"leonie!" Film Movie Trailer

[SrBenigna]

Here is the "Leonie!" film trailer, 9:29 mins, that is on the life of Leonie Martin, blood sister of St. Therese of Lisieux, who entered religious life (after 4 tries) into the Visitation monastery in Caen, France. This movie - the monastery portion was shot at the Visitation Monastery in Toledo (http://www.toledovisitation.org/) .
(Sorry, the majority of you know who Leonie was but just in case there are some who don't, I just gave a bit of info!)

The links:

Film Trailer: [url="http://www.leoniefilm.com/"]http://www.leoniefilm.com/[/url]

Article on the filming at the Visitation Toledo monaster: [url="http://www.catholicchronicle.org/index.php/movies/sisters-of-the-visitation-host-catholic-filmmakers.html"]http://www.catholicc...filmmakers.html[/url]

I can't wait to buy and see this movie!

Edited May 27, 2010 by SrBenigna

[deusluxmea]

I'm sorry, but the acting is really over-the-top! Almost comical!

[SrBenigna]

Not the greatest acting - as was that movie "Therese" - but the point is that at least SOME ONE is making good movies on catholic saints and holy religious. There is not enough such movies being made in this country. It is great that Italy has made "St. Francis", "St. Anthony", "Francis and Clare", "Don Bosco" and the 2 recent Padre Pio movies and others.

So I'd rather watch inexperienced or not overly talented actors making good catholic movies then the other garbage that is made and put in theaters. Actually I think it is good that unknown actors play these parts as big Hollywood stars would be highly unbelievable and ill-suited for these roles no matter how great of an actor they were. The important thing is to learn about such a person who overcame many emotional/mental obstacles, followed God's call, believed in, trusted in and had confidence in Him to become a holy religious.

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
Well. the acting stinks.But I certainly agree with Sr.Benigna, I would rather watch this than some other movies out there :-)






















Well, I just heart nun movies!

[Thomist-in-Training]

Hmm. I would say, from looking at the preview only, that [i]Leonie![/i] looks a bit like a high school or college play. I wouldn't say this is an insult--some high school and college plays, even at regular ol' schools, are excellent and utterly enjoyable; they're just usually visibly not the same as professional work. The things that draw this to mind, for example, are that perhaps more of the actresses are the same age than is realistic (just looking at the nun scenes; but maybe they really are supposed to be all young nuns); some of the period things and acting look great, while other parts are more amateur. But, etymologically an amateur is someone who does something for love and this is certainly an example.

It looks like they have a great [i]plot [/i]to work with.

SrBenigna, I wish to take exception to your use of the word "good," which seems to me a bit cavalier. In this part of my comment I don't mean to refer to [i]Leonie![/i] in particular; I am thinking of some other Catholic movies I have seen (well done and not as well done) besides the preview of [i]Leonie![/i]

[quote]I'd rather watch inexperienced or not overly talented actors making good catholic movies then the other garbage that is made and put in theaters.[/quote]

I guess you mean "good catholic movies" by analogy with "good catholic people," i.e., 'movies that do not have immorality in them'. The purport of your sentence seems to be that [b]it is not very important for Catholics to produce movies that are high quality[/b] as long as they don't have, I don't know, fornication or blasphemy.

Um.

I think we can hope for a Both/And. [i]I, too[/i], would rather watch some badly-made but not indecent movie than a slick soulless one. But I might prefer rather than [i]that [/i]to sleep or read a well-written book which described the same events as the movie. The [size="2"]ideal[/size] should remain a [i]well-made movie[/i]. Unlike Protestantism, Catholicism has always supported the arts in most every form. I don't think it's wrong to hold Catholic movies to a [b]high standard of quality[/b], just as secular movies are held. "Wise as serpents and harmless of doves--the children of darkness are wiser in their generation than the children of light." The ideal should be movies that are good in ALL senses, that [i]non-Catholics will also be interested to se[/i][i]e[/i] because of the quality. Actually, I think I will pull in the Benedictines of Regina Laudis here--they told me that the future Paul VI gave them as a firm goal, to be as good as anyone in the field for whatever they were working on professionally: che[b][/b]ese is the most famous example. It wasn't to be "We do this... but we just do it OK, because we're nuns and we have other stuff to do."

