father Moore and Emily herself believe to be signs of possession by an evil spirit. Against the advice of the doctors who feel that this is solely a medical malady, and counseled by Father Moore, Emily rejects her medication and instead chooses to subject herself to the rite of exorcism at the hands of Father Moore. However, the physical torment, mental and emotional anguish and self-imposed starvation experienced by Emily, capped off by the ordeal of the attempted exorcism itself prove too much for the young girl and she dies, leaving Father Moore accused of being responsible for her death. When he is put on trial, admittedly agnostic, successful defense attorney Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is hired to defend him. While she initially agrees to represent Father Moore only in exchange for the promise of a partnership at her prestigious law firm, during the course of her own investigation into Emily’s death, she begins to question many of her own beliefs about herself, her life, and her own reality. Was Emily Rose truly possessed by an evil spirit? Was she a very sick girl who fell into the hands of a well-meaning but ultimately misguided spiritual advisor? Does Father Moore have insight into realities of the world and of human existence that the rest of us might choose to ignore, or is he simply a zealot, lost in the fantasies of a deluded belief system? The film does not provide easy answers to those enduring questions.