Catholic viewers, beware. The Good Catholic is a quirky, indie flick that takes a definite viewpoint. There are three Catholic priests, Danny Glover, John C. McGinley, and the lead character Zachary Spicer. Each great friends, each at different stages in their lives, and each with a different relationship with God. Danny is the oldest; he's the sage who is the most solely devoted to God. John is "the fun one". He puts pizzazz into the choir, he loves watching football games, and he's constantly cracking jokes. But, in an emotional sermon, he educates his congregation on the true meaning of compassion: to suffer with. Even though he seems like the stereotypical "fun priest" who uses slang and listens to hip hop, he really does have a meaningful relationship with God. Zach is the problem. He's grieving the death of his father, and it's extremely clear that his grief overwhelms and distracts him. He feels pain and loss, and when a quirky, non-religious, disrespectful young woman (Wrenn Schmidt) comes into his confessional, he gets taken out of himself for a while. It's very simple, to an outside viewer.
Wrenn is a pot-stirrer who intentionally bothers him and tries to disturb his life. At first, she tells him she's dying, and when she's secured his pity, she starts seeing him socially outside the confessional. Her behavior is highly inappropriate; everybody knows that a priest has taken a vow of chastity. She seems bound and determined to poke holes in his life and make him break that vow. She invites him into her apartment, she flirts with him ("Alright, you can take me home, but no funny business," she says before he's even offered to), and she actually informs him that they're dating. They're not dating! He's a Catholic priest - even a non-Catholic viewer can see how unacceptable her actions are.
When Zach invites her to dinner with the other priests, Danny takes a very hard stance with her. I got the feeling that the audience was supposed to think he was rude, but I was completely on his side. She was horribly offensive to him, called him names, and walked out of the dinner. All he did was remind her of a priest's choices, duty, and lifestyle. How is that rude?
All in all, I understood the message of the film, but I didn't agree with it. I'm not sure how Catholic viewers will feel about it (but I'm not going to give any spoilers). Those who don't really respect the church will probably really like it; they'll probably really like Wrenn's character.
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. There is quite a bit of handheld camerawork in this movie, and it will make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"
