It’s Throwback Thursday time! In this new segment that I’d like to introduce, I will be viewing and reviewing older movies that younger generations may not have ever heard of. Whether it’s something from ten years ago or fifty years ago, I will watch it and see how well it’s aged and judge the filming style of that era. Some of the great classics are decades old and still enjoyable. Just because a movie isn’t from the last five years or doesn’t feature cell phones or social media doesn’t mean that it isn’t still good. So, what is the first movie that I’ve decided to dedicate this Throwback Thursday to?
Judgment (1990)
It’s 1990’s Judgment. Starring Keith Carradine and Blythe Danner, this film touches upon a subject that unfortunately is still relatable to this day. Carradine and Danner play two devout Catholics who are shocked and horrified when they find out their church’s priest is molesting their son. We go through the range of emotions with at first the mother being the only one wanting to press charges. The father and parents of other boys who this has happened to attempt to deny that it happened, not wanting to believe it was possible. Carradine’s character (the father) quickly believes his son and joins his wife in wanting to, at the very least; remove the priest from the parish. After all, they’re devout – they don’t want to give up on their faith, but it’s hard with the church pushing back.
The Plot
It’s a story we’ve seen before in real life. The archdiocese, instead of punishing the priest for what he’s done; just shuffles him around from one church to another. Leaving him to hurt more boys. Eventually, the church knows that they need to do something and the monseigneur and bishop do recognize that something needs to be done to aid the suffering these families have gone through, but their lawyers advise against responsibility. When money is thrown into the mix, the other families want to settle, but Carradine and Danner do not accept hush money. They become a bit of outcasts in the community, who want everything quietly swept under the rug.
Eventually, the main boy’s parents find a lawyer willing to take on the case. While he even admits it is a stretch, he knows that these coverups by the church are common. And he finds proof to back up his claim that this priest has done this kind of thing over and over again. The ending is heart-wrenching as he sees how much pain the son is in. We see the lawyer prepping him for a harsh trial and how much this is weighing on the parents. After all, now they have to actually go to court and retell the gruesome details of what this priest did.
How Does it Hold Up to Today?
Judgment was released in 1990, but the production value of the film is a little bit akin to “Little House on the Prairie” from 1974. But, that is not an insult – I’m simply saying that this movie didn’t feel like a movie on the cusp of the 80s and beginning of the 90s. Both Carradine and Danner really deliver great performances. They deliver the range of emotions that you would probably expect a parent to do after finding out that something like that happened to their child. While the movie now is now 29 years old, it still holds up. Not only because of the acting, but unfortunately, because of the subject matter. I have to applaud Michael Faustino for his role as the son, Robbie; as it couldn’t have been easy being a child and acting out that role.
Rating
I would say that for a TV movie from the year 1990, this is a good movie to watch if you are looking for this kind of drama. In many ways, movies have gotten better. Acting has gotten better; CGI, etc. But, we also live in a world where a lot of times mediocrity is accepted just to make money, so with that, I’d say some actors can learn a thing or two from the older generation, such as Carradine and Danner.
I’d give this film a 4.5/5.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
