The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman October 26, 2017

The Good Catholic tells the story of a young priest in an existential crisis. He's not wrestling with his commitment to or belief in God. Instead, he's met a girl. The film doesn't pander to crude jokes or hijack religious doctrine for its own coarse benefit. It instead plays with a serious tone of critical self exploration for a man who is not sexually frustrated but rather personally frustrated when his straight-arrow way of life in the cloth is challenged by the arrival of a young woman in need of guidance and a friend that blossoms into the possibility of something more. Director Paul Shoulberg's picture gives serious consideration to the human condition. The film may not always achieve its dramatic goals, but credit it for remaining true to its character and refusing to turn his struggles into overblown comedy or as a means of degrading him or his beliefs. The film follows a serious human struggle and, while the movie is not a classic "entertainer" in the common interpretation, it is most certainly an engaging story of humanity from a fairly unique perspective.

Daniel (Zachary Spicer) is living his dream. For all his life, he's wanted only to don the cloth, serve in the church, and help others. At his parish, he works alongside veteran Father, Victor (Danny Glover), and the more carefree Ollie (John C. McGinley). One day, while twiddling his thumbs in the confessional waiting for someone to ask to be absolved of his or her sins, a woman he's never met before, Jane (Wrenn Schmidt), barges in, claims she's dying, and leaves with little more information. She makes several return visits, and the two form a bond. She's clearly drawn to him, and he to her, but his place in the church does not permit him to get close. But his desire to be closer to her -- not even so much sexually, but certainly intimately in other ways -- tears him apart from the inside out. Suddenly, he's not sleeping well or giving his duties his full attention. As he wades through a minefield of self-doubt about his path in life, he struggles to maintain a balance between his work in the church and burgeoning relationship with Jane until he can excommunicate one or the other from his life.

The story surrounds Daniel with a pair of fellow priests: the traditionally behaved and dedicated Father Victor, a longtime servant of God, and the more flamboyant, expressive Father Ollie who is not beneath showing his pride in his basketball team, wearing sneakers under his habit, or spicing up a traditional hymn. Both are sounding boards for Daniel in their own way. Daniel certainly leans more toward the Father Victor side of the ledger. He's young, indulges himself in his runs, but has always believed his calling to be part of the church. He loves the church, he loves his role in the church, but he is not in love with himself or most earthly pursuits or the desires of the flesh. His dedication is his life, his commitment and love to the people he is charged with serving. The film rarely depicts him in that capacity, though. He never gives mass, he never hears a confession that is not Jane's. He interacts with one couple and dozes through their meeting, and he and Father Ollie administer last rites to a dying man in the hospital. The movie is only about the idea of his faith, his commitment, and Daniel makes it clear that that commitment is the driving force of his life: it always has been, it is, and it always will be. Until he meets Jane. His very core is challenged by the increasing intimacy the two share, not physical, not even verbal, but soulful. Daniel is drawn to her in a way that upsets his status quo and brings his barriers crashing down. He realizes the presence of an emptiness in his life that cannot be fulfilled if he is to remain faithful to his commitment to the church, if he is to remain on the path he has always walked and one he has never imagined veering away from.

The film gradually builds the relationship until it consumes Daniel. It begins innocently enough. He takes Jane's initial confession seriously, of course, even if she does not, but her return visits see them play Battleship in the confessional and even, at one point, switch sides, during which he opens up for the first time about his life's journey and dedication to his mission in the church. It is then that Daniel's soul begins to unravel, that he is tested from within. Jane is understanding of his place in life; she never forces herself on him and, while she makes his decision more difficult with her playfully direct and flirtatious yet dark approach to life, she never completely corners him. She and the film are very respectful of Daniel's conscience and commitment. It's that the film never makes a mockery of the character that really makes it work. It certainly has some fun -- particularly with John C. McGinley's Father Ollie character, whom the actor nails in cadence and presentation -- but this is ultimately a very serious film about the human condition. Even for the non-Catholic or non-religious person, the movie works very well as a glimpse into a crisis of conscience. The cast is fantastic, and the limited character roster -- which is really just Daniel and Jane and a pair of men who are essentially sounding boards for Daniel's dilemma -- gives the movie a focus and intimacy so often lacking in today's cinema.

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Good Catholic's 1080p transfer is not much of a looker by the film's very nature. This is a straightforward, no-frills movie. Costumes and sets are very basic, and the transfer captures essential details like skin textures, religious attire, wooden church pews, exterior brickwork, and odds and ends around the church and town with enough core detailing to please. Colors are sufficiently saturated and balanced around a neutral presentation where many of those same elements offer pleasing coloring and vitality. Skin tones are fine, but black levels tend towards the lighter end of the spectrum. No major source or encode flaws are readily apparent.

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Good Catholic features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless surround soundtrack, though there's very little stretch beyond the core front-side elements. There is some nice reverberation throughout the stage during an impromptu choral session amongst Daniel, Ollie, and Victor early in the film. Musical definition pleases, and front-side spacing is adequately wide. A few minor ambient effects outside or at the coffee shop where Jane sings breathe a little life into the film's basic environmental set pieces. Dialogue drives the picture, and it's presented without issue in a comfortable front-center position.

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Beyond some trailers for other Broad Green films, The Good Catholic unfortunately contains no supplemental content; a filmmaker audio commentary track would have been a wonderful addition. A DVD copy of the film is included with purchase.

The Good Catholic Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Good Catholic is a very good film about a man in crisis. It's respectful of his beliefs and puts a very human spin on one young man's dedication to God. The film explores philosophies of life and death, of religion, of commitment, of walking the journey and the very real opportunity to stray from a path that has been built and walked for a lifetime. Well-written characters and strong acting make this one of the finer under-the-radar movies of the year. Broad Green's featureless Blu-ray offers acceptable video and audio. Recommended.