[quote]Actually I think it is good that unknown actors play these parts as big Hollywood stars would be highly unbelievable and ill-suited for these roles no matter how great of an actor they were.[/quote]

Audrey Hepburn played a nun as a big Hollywood star (albeit, not a saintly nun). I haven't actually seen "The Nun's Story," but everything I've heard is that she did an excellent job. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams both played nuns in the film "Doubt," which I did see, and I think they weren't too 'starry,' although Amy Adams did stay in her 'type' of the ingenue. Dolores Hart was a star in her day before she was in that movie as St. Clare (and she is a nun now). Bing Crosby was a star, I think, although it was so long ago I don't have much idea of his status, and he was very pleased and honored to play a Catholic priest (well, it was a bit of a Hollywoodish priest but not too bad). So I think it just depends on the star. Some actors perhaps can't pull it off, others can.

SrBenigna, I would with you support "Don Bosco" as a movie that is good in all senses. As another example of an extremely well-done Catholic movie that does hold up artistic as well as moral standards, I would propose "Teresa de los Andes."

[SrBenigna]

I meant "good catholic movies" as in religious movies on the saints and holy religious men and women. Of course catholics can make other good movies that are not about the saints and such.

As for the Hollywood stars in such movies - notice you mentioned OLD Hollywood stars NOT the current ones. I can't think of any current ones who would do well. To me, anyway, it would be hard to watch a modern day starlet playing say Leonie or St. Therese or St. Clare when you saw or new she was in a horrible movie that maybe was a anti-religious theme or glorified drugs, pre-marital sex and multiple partners or that had sex and nudity in it. Can you imagine Lindsey Lohan or some other one playing Leonie! Please!

To me it would be very hard to watch them try to be a holy and virtuous saint! There may be some who aren't into making such R-rated (and even some PGs) that might be fine but I can't think of any and I am not trying very hard as it would be a waste of mental power! A few come to mind but I can't think of their names but not many.

I own the DVD movies "Teresa of the Andes", "Teresa of Jesus", "In this House of Brede" and "Franics" with Dolores Hart. While Dolores wasn't a terrible actress she wasn't earth shattering either. But that doesn't matter to me, I loved watching the story of Francis and Clare in that movie and seeing the Brede movie based on the book. At least if either Dolores Hart or Diane (drawing a blank on her last name now!) or the actresses in these great Carmelite saint movies did anything questionable in their past it's not known as far as I know. These are great movies.

My whole post was just to point out that the MESSAGE was the the importance. There are not enough movies like this depicting and making known beloved Catholic saints and holy people for the young people - and older ones! Usually the kids nowadays know all the members of sports teams or music groups and NOT the saints and martyrs of their religion - which is very sad.





[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' date='27 May 2010 - 09:08 PM' timestamp='1275008922' post='2119460']
Hmm. I would say, from looking at the preview only, that [i]Leonie![/i] looks a bit like a high school or college play. I wouldn't say this is an insult--some high school and college plays, even at regular ol' schools, are excellent and utterly enjoyable; they're just usually visibly not the same as professional work. The things that draw this to mind, for example, are that perhaps more of the actresses are the same age than is realistic (just looking at the nun scenes; but maybe they really are supposed to be all young nuns); some of the period things and acting look great, while other parts are more amateur. But, etymologically an amateur is someone who does something for love and this is certainly an example.

It looks like they have a great [i]plot [/i]to work with.

SrBenigna, I wish to take exception to your use of the word "good," which seems to me a bit cavalier. In this part of my comment I don't mean to refer to [i]Leonie![/i] in particular; I am thinking of some other Catholic movies I have seen (well done and not as well done) besides the preview of [i]Leonie![/i]



I guess you mean "good catholic movies" by analogy with "good catholic people," i.e., 'movies that do not have immorality in them'. The purport of your sentence seems to be that [b]it is not very important for Catholics to produce movies that are high quality[/b] as long as they don't have, I don't know, fornication or blasphemy.

