Rachel Evans
The Good Catholic is a 2017 romantic comedy film written and directed by Paul Shoulberg. The film stars Zachary Spicer, Wrenn Schmidt, Danny Glover and John C. McGinley. The plot centres around Father Daniel, a young priest devoted to his duties, who meets a quirky, attractive, and non-Catholic woman, Jane, in the confessional one Friday night. As Jane continues to return each Friday, the pair slowly begins to develop feelings for one another, and Father Daniel starts to question his faith and calling. The film explores themes of love, faith, and the search for meaning in life. Despite some positive reviews praising the acting and balance between serious and comical moments, other critics found the film underwhelming, with bland direction and an unoriginal plot.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Romantic comedy |
| Type of media | Film |
| Main characters | Father Daniel, Jane, Father Ollie, Father Victor |
| Plot | A young priest, Father Daniel, meets a dying woman, Jane, who is new to the church and they become friends. Father Daniel begins to question his faith and calling. |
| Themes | Love, faith, religion, death, compassion |
| Reception | The film received mixed reviews, with some praising the acting and exploration of genuine issues of love and faith, while others found it slow-paced and lacking in visual elegance. |
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What You'll Learn
- A young priest, Father Daniel, meets a non-Catholic woman, Jane, in a confessional
- They develop feelings for each other, and Daniel begins to question his faith and calling
- Jane is brash, sexy, opinionated, and teaches the priest life lessons
- Father Victor chastises Daniel for replacing God with his new muse, Jane
- The film explores genuine issues of love, faith, and the meaning of life
A young priest, Father Daniel, meets a non-Catholic woman, Jane, in a confessional
In the film The Good Catholic, a young priest, Father Daniel, meets a non-Catholic woman, Jane, in a confessional. Daniel is happy in his work but unhappy in his faith. He is devoted to his duties, staying up late on Friday nights as part of his parish's experiment to offer more opportunities for the sacrament of Reconciliation. On one such night, Jane, who is quirky, attractive, brash, sexy, opinionated, and edgy, shows up at the empty church wanting to talk. She claims to be a musician and dying, and while she is new to the church, she and Daniel become friends, playing games like "Battleship" in the confessional. Over time, they develop feelings for one another, and Daniel begins to question his calling.
Jane expresses her wishes for how her remains should be disposed of, but she often changes her mind. She invites Daniel to hear her sing at her coffee house, and he goes. On another occasion, they reverse roles, and she encourages him to unburden himself. Daniel confesses that he is happy to be a man of God and help people, but he does not feel a connection with God. He gives her a Bible as a gift, but she becomes angry. Throughout the film, each of the three priests—Daniel, Ollie, and Victor—rehearse a homily, with Daniel teaching that death gives meaning to life and that people should enjoy life because we all eventually die.
As their relationship develops, Jane invades Daniel's life and sanctuary, scattering sexual temptation in his path during his hour of doubt. She is brassy to the point of abrasiveness and mocks his torment. Daniel invites Jane to dinner at the rectory, but Father Victor launches into a tirade against the young priest, accusing him of replacing God with his new muse. Despite Victor's arguments being largely correct, he is portrayed as the villain of the scene. Jane's presence in Daniel's life makes him question his duties, such as teaching children and counselling married couples, which now seem dull and uninteresting.
The film explores the well-trodden territory of a "crisis of faith," with Daniel struggling with his religious convictions and vow of chastity. It has been described as a "crisis of faith" film that takes a definite viewpoint, with some critics warning that it may not portray Catholics in a positive light. While the film has been praised for its acting and exploration of genuine issues of love and faith, it has also been criticised for its bland direction, slow pace, and lack of visual elegance.
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They develop feelings for each other, and Daniel begins to question his faith and calling
The Good Catholic is an American romantic comedy film that explores the themes of love and faith. The story revolves around three Catholic priests—Father Daniel, Father Ollie, and Father Victor—who live and work together in a rectory. One Friday night, the young and idealistic Father Daniel meets Jane, a quirky, attractive, and non-Catholic woman, through the confessional box.
As Jane continues to return each Friday, Father Daniel and she develop feelings for each other. Jane is brash, sexy, opinionated, and everything the uncertain Father Daniel is not. She is dying and new to the church, but over time, they become friends, even playing "battleship" in the confessional. Their relationship causes Father Daniel to question his faith and calling. He is happy in his work but unhappy in his faith, and Jane's presence makes him realize that his life can be more than just waiting for the end, fearing hell, and hoping for heaven.
Throughout the movie, each priest rehearses a homily: Father Dan teaches that death gives meaning to life and that people should enjoy life because they will all die eventually. Father Ollie teaches compassion, and Father Victor preaches that no one sees God, but He lives inside each person. However, Father Victor is also the one to announce to Father Daniel that the late-night confessions are over, marking the point where Daniel and Jane's relationship moves beyond the church.
The film explores the crisis of faith that Father Daniel experiences due to his developing feelings for Jane. It portrays the struggle between his religious convictions and his growing attraction to Jane, who is portrayed as a disruptive force in his life. The acting in the film has been praised as first-rate, and it effectively captures the deep yearnings of youth for love, meaning, and intense experiences. However, some viewers have found the film to be slow-paced and lacking in visual elegance.
