THE LEAST OF THESE

US, 2008, 108 minutes, Colour.
Isaiah Washington, Robert Loggia, Bob Gunton, John Billingsley, Andrew Lawrence.
Directed by Nathan Scoggins.

A film which received little cinema release (strange, given its talked-about topic) but has gained wider audiences through DVD and television screenings.

It is often advertised that a film is taken from today’s headlines. This could be said of The Least of These. And, for those who immediately recognise Jesus’ words about children and about scandal, they would realise that we are in the drama of sexual abuse. While this is a rather melodramatic treatment of a number of related themes as well, it is not without interest, given the contemporary climate on the issue.

It seems to be set in a Catholic school and viewers have interpreted it that way. However, the school and the chapel do not have any Catholic pictures, statues or iconic props and the final credits indicate that there was some strong Lutheran input into the making of the film. Be that as it may, it is still a relevant story, with violent implications which makes one realise that such vengeance against a priest abuser has not been the order of the day.

A young priest, Fr Andre (Isaiah Washington) who had been a student at the school, comes back to join the staff after being absent from the diocese (Colorado) for two years. His predecessor has disappeared. Andre is welcomed by the priest rector of the school (Robert Loggia), is treated warily by the disciplinarian (Bob Gunton) and in a friendly way by the other priest on the staff (John Billingsley). The boys are another matter, typical of boarders at any school, nominally religious but mainly not, while conforming to the rules of the school. Andre manages to settle in, dealing with the priests, trying to assess and relate to the boys, puzzling about the disappearance of Fr Collins. A rich boy, Jason Boyd (Andrew Lawrence) who is a champion at sport is quite hostile, especially when Fr Andre, who reaches religion and has a great belief in prayer, asks the boys to compose their own and he parodies the Lord’s Prayer. There is another reclusive boy who spends a lot of time in the chapel and is wary of talking.

We soon realise that he is one student who has been abused. Some of the boys search sealed off basement offices and it soon emerges that Fr Collins has been killed and the quiet boy is under suspicion. The media, needless to say, make a great deal out of the case, filming Fr Andre trying to put them off, then raising accusing suspicions about his behaviour. The audience shares in a number of discussions amongst the priests and how the situation should be handled.

Unless we have been involved personally with a victim of clerical sexual abuse, we are influenced by media headlines, articles, television and radio programs. It is helpful, even if hard, to see the issues dramatised. The plot here has a few unexpected twists which makes the abuse by Fr Collins more harrowing, his murder comprehensible and the cover-up alarming. Fr Andre’s life is also more complicated – suffice to say that he had been a whistleblower on a former case, with a close friend suspended and hounded, only to discover that the whole affair had been fabricated by a child and parents. This sub-plot offer s a sobering reminder of different scenarios in different cases.

Isaiah Washington brings quite some dignity and presence to the character of Fr Andre. The three other priests are seen in different lights by the end of the film.

Not a great film by any means, but one which is watchable and throws dramatic (and melodramatic) light on scandals which have revealed more victims than one would have realised, more perpetrators than one would have ever imagined and a call for churches, religions and secular society and institutions to examine their consciences.

1. The topical nature of the screenplay? The church, education, integrity, sexual abuse? The American church in the 21st century? Universal themes?

2. The accountability of institutions, the churches, the Catholic Church?

3. The plausibility of the plot, the characters? Contrived for drama, melodrama? Does the church work in this way? Characters and interactions? Administration?

4. The title, the Gospel, the words of Jesus, victims, children? condemnation of those scandalising or exploiting children?

5. How particularly Catholic was the film, the style of education in the school, the actual church, the detail, the lack of Catholic symbols? The priests? The issues of prayer?

6. Father Andre, his arrival, African American, priest, his ministry, away for two years? The superior welcoming him? Father Peters and his sullen attitude, interrogating Father Andre? A more genial priest? The background of a mystery, the disappearance of Father Collins? Suspicions? Andre settling in, his room, austerity, the meals, talking with the boys, the boys around the school, the refectory – and the food fight, and the superior remembering a food fight in the past? Andre as a past student? His own experience of abuse? The superior and the transfer of the offending priest?

7. The boys themselves, the focus on the smaller group? Jason Boyd, wealth, his mother and her influence? The scenes in the dormitory, refectory, the classes, prayer, basketball?

8. Jason Boyd, Parker, the editor, his redheaded friend, the focus on these boys? Seeing them in class, the issue of prayer, Boyd and his blasphemy, the boy with his prayer about signs, Parker refusing to pray? Andre and his own prayer?

9. The background of Father Collins, his disappearance, the mystery, Parker and his concern, Parker in the chapel, brooding? The priests and their attitude?

10. Andre’s clashes with Boyd, his answers, the basketball and his fall, the prayer situation, the fights, discovering that Boyd took pills?

11. The downstairs corridors, the two boys investigating, the editor wanting his story, supported by the priests as a journalist? Father Collins’ room? The ban on the boys going to the corridor? Father Collins’ books in Parker’s room? Andre closing the corridor?

12. Parker in the chapel, talking with Andre, his collapse, Andre spending the night there, the criticism by the priests? Andre and his support, Parker breaking off contact, his being hurt, the suicide attempt?

13. Andre, the mysterious phone calls to Mark, his hanging up? The revelation of the truth, the case, Mark suspended, isolated, drinking? The fabrication of the case against him by the children and parents?

14. The night scene, the finding of the corpse, the tablets? Andre’s realisation of what happened? The confrontation with Boyd, talking with him, Boyd admitting the truth, the emotional collapse, the abuse? The friendship with Father Collins? The anger, killing him? His return and finding the room tidied? The revelation that the superior had disposed of the body and tidied the room?

15. Parker, under suspicion, the books in his room, arrested by the police, his release?

16. The role of the media, the interviews, the demands, interviewing Andre, his fobbing off the media? The build-up of the programs, the media diverting suspicion onto Andre? Andre and his encounter with the priest before mass, confessing about the secrets? Secrets and lies?

17. Andre as a victim, the exposure of the truth, his decision to leave?

18. The superior, the discussions with Andre, the truth, Father Peters and his reaction, his trying to be fair?

19. Andre packing, the friendly priest coming, with the petition from all the boys that he stay?

20. A blend of reality, melodrama, facts and lies? Topical?