Watching the first part of this movie, I enjoyed the acting and story. As it progressed, the agenda became clearer focusing on the Kathleen Turner character as the "problem". Is it so nutty to honor our marriage vows and encourage our children to do so too? Our parents and grandparents didn't think so. I guess everybody's desires must overrun any other commitments and the rightness or wrongness of any said desires must not be questioned. The only real "freak" is the old fashioned Mom. I question that.The Catholic Church seems to be a free target now when every other group must not be slandered. I doubt most people who happen to read this would agree because when we want to see things that justify us, thats what we see and most of society likes to think it is right no matter what it does.

and that's just not cool for all the non catholics out there not getting half the movie. Still, hilarious! My advice: get a catholic friend to watch it with you and guide you through. It will probably become a 5 hour long movie/documentary/commentary piece/ice cream marathon. But it will be all worth... This flix felt literally like home. The plot, the direction and the acting are just fine. There is no reason for bashing it. No, wait, there is but you "have to" in the "must" sense have been raised catholic and still be a vatican newsletter non-subscriber. Like we say back home: "it takes a bad catholic to see a good one" or is the other way round? Peace.

Beginners Anne Renton, director, and Paula Goldberg and Claire V. Riley, writers, had a good idea when framing this story about a mother's bigotry hidden under the cloak of Catholicism, and the film could have been extremely pertinent in today's milieu of the President's sanctioning of same sex marriage. The problem is the script is so weak and pasted together that it gives very little weight to the actors to bring off the message that could have been important. Yes, some viewers may rile that the film is anti-Catholic but it is not - it is just anti-prejudice.Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner, crippled by a weak script until the very end of the film), a woman who devotes 98 % of her life to tending to her church duties and caring for the elderly who are house bound and other good Christian deeds, has been nominated as Catholic Woman of the year: the other nominee is Agnes Dunn (Sharon Lawrence), an almost equal do- gooder - both nominated by Monsignor Murphy (Richard Chamberlain). Eileen's family must be approved for the award and that is when the balloon of Eileen's glee seems to pop: her husband Frank (Michael McGrady) is an alcoholic who has been sober 15 years and must attend AA meetings; her son Frank, Jr (Jason Ritter) has left his wife and family for a manicurist whom he loves; and her daughter Shannon (Emily Deschanel, a successful 30- something lawyer and 5 months pregnant, is about to marry her girlfriend Angela (Angelique Cabral) in a same sex wedding to be performed by Father Joe (Scott Michael Campbell). Eileen is disturbed that Anglea's parents (Elizabeth Peña and Gregory Zaragoza) approve and will host the wedding. Desperate to win the award, Eileen is conflicted between shame over her family and still desiring to do the right thing by them. Unable to accept any of their choices her family begins to splinter, with even her husband threatening to leave. How it all turns the corner is when Eileen finally reveals a secret of her own she has always had to hide for fear of being judged a bad Catholic. The ending is the best part of the film as it finally shows Eileen to be a more complete human being and things seem to fall in line.The cast tries hard to make this all work and succeed as far as the script will allow. Katheen Turner, looking cosmetically and adipose altered, struggles with her role, but by film's end she seems to succeed in conveying the message of the film. Grady Harp, May 12

It would be nice for Hollywood to recognize that a lot of good Catholics actually go to the movies. It would be nice to have good movies like the Song of Bernadette or The Bells of St. Mary's. But instead we get this insulting, anti-Catholic movie that attacks all aspect of the Church and its mission. Kathleen Turner deserves an "F" for her performance as the ultra-Catholic Mom. Catholic mothers don't kick the Body of Christ under the rug because has fallen from the paten. It is a very pathetic attempt to spread the Catholic haters venom onto the silver screen. When are you going to learn that few people like going to movies that insult any religion? This piece of garbage needs to be taken to Turner's home and thrown in the trash. She use to be a wonderful actress; now she has stooped so low it is pathetic. Anyone associated with this vile piece of movie making should be blacklisted and punished.