Forgiveness and Philomena

I read enough reviews that the film Philomena couldn't surprise me, but it did touch me. It is the based-on-actual experience story of Philomena Lee, who as a teen gave birth to a baby boy. She ended up like many young Irish women in similar circumstances, doing "hard labour" for Roman Catholic sisters who provided dubious shelter for both mothers and children. Philomena's son was taken from the convent when he was three, essentially sold to a wealthy American couple. This was commonplace for the children of the "fallen women" known as Magdalene girls, after the tradition of Mary Magdalene in the gospels. No matter that Jesus treated Mary with respect, these unfortunate women were punished for their sexual sins.


The film follows Philomena and journalist Martin Sixsmith as they search for the boy after Philomena's desire to find him is sparked by the realization that he has turned fifty. Both Judy Dench and Steve Coogan are great in this picture, and the story doesn't get bogged down along the way. Judy Dench can act in anything, but it was a pleasant change for Coogan who is usually in comedies. I found it emotional but not maudlin, and Philomena's choice to forgive the nuns because of her Christian faith is quite powerful.

There has been an interesting twist since Philomena's release. A New York Post review called the movie hateful toward the Roman Catholic church and dismissed the relationship between the two key figures as unrealistic. Lee responded saying:

"Just as I forgave the church for what happened with my son, I forgive you for not taking the time to understand my story. I do hope though that the families heading to the movie theatre to see the film decide for themselves – and disagree with you."

I certainly disagree with the review and I'm glad I saw the film. How about you? Have you seen it? Will you see it? Are there enough films out there already with forgiveness themes?