This Day in Horror History: THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE Opened in 2005
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, Scott Derrickson’s The Exorcism of Emily Rose with Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, and Jennifer Carpenter was released in 2005.
Derrickson chose Paul Harris Boardman as co-writer because he saw himself as a believer and Boardman as a skeptic. The two perspectives provided the script with ambiguity as to whether it supports a supernatural or a medical interpretation.
Linney recommended Carpenter for the role after working with her in a play. The character of Emily Rose was inspired by Anneliese Michel. The Exorcism of Emily Rose made $75.1M domestically, and $144.2M worldwide against a $19M budget.
It tells the tale of Rev. Moore (Wilkinson) who is prosecuted for the wrongful death of a girl thought to be demonically possessed because he administered the church-sanctioned exorcism that ultimately killed her. The prosecuting attorney contends that the young woman, Emily (Carpenter), suffered from schizophrenia and should have been medically diagnosed. Meanwhile, defense lawyer Erin Bruner (Linney) argues that Emily’s condition cannot be explained by science alone.
Rated PG-13 for thematic material, including intense/frightening sequences and disturbing images, it sports a 44% on Rotten Tomatoes with this Critics Consensus: Loosely based on a true story, The Exorcism of Emily Rose mixes compelling courtroom drama with gore-free scares in a ho-hum take on demonic cinema.
Boardman produced with Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Tripp Vinson, and Beau Flynn. The film features cinematography Tom Stern (Mystic River), music by Christopher Young (Drag Me to Hell), and editing by Jeff Betancourt. Linney, Wilkinson, and Carpenter’s co-stars include Campbell Scott, Joshua Close, Kenneth Welsh, Duncan Fraser, J. R. Bourne, Mary Beth Hurt, Henry Czerny, and Colm Feore.
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