Philomena

An early telephone call last Sunday morning – a generous church member ‘under the weather’ offering us two tickets for that afternoon’s showing of the much talked about film Philomena at Chesham.  So our Sunday plans changed – and more and more I’m valuing the joy of the unexpected!

This is a beautifully and movingly acted piece of cinema – and it’s written well.  Philomena is one of those films which is both reassuring and provocative at the same time. 
Without presenting you with a plot spoiler Philomena is forced to ‘give up’ her son whilst living with Catholic nuns in Ireland.  Fifty years later, and with the help of one time BBC journalist Martin Sixsmith, she tries to find him.  If you haven’t seen it yet be prepared for something of an emotional roller coaster ride.

Who, I wonder, are our ‘teachers’ in this film?  Perhaps that’s the wrong question to be asking – and maybe a film is just a film retelling events, presenting a narrative.  Actually I don’t believe that!  A film is slanted in a particular, or a series of contradictory ways.


Could the Roman Catholic Church teach us anything from Philomena?

Well there was enough ‘Catholic bashing’ around before this film – and with it, justifiably perhaps, they’ll be a lot more.  My Catholic friends, especially from The Retreat Association, are people of deep integrity with a passion for justice – but this film shows a different, harsher side of institutional religion with an emphasis on judgement instead of grace.  No – I’m not at all sure that the Roman Catholic Church teaches us much that’s positive in this film.

How about Martin Sixsmith?  He’s a journalist in search of a story who thaws out in the film into a human being helping a friend.  Maybe that’s a bit harsh – but I found it a very positive transformation.  It’s moving to see Sixsmith getting involved in a ‘human interest’ story and ‘feeling’ its pain rather than journalistically exploiting its tragedy.  So I think he has much to teach us.

And then there’s the mixed up yet deeply rooted, tentative yet courageous, ‘ordinary’ yet profound character of Philomena – so movingly played by Dame Judi Dench.  Forgiveness alongside a complex, yet liberating, acceptance of the past is what we might be taught by her – and I found it a deeply touching lesson.

So Sunday was different – different to what we had planned.  In the end it was Communion in the morning and a film in the afternoon – and I think God spoke to me through both. Once again a blurring of the sacred and the secular – but that, maybe, ought to be the theme of another blog – or at least the sermon I’m going to try to preach this Sunday!

With best wishes,


Ian