'Exorcism' goes beyond demons

By PAUL DORO

For all its horror-movie trappings, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is more of a courtroom drama, it is provocative, intelligent and an absorbing film.

It also happens to be based on a true story.

After a young woman named Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) dies following an exorcism, a priest (Tom Wilkinson) is charged with negligent homicide, despite having permission from Emily, her parents and the local archdiocese to perform the exorcism.

The prosecutor (Campbell Scott) contends that Emily died of malnutrition and that the priest is directly responsible for her death. The priest is defended by an attorney (Laura Linney) who, a self-described agnostic, only accepts the case after she's promised a partnership for a job well done.

Emily Rose's story is told through flashbacks during the trial.

Raised in a devout family in the countryside, she wins a full college scholarship and finds herself in the bright lights of the big city. A seemingly normal student, she begins to have violent seizures and terrifying visions. A doctor claims it's epilepsy and psychosis, but her family and priest believe otherwise: They think she is possessed by demons.

The scenes of Emily's contortions, coupled with her visions, are intense and effective, but the meat of the story is the trial and the attempt to solve the mystery of what really happened to her.

Although the priest is portrayed sympathetically and his version of events seems to be favored, no easy or simple answers are provided. The transitions are expertly handled, providing just enough background information so that the moviegoer actually feels like a member of the jury, carefully considering the arguments of both sides without denying the emotionally charged nature of the case.

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