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Heavenly Pursuits (1986)

Director: Charles Gormley

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

An engaging satire on the miracle business, set in a Catholic school in Glasgow whose status-seeking authorities are much taxed by the problem of canonisation for their patron, the Blessed Edith Semple, who died in 1917 with one authenticated miracle to her credit. She needs two more, the Vatican sternly decrees. Meanwhile a sceptical remedial teacher (Conti) is quietly performing miracles of his own with backward kids, and is as startled as anyone when a couple of bizarre circumstances intervening in his life seem to smack of the miraculous. Treated with tongue-in-cheek seriousness, the resulting confusion of cross-purposes as the media jump on the band wagon treads a delicate path through the morass of cynicism, gullibility and wishfulness. Quirkily funny and admirably acted, it works beautifully largely because Gormley (scripting as well as directing) refuses to undersell any of his characters: everybody has his reasons.

Author: TM

Time Out Film Guide


User reviews of this film

  • A Berry said...
    Posted on Jun 29 2009 18:58 Did you find somewhere to buy the DVD, Lovefilm have offered to buy it if I can find it.
    Report as inappropriate
  • E. Henderson said...
    Posted on Mar 11 2008 19:45 i need to know if it is possible to buy a DVD of the film "Heavenly Pursuits" - anybody got any info on this?
    ta
    eh
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