Beau Bridges Movie:

The Runner Stumbles Reviews:
Dick VanDyke at His Best
2009-09-12 - This movie from the 1980s has a great script with a powerful ending. The plot is easy to follow, and Dick Van Dyke is at his best in this dramatic performance as a priest who falls in love and faces a conflict which challenges his commitment to his vows. Kathleen Quinlan also enhances the storyline in her supporting role as a young & energetic nun. Every movie buff and movie-buff-wannabe should own a copy of this film.

There is a real place
2007-08-07 - As if this makes me some sort of expert or celebrity, but, whoo-hoo, I come from the "real" town/parish where the events that inspired the play and later the movie actually took place. Filming "on location" in our town/parish was denied, of course. Still as the filming went forward (in another location as we know)and after the film's release the people of our parish were outraged that such sins would be exposed. The publication of the play drew similar, but easily as passionate a reaction. For such a long time the roots in our community ran deep and strong. The people worked hard and were pious. Loyalty and discretion were expected. They wrapped themselve in renunciation not only of their sins but of the world at large. The story as it unfolded in real life brought disgrace to a community, a church and a people who had dedicated their lives to avoiding the near occassion of sin. The creation of the play and later the movie threatened the delusion that for years had allowed the parishioners to pretend this terrible thing had never happened. Ultimately the fear of being "found out" subsided. People realized that the location, time-line, characters and roles had all been blurred so well that our parish/town's anonymity was still firmly intact. The facts were blurred into fiction, so it goes. The detail that the inspiration for these works of fiction came from a scandal/crime in our town/church was irrelevant to both the play and the movie. Protest of the parishioners and the inevitability of our parents forbidding us (the younger set) to read the play or see the movie only led to our being curiouser and curiouser! They should have trusted that the secret had been kept so well. We youngsters may have never known the shame and degradation this event had brougt upon the parish/town at one time. The protests only brought the story to light. Anyone who didn't know about it already was now compelled to dig furiously to find out more. Unfortunately, facts about the real life story of this priest, this nun, this housekeeper, are fairly sketchy at best. Only the bare bones of the story remain. Documents were destroyed. Much information was supressed. Most of the old timers who would remember the true details of this scandal are no longer with us. When they left, the secret of what really happened went with them to their graves. But in order to make a more compelling play or movie, writers must take license and add elements to woo us. I will say that it feels odd for me to have such an affinity to something largely because of the threat of scandal and the faint shimmer of the glitter of Hollywood that it brought to our little town, but I think that is why this story still intrigues me. Truly, it was the most excitement the kids my age had seen in the county so far! So. Long story long. I think the writers germinated the seed of a real life tragic crime and wove it into a more paltable piece of entertainment. For my part, I one huge lesson learned was that ideas for art of all kinds can come from anything, anyone, anywhere;even from our innocuous little part of the world. Could it be that interesting things happen in places other than New York and Los Angeles. Go figure.

I've never forgotten this story....
2007-08-07 - Funny, but I must've seen this when it came out, because I was just a kid. But I loved the movie so much I've never forgotten it.

It is the story of a priest (Van Dyke) who has lost his faith and his direction. When a new nun, Sister Rita (Quinlan) comes to town, he is inspired by her energy, faith and a simple love that flows from her & touches everyone she meets. But the only problem is that they are both only human....
There's the great acting by both Van Dyke and Quinlan (Stapelton is nice in a supporting role) and the unforgettable score by Ernest Gold. But when it all comes down to it, this is a love story. And a unique one in a way because it isn't about the usual lust and physical attraction that accompany the average Hollywood love story. These were two kindred spirits that just happen to meet at the wrong place and time and as a result the consequences were disasterous.
It is an all around wonderful movie and really should be on DVD (if they can put all those sitcoms from my youth on DVD, they can put this on DVD too!)

I recommend this movie.

The play is better
2007-05-18 - I recently was a part of the production of this show at my university, and after performing the show and working with it for over 4 months, i was disappointed when i finally watched the film. The rewrites changed much of the emotional content of the story, and actually made it harder to understand. Finally, when it comes right down to it, i felt that Dick van Dyke missed many of the traits for the character. It's an excellent show, and if it's ever being performed in a close vicinity to yourself, then go see it! but the film is not nearly as good. And also, it's a good show assuming the lead actors understand the roles...since the entire story hinges on two characters, they are extremely important and can either help or destroy the show.

Also, contrary to what somewhat else said, Milan Stitt wrote the play in the 70's, and then rewrote the screenplay very soon after it was a hit on broadway in the same decade.

And besides, they filmed it in my town
2006-06-07 - This truly is one of the most romantic, sad, cry-your-eyes out movies I've ever seen, and I'm a guy! Besides how great the movie is, it was filmed mostly in Roslyn with the inside of the church being created and filmed inside a warehouse at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. Then, years later, Northern Exposure was also filmed in Roslyn. Of course, Northern Exposure folks added the apostrophe and "s" to the Roslyn Cafe to make Roslyn's Cafe. I was going to college in Ellensburg at the time, so every time I see this movie, I'm doubly thrilled. I'd love it even if it were actually filmed in, oh, say, Alaska!