Review: Judgement

Set in Louisiana in the early 80s, the film depicts molestation in the local Catholic church, as devout Catholic parents Keith Carradine and Blythe Danner find that their son (Michael Faustino, excellent under difficult circumstances) has been molested by a priest (David Strathairn). And it appears he’s not the only victim, though the church’s reaction to the allegations is pathetic at best. So the couple investigate legal avenues instead, eventually hiring swaggering Southern lawyer Claude Fautier (Jack Warden), who prepares the boy for what will likely be a gruelling experience on the stand. Bob Gunton plays the buck-passing local monsignor, Dylan Baker (several years before “Happiness”) is a priest colleague of Strathairn’s who has mixed emotions and a dodgy past of his own, Robert Joy is perfect casting as the soulless head of the firm representing the Catholic church, and Mitchell Ryan plays the first lawyer the parents hire, with somewhat moderate returns at best.

 

I don’t do TV movie reviews very often, but the subject matter and cast for this 1990 real-life inspired TV movie from HBO attracted my interest. Written and directed by Tom Topor (his sole directorial effort, having also written the slightly similar “Nuts” and “The Accused”), it’s irresistible – if highly unpleasant – subject matter very effectively portrayed by one and all. In particular the film does a good job of showing how insular and prone to cover-up churches and religious organisations can be when one of their own is involved. It also shows how hard these issues are for the devout followers of such churches to deal with.

 

Keith Carradine and the always lovely Blythe Danner are terrific as the parents, with Danner in particular standing out as pretty much the most rational person in the entire story. The most interesting roles here go to David Strathairn and young Michael Faustino as the perpetrator and victim, respectively. Strathairn is a versatile actor but I’m so used to seeing him in dependable good guy roles here that it was interesting to see him in villainous mode here (He was also effective as a sleazy pornographer in “L.A. Confidential”). There’s nothing remotely graphic on show here, but it shows these sicko paedophile priests for the sick monsters that they are whilst also not portraying them in single dimensions. That would cheapen the true horror of things and not give Strathairn much to work with as an actor. Instead, this guy comes off as a slimy, rather pathetic piece of crap who abuses not only children but the power and privilege afforded to him. He’s no horned, fork-tongued, outwardly fantastical monster, but the real thing: A very bad human being who performs sick and evil acts on the most vulnerable in society, a violation on multiple levels. Strathairn should be commended for not shying away from a role like this back in 1990. I’m not sure how often this kind of material was making it into TV and films, but I’d wager it’s far more well-traversed material in 2021 than in 1990. Although he turns up late, Jack Warden (one of cinema’s best-ever character actors) steals his every moment as a showy, high-profile lawyer. Like Strathairn, he’s a very versatile actor too. Less versatile is Bob Gunton, an expert at playing humourless and often corrupt authority figures. Here he’s perfectly cast as the monsignor, who is happy to ‘relocate’ problem priests and merely pass the buck. We’re still seeing this kind of shit today, ‘relocating’ the abuser and letting it become someone else’s problem, rather than holding people accountable for their actions. It’s infuriating. I wouldn’t quite call it comic relief, but a sleazy Mitchell Ryan offers the closest thing the film has to levity as a slick lawyer. “Wonder Years” fans should look out for Becky Slater herself, Crystal McKellar as one of Faustino’s siblings.

 

This may be a TV movie, but it’s got a lot more going for it than your run-of-the-mill Lifetime/Hallmark Channel bullshit. Extremely well-acted, very tough viewing but ultimately very effective and rewarding. It’s just a shame that a horrifying story set in the 1980s still resonates so much in 2021.

 

Rating: B-