A couple of weeks ago I picked up on the entertaining news, via Jim Martin at “In All Things,” that Brad Pitt would be playing Father Emilio Sandoz, a Jesuit scientist, in the film version of Mary Doria Russell’s “The Sparrow.” (Father Martin is a Jesuit, hence his understandable excitment–makes pitching vocations a lot easier…) Now it turns out it isn’t happening. Alas. Some plugged-in commenters over at dotCommonweal who know Mary Russell say it was always more rumor than fact (and many say Pitt wouldn’t be right for the role). According to Martin Connell:
“I just heard from Mary about this, and this is her reply. Jim Martin gets a ten for historical accuracy, a minus 3 for reportage. It’s old news-and now wrong news. The option is open until spring 09, but there no director for the screen play. Although Mr. Pitt was a fan of the books, the project seems to have fallen off the table.”
So how about Philip Seymour Hoffman?! Father Jim reports on the new trailer for the film “Doubt,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which is about a Catholic priest (Hoffman) suspected of sexual improprieties by a sister (Streep) in 1964. She wonders whether she is right, however, and as much as any treatment of the clergy abuse scandal, this play gets to the heart of the matter. Jim Martin was a “technical adviser” on the film, which will be out on December 12. I think that means he taught Sister Meryl to make the Sign of the Cross…Anyway, see the trailer:
posted September 19, 2008 at 9:44 pm
“What could be private with a 12-year old?”
As if a 12-year old never confided in a priest (confession) or looked up to him as a spiritual advisor. Give me a break. Though if it was in the 60′s, I guess the poor nun never saw ‘The Thorn Birds’ with Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward. Pre-teen Maggie (Ward) confides in Fr. Ralph (Chamberlain) that she fears she has a tumor because of bleeding, when Fr. Ralph explains she’s merely suffering the pangs of blossoming into womanhood (and doesn’t commit sexual impropriety with her til 20 years later.) I’m sure there were a lot of head strong nuns back in the day (without the patent ‘Streep’ crying). Will probably do well and be gossip of the watercooler variety for anti-Catholics the world over. Probably only lacking in realism, but hey, that never stopped a ‘Hollywood’ made movie from doing well. I Like PSHoffman, though, from what I saw in the previews.