The Boys of St. Vincent
by John N. Smith
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Brian Dodd, Brian Dooley, Henry Czerny, Johnny Morina, Philip DinnDirector: John N. Smith
Writer: John N. Smith
Producer: Claudio Luca
Producer: Colin Neale
Producer: Martine Allard
Producer: Nicole de Rochemont
Writer: Des Walsh
Writer: Sam Grana
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 186 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-09-28
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: New Yorker Video
Movie Reviews of The Boys of St. Vincent
Movie Review: A Searing And Heartbreaking Portrait
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me just say that this is possibly the finest Canadian film ever produced. And it also foreshadows the scandal that would hit the headlines in the US a decade later.
Although fictionalized, the movie is clearly based on the case of Mount Cashel Orpahange in Newfoundland in the 1970s. The investigation into allegations of abuse by the clergy against their young charges was hushed up. And, for fear of scandal, suppressed and brought to light some years later, igniting a media firestorm.
The performances of the cast could not have been better. Henry Czerny, as Brother Peter Lavin, manages to be both repulsive and strangely sympathetic at the same time. His dominating, abusive [...]control over the institution and the children makes his performance absolutely riveting. The other adult performers are perfectly matched, and the child actors are remarkable. When it airs on American TV, it is always heavily censored, so it is best to see it on Canadian channels, or better yet, on video and DVD. The portrayal of abuse is not overly graphic, but enough is shown so that the viewer can have no doubts as to what is taking place. When the police, headed by Detective Noseworthy (a terrific Brian Dooley) begin to investigate the abuse reports through social services, Lavin really gets nervous, but conceals this behind tremendous arrogance and defensiveness. [...] many of his fellow priests also harbor a sick desire for these young boys they are supposed to protect. Johnny Morina, Brian Dodd, Ashley Billard, Jonathan Lewis, and Jeremy Keefe are touchingly vulnerable as the kids who are constantly victimized and terrified by these supposed "Men Of God". The second half, picking up fifteen years later, has the abuse coming to public attention and the people involved being rounded up to bring the case to trial. Lavin, who left the order, has married and fathered two children, and denies the allegations when he is arrested. His wife (Lise Roy), as well as the public, is torn, not wanting to believe the Church clergymen could possibly commit such heinous atrocities and cover it up. The victims, now grown men, must face the traumas and begin the process of healing by testifying at trial and confronting the horror. Sebastian Spence, David Hewlett, and Timothy Webber perfectly capture the conflicting anguish of unhealed emotional scarring. And Lavin is advised to undergo psychiatric evaluation (suggested by his attorney), which reveals some sad and surprising experiences that he has had in his relatively loveless and repressed life. The scars of both perpetrator and victim are sensitively handled.
Difficult to watch, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and very worthwhile viewing. I recommend the book "Unholy Orders: Tragedy At Mount Cashel" by Michael Harris, regarding the actual case.
An important film.
Summary of The Boys of St. Vincent
Inside the walls of St. Vincent?s Orphanage, young boys fall victim to sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their guardians. Henry Czerny (Mission: Impossible, Clear and Present Danger) gives a terrifying performance as Brother Lavin, the head of the orphanage who must juggle the teachings of the church with his own personal demons. The plight of the boys under his care remains a secret until the orphanage janitor and a local policeman speak out against the Brothers? appalling treatment of the orphans. During the ensuing investigation, the boys courageously testify against the Brothers. Fearing a scandal, religious and civil authorities conspire to shut down the case and quietly transfer the accused Brothers to new postings. Fifteen years later, still unhealed, the victims go public with their ordeal. As the veil of secrecy is finally lifted, their story will shock the world.From the director of Dangerous Minds comes this controversial story that was one of the year?s most powerful and critically acclaimed films.
Based on a true case that scandalized Canada, this film takes place in two halves. The first, set in the mid-1970s, deals with a Catholic orphanage, run by Brother Lavin (Henry Czerny), who doesn't have the boys' best interest at heart. Rather, he uses them to fuel his own sick sexual desires, becoming a predator in a priest's collar, making an indelible mark on 10-year-old boys. And he's not the only one (just the most vicious). Cut to 1990: One of the now-grown boys comes forward to accuse Lavin and face him in court. But Lavin is now married and the father of two boys--and the church continues to deny that any impropriety occurred. This is strong stuff, with the emotional pain almost harder to take than the shadowy scenes of sexual abuse--but the latter are upsetting as well. Originally made for Canadian TV but released in American theaters. --Marshall Fine
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