In upstate New York Reverend Toller (Ethan Hawke) in the church of First Reformed consuls a young married couple at the behest of the wife Mary (Amanda Seyfried) who is afraid her husband Michael (Philip Ettinger) wants her to have an abortion because he doesn't want a baby born into a depraved, uncaring, polluted and dying world. Michael commits suicide and later Mary finds a suicide vest in his belongings and Rev Toller takes it.
This is a very talky movie but listen carefully because the dialogues are very good. This is a more spiritual than religious story. In time we will learn that Rev Toller is himself sick, had tests done, but no results yet. He was married and lost a child and we never did hear where the wife is or I missed it. He is basically lost and sees humanity faltering when it should be rising to the occasions and solving problems instead of wallowing in them. He doesn't know how to pray and feels his writings in a journal of the days events are a sort of prayer. Rev Toller asks: Will God Forgive us? Listen carefully to the converstions between Rev Toller and Michael. I have a feeling that Michael got to our good Reverend.
Notables: Cedric the Entertainer as Reverend Jeffers who is only concerned that the 250-Year anniversary of the church goes off without a hitch, and has his concerns about Rev Toller; Michael Gaston as Edward Balq, the owner of the company that pollutes the town waters.
Cedric the Entertainer is one of those special actors who is as good in comedy as he is in drama. He always does a good job. I don t see Oscars for Ethan Hawke or Amanda Seyfried, but both did good more than adequate jobs. Was looking for the love interest between Rev Toller and Mary since both were single regardless of circumstances. It looked to me they needed each other. (You are a romantic)
Almost near the end we see Rev Toller do something none of us expected him to do, and we were necessarily more than shocked, but changes his mind when he sees Mary at the celebration when he told her specifically not to come. I was kind of shocked at the ending, but think I understand it now. (Hmmm......you sure?) (7/10)
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: No. Rating: B
This is a very talky movie but listen carefully because the dialogues are very good. This is a more spiritual than religious story. In time we will learn that Rev Toller is himself sick, had tests done, but no results yet. He was married and lost a child and we never did hear where the wife is or I missed it. He is basically lost and sees humanity faltering when it should be rising to the occasions and solving problems instead of wallowing in them. He doesn't know how to pray and feels his writings in a journal of the days events are a sort of prayer. Rev Toller asks: Will God Forgive us? Listen carefully to the converstions between Rev Toller and Michael. I have a feeling that Michael got to our good Reverend.
Notables: Cedric the Entertainer as Reverend Jeffers who is only concerned that the 250-Year anniversary of the church goes off without a hitch, and has his concerns about Rev Toller; Michael Gaston as Edward Balq, the owner of the company that pollutes the town waters.
Cedric the Entertainer is one of those special actors who is as good in comedy as he is in drama. He always does a good job. I don t see Oscars for Ethan Hawke or Amanda Seyfried, but both did good more than adequate jobs. Was looking for the love interest between Rev Toller and Mary since both were single regardless of circumstances. It looked to me they needed each other. (You are a romantic)
Almost near the end we see Rev Toller do something none of us expected him to do, and we were necessarily more than shocked, but changes his mind when he sees Mary at the celebration when he told her specifically not to come. I was kind of shocked at the ending, but think I understand it now. (Hmmm......you sure?) (7/10)
Violence: No. Sex: No. Nudity: No. Humor: No. Language: No. Rating: B