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Jane is brash, sexy, opinionated, and teaches the priest life lessons
In the 2017 American romantic comedy film "The Good Catholic", Jane is a brash, sexy, opinionated, and non-Catholic woman who meets Father Daniel, a young priest, during a late-night confession. Jane knows little about the Catholic faith and confesses to Father Daniel that she is dying. Over time, they become friends, and Jane invites Father Daniel to hear her sing at her coffee house.
Jane is portrayed as a cynical slacker who teaches the priest life lessons. She is described as "arrogant" and "impious", and her presence in Father Daniel's life is seen as an invasion, scattering sexual temptation in his path. Despite this, the two develop feelings for each other, and Father Daniel begins to question his calling. Jane represents a spark of individuality that makes Father Daniel realize that his life can be more than just waiting and fearing hell.
One of the critical revelations in the film is the suggestion that Jane might be Satan personified. She enters Father Daniel's life during his hour of doubt and faith crisis, pushing him further into uncertainty. Her character is also criticized as a typical Indie glorification of melancholia, with her trendy self-pity and dishonesty portrayed as righteous traits.
Throughout the film, each priest delivers a homily: Father Dan teaches that death gives meaning to life and to enjoy the present moment because we all eventually die. Father Ollie emphasizes the importance of compassion, suffering with others, and being there for the sick and dying. Father Victor, the oldest priest, preaches that while no one sees God, He lives inside each of us.
The ending of the film sees Father Victor delivering a mollifying message during the movie-ending Mass, which is a common method of delivering spirituality in the film through homily rehearsals. While some viewers expected a Hollywood-style unhappy ending, the film concludes without a clear resolution to the relationship between Father Daniel and Jane, leaving the audience to wonder about the outcome.
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Father Victor chastises Daniel for replacing God with his new muse, Jane
In the 2017 romantic comedy film "The Good Catholic", Father Victor chastises Daniel for replacing God with his new muse, Jane. The film centres around three Catholic priests living together in a rectory, one of whom is the young and devoted Father Daniel, who is happy in his work but unhappy in his faith.
One Friday night, Father Dan meets Jane in the confessional box, and over the weeks they become friends. Jane is a musician who claims to be dying, and she expresses a desire for Father Dan to unburden himself to her. He tells her that he is happy in his work but does not see God. Jane is brash, sexy, opinionated, and lies—everything that Father Dan is not. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, he is drawn to her, and they develop feelings for one another.
As their relationship progresses, Father Dan begins to question his calling and his faith. He invites Jane to dinner at the rectory, where Father Victor launches into a tirade, chastising him for replacing God with this new muse. Father Victor, who is devoted to the Church with little outside interest, finds comfort in his routine and specific way of setting up the church for mass. He is wise to what is going on between Father Dan and Jane and attempts to protect his fellow priest from what he sees as a threat to his devotion to God.
The film explores the well-trodden territory of a "crisis of faith", with Father Dan struggling to reconcile his religious convictions and duties with his growing feelings for Jane. It is a story of love and faith, with Father Dan searching for meaning and something "human" outside of his confined and dogma-bound role.
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The film explores genuine issues of love, faith, and the meaning of life
The 2017 American romantic comedy film "The Good Catholic" explores genuine issues of love, faith, and the meaning of life. The film follows three Catholic priests—Father Daniel, Father Ollie, and Father Victor—who live together in a rectory. Father Daniel, an idealistic young priest, is happy with his work but struggles with his faith. He meets a young woman, Jane, during a late-night confession, and their relationship causes him to question his calling.
Jane is described as brash, sexy, opinionated, and non-Catholic. She is dying and new to the church. Over time, she and Father Daniel become friends, and he begins to develop feelings for her. Jane represents a spark of individuality and a chance for Father Daniel to find meaning in his life beyond the priesthood. However, their relationship also raises questions about Father Daniel's vow of chastity, as it appears that he may be breaking it.
Throughout the movie, each priest delivers a homily that reflects their views on life and faith. Father Daniel teaches that death gives meaning to life and that people should enjoy life because everyone dies. Father Ollie emphasizes the importance of compassion and suffering with others, while Father Victor preaches that God lives inside each person, even if we don't see Him.
"The Good Catholic" explores the theme of a "crisis of faith," a common trope in films about religious characters struggling with their convictions. While the film has been criticized for its pacing and lack of visual elegance, it has also been praised for its acting and exploration of genuine issues of love and faith. It offers a thoughtful portrayal of a young priest's search for meaning and his encounter with a disturbed young woman in confession, ultimately falling in love with her.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Good Catholic' is a romantic comedy film about a young priest, Father Daniel, who is happy in his work but unhappy in his faith. He meets a young woman, Jane, who is brash, sexy, and opinionated—the opposite of Father Daniel. They slowly begin to develop feelings for one another, and Father Daniel starts to question his calling.
The ending of 'The Good Catholic' is ambiguous. It is not a typical Hollywood redemption story, and it is unclear whether Father Daniel and Jane end up together or if he remains devoted to his duties as a priest.
The film explores themes of love, faith, and the meaning of life. It also touches on the issue of priests breaking their vows, as Father Daniel struggles with his attraction to Jane and questions his faith.
The film has been described as "saccharine" and "well-meaning," with a focus on the crisis of faith that the main character is experiencing. It has also been called edgy and hip, although some reviewers found it to be too safe and lacking in visual elegance.
'The Good Catholic' is targeted towards viewers who enjoy stories about characters struggling with their religious convictions. It has also been recommended for those who are questioning their faith and seeking spiritual upliftment.
