Mass Appeal [HD]

Apropos
What better movie for a priest to review than 'Mass Appeal'? Directed by Glenn Jackson, and co-starring veteran actors Jack Lemmon and Charles Durning with relative newcomer Zeljko Ivanek, this story has influenced me in interesting ways.

Lemmon plays Father Farley, a jaded, settled Roman Catholic rector of a prominent parish, ultimately dis-satisfied with his lot in life but terrified nonetheless of losing it. Into this comfortable world steps an upstart seminarian Dolson (played by Ivanek), who has more principle than tact, and more passion than people skills.

The rector and the seminarian end up being placed together in a mentoring situation by the seminary dean, Mons. Burke (Durning), an autocratic moralist with strict rules on priestly formation. Various issues resound in the relationships of each of these characters with each other, the seminary, the congregation, and ultimately with their own destinies. Farley's issues with past abuse, Dolson's life on the wild side prior...

Jack Lemmon at His Best!
In "Mass Appeal," Jack Lemmon gives one of the most thoughtful, thorough performances of his acting career. Given wonderful, wide-ranging support by young and spirited Zjelko Ivanec, the inimitable Charles Durning, and the underrated Louise Latham, his portrayal of a Catholic priest who has to face the failures of his own life to save the priesthood of another human being who happens to be gay is truly magnificent! "Mass Appeal" is one not-to-be-missed film. I only hope that it is restored to circulation soon.

Lemmon at his sourly best.
Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, Spencer Tracy, Montgomery Clift, Jack Lemmon--what do they have in common? All played priests, but no one more convincingly than Lemmon in this story about a popular, "bourgeois," crowd-pleasing conservative priest who is suddenly challenged by a young liberal seminarian representing honesty, forthrightness, and social change. The "message" primarily concerns the old dog, popular priest learning to change his ways, while the radical young seminarian also absorbs lessons about the real world and dealing with people. But forget about the story and its themes. As a movie, "Mass Appeal" is 3 stars; as a script 4; as a vehicle for one of the screen's most colorful, personable, irresistibly charismatic actors, it's 5 all the way. Here's proof positive: though the story calls for Lemmon to play the part of the rather "bad" guy--someone who lies and schmoozes and sugar-coats the Gospel in order to fill the offering...

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