''The Good Catholic'' is a 2017 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Paul Shoulberg. The film stars

Zachary Spicer ''The Good Catholic'' is a 2017 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Paul Shoulberg. The film stars Zachary Spicer, Wrenn Schmidt, Danny Glover and John C. McGinley. The film was released on September 8, 2017, by Broad Green Pictu ...

Wrenn Schmidt Melinda Wrenn Schmidt (born February 18, 1983) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as NASA engineer, flight director and later Director of NASA Margo Madison in the Apple TV+ original science fiction space drama serie ...

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

and

John C. McGinley John Christopher McGinley (born August 3, 1959) is an American actor. His best known roles include Perry Cox in ''Scrubs'', Bob Slydell in ''Office Space'', Captain Hendrix in '' The Rock'', Sergeant Red O'Neill in Oliver Stone's ''Platoon,'' ...

. The film was released on September 8, 2017, by Broad Green Pictures.

Plot

Three Catholic priests live in a rectory together. Young Father Daniel runs daily and lost his father in the past year. Father Ollie really likes food and is a big fan of Indiana University basketball. More elderly Father Victor is completely devoted to the church with little outside interests. He finds comfort in setting up the candles and the church for mass by himself in his own specific way. They eat together, set the weekly schedule for baptisms and church services and run the general work of the church. They also discuss scripture, their proposed homilies, and the meaning of God in their lives. One Friday night young Father Dan meets Jane through the confessional box. She tells him she is a musician and is dying. She is new to the church thing but over the weeks they become friends to the point of playing "battleship" in the confessional. Jane explains how she wants her remains to be disposed of but changes her mind at times. She invites Dan to hear her sing at her coffee house and he goes. One night they reverse roles and she wants him to unburden himself. He tells her that he is happy to be a man of God and help people but he does not see Dan gives her a gift of a Bible after a bingo night and she gets angry. Throughout the movie each priest rehearses a

homily A homily (from Greek ὁμιλία, ''homilía'') is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture, giving the "public explanation of a sacred doctrine" or text. The works of Origen and John Chrysostom (known as Paschal Homily) are considered ex ...

. Dan teaches that death gives meaning to life. Enjoy life now for we all die. Father Ollie teaches compassion. We all need compassion that means to suffer with another; we need to comfort the sick and be there with the dying. Father Victor preaches that no one sees God but he lives inside each of us. God, love, and man are one. One night Father Dan invites Jane over for dinner at the rectory. Father Ollie is enjoying the food cooked by Dan. Father Victor becomes very serious and asks what Father Daniel's primary passion is, reminding them that a priest has a duty to be devoted to God only. Jane, offended, leaves. Victor asks Daniel if he has lost his faith; Father Daniel says no, that he didn't have faith until he met Jane. By loving her and helping her as a friend he is also loving God. He has found an inner peace to continue.

Cast

* Zachary Spicer as Father Daniel *

as Jane *

as Father Victor *

as Father Ollie

Production

Paul Shoulberg both wrote and directed ''The Good Catholic'' and dedicated it to his recently passed father, Donald Shoulberg. The film was Pigasus Pictures' first feature film and was produced by Zachary Spicer, John Armstrong, and Graham Sheldon. ''The Good Catholic'' began filming on January 25, 2016, in Bloomington, Indiana.

Release

The film premiered at the

Santa Barbara International Film Festival The Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) is an eleven-day film festival held in Santa Barbara, California since 1986. The festival boasts screenings of over 200 feature films and shorts from different countries and regions. SBIFF al ...

on February 3, 2017. The film was released on September 8, 2017, by Broad Green Pictures. The film has been released on Amazon Prime streaming.

Reception

''The Good Catholic'' was accepted at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and won the Panavision Spirit Award for Best Independent Feature Film.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Good Catholic, The 2017 films American romantic comedy films 2017 romantic comedy films Films about Catholic priests Films about Christianity Films shot in Indiana Broad Green Pictures films 2017 directorial debut films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films