The process of "making" a saint is an unusual topic for a film and Agnieszka Holland makes the most of it by bringing it down to the human level in "The Third Miracle." And Ms. Holland is very lucky indeed to have two of the finest actors as her humans: Ed Harris and Anne Heche. Harris plays a priest whose job it is to verify the "saintability" of Heche's mother. There are several plot lines swirling around in the film including Harris' committment or lack thereof to his religion, the miracles themselves and who they happen to as well as the process of making someone a saint. What sets "The Third Miracle" apart and above most films is the manner in which the relationships are scripted. A script is the backbone of any film and the words are its'fingers and toes. "The Third Miracle" is an extremely hearfelt movie and an obvious labor of love to all involved. Order it NOW.
You Can't Miss It
The question I keep asking after renting The Third Miracle is how could have missed it in the theaters. I mean, it's one of the best movies I have seen in many years. You don't have to be a person of faith to see a priest suffering the horrors of hell in his heart and mind when everything he sees and touches doesn't make sense. That is, until his bishop puts him to work to find out if a fervent woman who lived in her parish convent was truly a saint. It takes three miracles to declare that a person obviously has a special relationship with God in Heaven, and the priest can prove only two. Ed Harris is wonderful, the hearing by cardinals and bishops is certainly fair and within our reach, compared to the images most people have about the power of the hierarchy. It's just a marvelous movie. Go see it. By the way, the third miracle is right there in front of our eyes..but I won't spoil your enjoyment of a great mystery story. Jim Crosson
