There are a lot of people out there that did not want to see United 93 and probably feel the same way about the upcoming World Trade Center simply because of the subject matter… Taking that into consideration, can there really be much hope for Lionsgate’s recent pick-up Deliver Us from Evil?
Despite the fact that the film is a documentary and not a dramatic recounting of the story, it still is about a Catholic priest who molested a string of children in Northern California and the church’s alleged cover-up.
The film is from writer-director Amy Berg and has already won the top documentary jury prize at the recently wrapped Los Angeles Film Festival where it premiered, but despite how good it is there is no telling of the comfort level when such things are discussed in such a large format.
Nevertheless, Lionsgate is planning a fall release of the film that recounts the story of Father Oliver O’Grady, who preyed on scores of boys and girls during a 20-year period. The film presents evidence detailing how the church hierarchy, afraid of tarnishing its reputation, responded by shuttling the priest from parish to parish.
Variety‘s article reports that O’Grady was ultimately arrested and convicted in the early 1990s. He spent seven years in prison and was deported to his native Ireland upon release.
Lionsgate president of theatrical marketing Tom Ortenberg was quoted by Variety saying, “Amy does not flinch in her reporting and has created a devastating portrait of a sexual predator and the official culture that enabled him to victimize the children and the families that trusted him.”
The film marks the film directorial debut for Berg.
