What happened to Emily?|Sep. 09, 2005|United States|122 Min.|PG-13
Genre: Crime;Drama;Horror;Thriller
Description: The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a 2005 film that follows the gripping story of Erin Bruner, a determined lawyer striving to achieve a senior partnership at her law firm. She takes on the case of Father Richard Moore, a Catholic priest accused of negligent homicide after attempting to perform an exorcism on Emily Rose, a 19-year-old student. While the archdiocese urges Moore to plead guilty to reduce public scrutiny, he insists on pleading not guilty.
During the trial, witness testimonies are presented through flashbacks. Prosecutor Ethan Thomas argues that Emily’s death was caused by medical conditions such as epilepsy and schizophrenia. Emily had been suffering from severe delusions and muscle spasms, often occurring at 3:00 AM, which led her to abandon her college studies and return home. Despite treatment with epilepsy and psychosis medications, her condition worsened. Father Moore, consulted by Emily’s parents, concluded she was possessed by a demon and performed an exorcism, which ultimately failed. Moore believed the medications paralyzed Emily’s brain activity, preventing the demon from being expelled.
As Moore testifies, he shares Emily’s story, while Bruner begins experiencing supernatural phenomena, waking up at 3:00 AM to the smell of burning material. Moore warns Bruner that she might be a target of the demons, recounting his own experiences during the exorcism. To support Moore’s case, Bruner calls anthropologist Sadira Adani to testify about cultural beliefs in spiritual possession, but her claims are dismissed. A medical doctor, Graham Cartwright, provides a recording of the exorcism, but before he can testify, he is tragically killed in a car accident.
Faced with pressure from her boss to drop the case, Bruner meets Moore in his cell, where he convinces her to let him continue sharing Emily’s story despite the risks. The film delves into themes of faith, the supernatural, and the struggle between science and belief.
Cast director: Scott Derrickson
Cast actor: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Carpenter, Kenneth Welsh, Mary Beth Hurt, Colm Feore, Henry Czerny, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Duncan Fraser
Original name: The Exorcism of Emily Rose