This was an exceptional movie that gets into the heart of the entire abuse crisis. Abuse of any kind demoralizes the victim and makes "getting out" extremely difficult. Abuse by an authority figure, relative or priest is just that much more difficult. This movie authenticates the dehumanizing aspect of abuse and the terrible denial that only serves to demean the victim further. The main character, Tony Comes,does a good job of tracing his history and the circumstances that preceded the abuse. The unfolding helps the viewer to understand what the abuse has meant not only to him, his parents, wife and family but also his friends and drinking buddies. They aren't sure of its effects. It is easy to see just how hard it would be to come forward about the abuse. The church's various responses is criminal and at the heart of the story. The very source of comfort is in effect the source of the abuse and the continuing of the abuse.
... View MoreI thought the documentary was excellent. But to reply to the person who stated that the documentary "hurt the people telling the story" I have a question for you. Have you yourself ever been a victim of abuse? If you had you would find yourself facing a cornucopia of emotions ranging from anger to shame and guilt. Victims of this type of abuse are typically reluctant to come forward. Tony Comes himself states that he didn't know what it meant. Did he mean that he was gay? You cannot sit there and judge these people for not coming forward earlier. It is not a black or white situation and I hope that no one in your family ever experiences something like this. If they did they would have to steer clear of you... God bless Tony and his family...
... View MoreIt's shocking to learn the amount of abuse inflicted by a lot of Catholic priests in the past. There's not a day when one hears about a new case as the abused come forward to accuse what criminal men did to them years ago. Kerby Dick, a brave film maker, takes his camera to a group of people that were the victims of one priest when they were teen agers.The documentary concentrates on Tony Comes, who finally had the courage to go on record to denounce his abuse. He had plenty of company, or so it seems. In fact, their bishop, who should have taken care in dealing with the corrupt priest, didn't do anything to prevent. In fact, this man chose the easy way out by ignoring the accusations.Wendy Comes, Tony's wife, is deeply affected when she learns the extent of what her husband suffered in the past. In fact, Wendy was wounded when she discovered the truth. In fact, she had converted to Catholicism when she married Tony. In spite of their trauma, we watch as the Comes' young daughter making her first communion, accompanied by her parents.Kirby Dick deserves to be congratulated for showing us how the actions of some evil individuals ruined lives by what they did to children who trusted them and saw in them role models.
... View MoreA great, moving movie! Kirby Dick's films have always shown not only a light touch but an unerring impulse for the right emotional detail, revealing gesture and sense of when to pull back. In "Twist of Faith" he lets the points make themselves: the Church condones child abuse, they cover their tracks and lie about it. Dick's use of church music is especially telling, as is his judicious implementation of his "chain camera" technique: giving subjects their own video-cams to record their thoughts, document outward aspects of their lives and make occasional but heartbreaking confession. If only Art could make Change! Now THAT would be a Twist.
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