Um.

I think we can hope for a Both/And. [i]I, too[/i], would rather watch some badly-made but not indecent movie than a slick soulless one. But I might prefer rather than [i]that [/i]to sleep or read a well-written book which described the same events as the movie. The [size="2"]ideal[/size] should remain a [i]well-made movie[/i]. Unlike Protestantism, Catholicism has always supported the arts in most every form. I don't think it's wrong to hold Catholic movies to a [b]high standard of quality[/b], just as secular movies are held. "Wise as serpents and harmless of doves--the children of darkness are wiser in their generation than the children of light." The ideal should be movies that are good in ALL senses, that [i]non-Catholics will also be interested to se[/i][i]e[/i] because of the quality. Actually, I think I will pull in the Benedictines of Regina Laudis here--they told me that the future Paul VI gave them as a firm goal, to be as good as anyone in the field for whatever they were working on professionally: coagulated milk is the most famous example. It wasn't to be "We do this... but we just do it OK, because we're nuns and we have other stuff to do."



Audrey Hepburn played a nun as a big Hollywood star (albeit, not a saintly nun). I haven't actually seen "The Nun's Story," but everything I've heard is that she did an excellent job. Meryl Streep and Amy Adams both played nuns in the film "Doubt," which I did see, and I think they weren't too 'starry,' although Amy Adams did stay in her 'type' of the ingenue. Dolores Hart was a star in her day before she was in that movie as St. Clare (and she is a nun now). Bing Crosby was a star, I think, although it was so long ago I don't have much idea of his status, and he was very pleased and honored to play a Catholic priest (well, it was a bit of a Hollywoodish priest but not too bad). So I think it just depends on the star. Some actors perhaps can't pull it off, others can.

SrBenigna, I would with you support "Don Bosco" as a movie that is good in all senses. As another example of an extremely well-done Catholic movie that does hold up artistic as well as moral standards, I would propose "Teresa de los Andes."
[/quote]

[tinytherese]

How sad that Hollywood more often then not is better at making movies with quality acting than people in the Church. It makes us look pathetic, that we have to settle for bad acting in so many films. It can be a hindrance to other people who are not devout in the faith. I know from personal experience when I was watching Therese and some of my friends came in. One of them was sort of a lapsed Catholic and the other was a Baptist who rarely went to church.

[Chiquitunga]

As for me I can't wait to see that one on Edith Stein starring Maia Morgenstern!! Has anyone seen it?! I still haven't been able to find a used copy, but I'm not giving up!

And yes, Teresa of the Andes is awesome!!! so beautiful .. (same with the Avila one )

[Thomist-in-Training]

SrBenigna, as I have been thinking about it I am indeed quite exciting to see the Leonie movie and I am grateful to you for posting it. I know little of Leonie Martin and I am interested to learn more about her and about the family dynamic, and the preview did successfully spark my interest. I wanted to mention that. I was especially touched by the grief of the sister's face in the infirmary at Leonie's death, and by the line "She worked another miracle... she brought us all together again."

==========
Back to the discussion:
I guess TinyTherese and I both agree with you that the [b]message [/b]is important, but we two feel the [b]package [/b]is also important. (package for a movie = quality of acting, writing, directing, detail, visual appeal, consistency, well-done music, etc.)

These are the possibilities:

[b]Good Message--Good Package
Good Message--Bad Package
Bad Message--Good Package
Bad Message--Bad Package[/b]

Of course 'Bad Message--Bad Package' no one wants and will just laugh at. But TinyTherese points out that Good Message--Bad Package can also be laughable and not taken seriously. So the ideal is 'Good Message--[b]Good [/b]Package' to beat out 'Bad Message--Good Package' of which last there are so many terrible options available, as you rightly say.

I studied at a Catholic university, so this is the kind of issue that came up over and over, which is why it is so interesting + important to my mind. [u]It IS enough to [i]be [/i]Catholic, for our own salvation; but to save as many as possible we need to try and beat seculars at their own game, by producing [b]high quality[/b] books, music, movies, and so on that will attract and hold the interest of Catholics and non-Catholics alike.[/u] To digress a tiny bit, I realize now actually that this is also a theme dear to St. Maximilian Kolbe, who wanted to use radio and movies to spread the Gospel. He didn't get to it, because of WWII, but he did use the [i]best [/i]printing presses he could get his hands on to print thousands of Catholic magazines.

