Roger and Me

This documentary is so important, for so many reasons. An institution like the Catholic church is far too politicized to not be monitored by the public, and Deliver Us From Evil not only does that job, but it also gives license to others to do the same. This film offers a voice to those hundreds of thousands of abuse victims who have dealt with their pain in isolation. It is also an eye-opener to people within the Catholic faith who have not suffered directly, but have been deceived by the church. Although I've always considered myself politically aware, I was somehow blind to the deep flaws of the Vatican. This may make me sound like an idiot, but I really only thought clergy abuse happened to boys. I come from a devout Catholic upbringing, and the few stories I know of personally are boys. I was stunned to find that the two main characters in the film were women.

Another stunner for me when I first saw the film was the presence of Roger Mahony. Imagine my shock when the man I knew as a child, who my father affectionately called "Rog," was revealed as the ringleader of the O'Grady cover-up. Mahony, the man who ate dinner at my house, who counseled my parents during tough times in their marriage, the man who was adored and trusted by fleets of followers in the Los Angeles diocese. This man is really just a corrupt politician whose only concern is for his career advancement. I can't really describe the mix of feelings I felt when I watched the movie for the first time. Confusion, shame, nausea, sadness, rage.

I knew about clergy abuse, of course, and of the cases that were coming out more and more throughout the years (which, of course, was one reason why I left the church), but SEEING (not just hearing) someone who my family had trusted... seeing this man lie onscreen about his actions that caused so much devastation to so many lives... well, it rocked my world. And when I called my parents to demand to know whether they had known anything about this, I encountered silence–the same silence that these children of clergy abuse suffer throughout their lives. I also tried talking to my brother (whose best childhood friend was a victim of clergy rape), who also shrugged me off. "Yea, I guess I should get around to watching that, but I don't know... maybe." Unfortunately, for me, the only source of consolation was internet chat boards.

Discussion boards are particularly important for this documentary because the issue it's tackling is born and bred in secrecy. The boards that I found, particularly on IMDB, are still active, with discussions as recent as yesterday, even four years after the film's release. Active discussions keep the problem above the rug and get the community questioning and challenging the motives and methods of the Catholic church. Internet boards may also give abuse victims the anonymity they need to feel safe when venturing into revealing their own truths.

I was happy to find that Deliver Us From Evil can be watched free online. To me, this is a sign of sincere intentions by the filmmakers. They want people to see the film so that the truth will be known. This is a wise approach to distribution because the more people that watch a film, the more its content will be spread. What a shame that a movie like An Inconvenient Truth is protected so aggressively that it is impossible to find a free stream of it online. The point of documentary film is not to create a blockbuster, it is to reveal the truth so that the public may be informed. If the makers of An Inconvenient Truth are concerned about illegal downloading, then they are spending their time protecting the wrong venture–I thought they wanted to save the earth, not their intellectual property.

In my opinion, documentary cinema has not only the authority but the responsibility to release their content. Sure, film have to make back the money that was spent on production, but how much would it really hurt Al Gore and Davis Guggenheim to let people stream their glossy PowerPoint presentation? They've already made $23,808,111 in the US alone. Amy Berg and Disarming Films are taking the high road, but with the low dollar figure. With a meek $196,585 gross, the film is still highly distinguished, earning an Academy Award nomination and five other award wins, but it gives back to the community that it is trying to serve. Also, with more people watching the film, surely it will be easier for Berg to get funding for future documentaries of equal importance.