======

Hmm, I am thinking seriously about your question of who famous [i]today [/i]could play a nun-saint. It is a good question. If I think of anyone who could fit, I will post. Perhaps you are right.

[Thomist-in-Training]

I am reading about Leonie now. I found [url="http://www.helpfellowship.org/Sr_Francoise-Therese.htm"]a great online biography of her[/url]that shows the relationships between her and her sisters, especially Therese, and it's making me want to read St. Therese again. I think she can help me with some things. So thanks very much, SrBenigna, for calling my attention to Leonie Martin! (I hope I'm not posting too much in this thread.)

To ask the question that I see others have also left on your profile, are you a sister or is that just a screenname?

[Chiquitunga]

This too has sparked my interest in Leonie and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie! Thank you, Sr. Benigna!

As for famous actresses today playing nun's roles .. well, I guess this is the 80's and 90's .. but Concha Velesco who played St. Teresa of Avila is a very famous Spanish actress along with Paulina Uruttia who played St. Teresa of the Andes. But of course we aren't very familiar with the other secular movies they were in .. at least I'm not. Then there's the Edith Stein one I've been searching for with Maia Morgenstern. I'm not familiar with any other movie she's been in except The Passion and I don't think the other ones she's done are very bad .. she is very Jewish.

But seriously .. I'd have to really think of some famous actresses today who could play the role of a nun too .. interesting. But anyway, thanks again for posting on this, SrB. I know so little about Leonie and her story. And I didn't know they all got to meet each other again! How amazing!

[img]http://www.martinsisters.org/sitebuilder/images/martin_sisters-345x245.jpg[/img]

[SrBenigna]

[quote name='Thomist-in-Training' date='29 May 2010 - 11:27 PM' timestamp='1275190057' post='2120528']
I am reading about Leonie now. I found [url="http://www.helpfellowship.org/Sr_Francoise-Therese.htm"]a great online biography of her[/url]that shows the relationships between her and her sisters, especially Therese, and it's making me want to read St. Therese again. I think she can help me with some things. So thanks very much, SrBenigna, for calling my attention to Leonie Martin! (I hope I'm not posting too much in this thread.)

To ask the question that I see others have also left on your profile, are you a sister or is that just a screenname?
[/quote]



Just a PM screen name, I have 2 books on her life and she was a marvelous religious and Servant of God. Some who left me messages asking this I couldn't send messages back as the system said they couldn't receive messages.

I also have 2 books on Leonie: "Leonie: A Difficult Life" and "God's Little Violet" (if I remember the title correctly) by Fr. Dolan who wrote many books on St. Therese and her sisters.

Sr. Francoise Therese, Leonie, also suffered terribly from a skin condition, eczema I believe - would have to recheck her bios - and it must have been horrid to not scratch while wearing her habit as back then there probably wasn't much in the way of cures.

[SoonerCatholic]

I watched the trailer the other day, and agreed that the acting left something to be desired. That's such a shame, it looks like an such interesting story that I wish it was better acted. I would like to see it, though I worry that the acting will distract me.... But I do agree that Catholic movies should be good quality as well as have a good message.

As for modern actresses who would be good to play nun saints, I can only think of those who should not. Although, Olivia Hussey was very good as Mother Teresa, but she is older.

[holly.o]

I think this movie will be very cute & inspiring. That was a great link, Thomist-in-Training.

[vee]

[quote name='Chiquitunga' date='29 May 2010 - 10:30 PM' timestamp='1275190258' post='2120531']
And I didn't know they all got to meet each other again! How amazing!

[img]http://www.martinsisters.org/sitebuilder/images/martin_sisters-345x245.jpg[/img]
[/quote]

Oh wow I didn't know that either and this is my first time to see that pic as well. Am I missing something and Therese isn't in it or she is and I just don't recognize her?