User reviews

It's hard to be objective about this film. As cinema, it's "amateur night at the movies," but as a practicing Roman Catholic, it's easy to overlook the gaps, shortcomings and fumblings in light of its subject. Having said that, I found the film to be very strange; there are certainly two ways you can take it: one, you can be moved by the demonstrations of faith and piety which prompts a whole family of 4 middle class young women of country gentry stock to become religious. The message therefrom is one of overriding faith. The family is close knit, visits the nunnery regularly, dresses and eats well but their lives are centered around the church. The mother dies and one by one, the girls go into religious vocations. Therese, the youngest, goes into her vocation post-puberty. She keeps a diary and it is this which becomes the great testament of her faith after her death. As the other reviewer noted, the more faithful among us will find it moving. The other viewpoint sees a family in late 19th century France who live in comfortable circumstances and who practice their religion intensely. Their little crises with health and emotions are not really beyond those most of endure during our lives, and indeed, one can wonder what is all the fuss about. The miraculous event of Therese is the repentance of a murder in the shadow of the guillotine. This episode is realized vicariously as Therese never saw the man, nor he her. Her entry into the world of the cloister is met with hostility by some of her religious sisters who resent her comfortable background. Again, this is perfectly normal and not unexpected.

Her death and suffering from TB is likewise undramatic and one can be left with the cynical impression that anyone can become a saint if you get sick and write about it. On the positive side, the film is pleasing to the eye, with set shots of the countryside and girls in wonderful 19th century dresses. The cloister shots are likewise idyllic and one wonders what the real world was like. The audience clapped loudly at the end and I had the impression there were few Protestants in the audience. No matter. If you want a simple film to bolster your faith in Holy Mother Church, this is it.

Leonardo Defilipis is to be commended for a worthy effort to bring the life of this much beloved saint to the big screen. This is a work of love, filmed and distributed largely with private donations and promoted through church bulletins. Lower your expectations and open your heart to Therese, I believe she shines through what is a mediocre film.

The lack of funds shows in nearly every aspect of the film. It appears to have been shot on 16 mm then expanded to 35 mm, making the film look grainy. The sound is in 2-track stereo and not Dolby surround. The director could have used more takes to polish some of the scenes. There are few effects, and they are not done particularly well. I was bothered by the Foley effects. Footsteps were too loud. The birds sang exactly the same in two different scenes. The story was told linearly and in a way that is not particularly interesting.

The story follows Therese from 4 to her death at 24, focusing mostly on her conversion experience at 14. I am much more interested in her writings and how a young woman goes from obscurity to sainthood only 27 years after her death. But we are told this only in a postscript.

The movie begins to hit its stride in the interaction between Therese and the other nuns at Carmel. The actors seem wooden and two dimensional, but there are revealing moments into Therese's "little way". I liked the scene where Therese helps the older nun to walk to dinner. But just as it begins to get interesting, Therese falls ill. Her suffering and eventual death are agonizing long for a 90 minute film. I was bothered by the scene where the priest attempts to give her Viaticum - the host is huge. This may have been historically true, but I believe that any priest would have broken it into the tiniest piece. This is the ONLY time a sacrament is shown in the film. I believe Therese was likely to go to the Eucharist daily and to spend many hours at exposition, such devotion to the sacraments would have been a better way to show us Therese's piety.

While I can't recommend Therese, I would not discourage others from seeing it. I am sure it will appeal to many Catholics who have a devotion to the Little Flower.

I saw this at a theater in Burlington, NJ, on Oct 3. Sadly, it is the only movie theater in the state where it is playing. The story concerns the life of a deeply religious French girl named Therese Martin, and her life from 1877 to 1897, focusing mostly on her from age 15 onwards, when she entered a convent and became a nun. It depicts a very human girl and the lives that she touched. They should make more films like this. Unfortunately, we haven't had a movie like this, that portrays Catholic clergy in a positive light in quite sometime. Hopefully there will be more to come after this. Rated PG- nothing offensive, although several characters die.

When I signed up to promote this film I had ambitions of great things, but God showed me the hope of the little way.

I agree with critical comments about the film being film-schoolish. Many folks on the Luke Films team have a theater--not film background. However, Lindsay Younce was EXCELLENT in her simple beauty. In fact the simplicity and ameteur nature of the film reflects the simple child-like love of its namesake.

I love this movie. Thank you to Leo and Lindsay and St. Luke's!

The story of this little film is the story of the Little Way. For the past 5 years people all over the country/world have DONATED their time and money and sweat to finance, produce and market this wonderful story.

Here in Dallas three secular movies where moved to add 3 extra auditoriums to show Therese and more than two auditoriums were filled all through opening weekend.

The Passion had fame and wealth (God bless Mel for this gift) behind it, but Therese proves that a little film about the Little Way, can spread LOVE very far through the efforts of so many people.

The relative success of Therese shows us what Christian people (and dedicated folks in general) can achieve together in faith, prayer and hard work.

Watch this movie if you are already interested in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux and are curious to see a representation of it on film. There is no pretense of cinematic excellence here. The movie is not entertainment in the true sense. It's almost like a page of the famous compendium "Lives of the Saints" come to life on screen.

Moreover, the story of St. Therese may already be a bit distant to 21st century viewers, though she is a modern saint. St. Therese represents turn of the 20th century piety and devotion that probably seems quite strange to many of us today. The story would probably be most strange to non-catholics, still a bit foreign to less pietistic catholics, but probably closer to home to catholics who practice devotions such as to the Sacred Heart or the Child Jesus.

I had always associated St. Therese with a sort of saccharine sweet piety, but watching this film showed a different side and made me admire her deep humility, a virtue that is truly strange to us now.

I really wanted to like this movie. I wanted to see a faith-based film of quiet beauty, and despite negative reviews in all the major newspapers, I hoped the reviewers simply didn't understand the "simple way" of Saint Therese. However, after viewing the film, I have to sadly admit that the reviewers were correct. I am left wishing the story of "The Little Flower" had been told by more skilled artists than these. (Fortunately, there is a French film of Therese that was made in the 80s that far exceeds this telling of her life.)

Although the music, locations, and costumes in "Therese" were beautiful, the rest of the artistic elements were horribly lacking. The acting was amateurish. The dialogue (script) was embarrassingly banal. Although historically accurate, the characters lacked a sense of humanity. They were wooden representations of real people.

I'm sorry this film did not achieve the level of artistry that would encourage more people to learn about the life of this young Saint. (Hopefully her biography will make a reappearance on bookshelves.) I'm sorry that the money raised to make this film was not put in the hands of more able filmmakers, or donated to worthy charities.

An apologetic thumbs down from me. Saint Therese will forgive you for missing this one. Especially if you donate your money for a movie ticket to those who need it most.

When I first started watching this movie I was a little disappointed at the extremely pious tone. I had read "Story of a Soul" years ago and loved the book but had not studied much about St. Therese in several years. The more I watched it, however, it really moved me in profound way so that at the end I was weeping uncontrollably. I showed it to my husband and children (daughters 6 and 9) and they loved it. I have now seen it several times and I see something new in each viewing. It is a movie that has a very very spiritual message, and if you're not in tune with spiritual messages at this stage in your life, you will not be touched. (A Catholic upbringing will certainly help the film resonate with the viewer.)If you are open to having a movie bring you closer to Jesus, this film will do it.

THÉRÈSE: Review by Stan Williams, Ph.D.

The word on the street and in other reviews is that THÉRÈSE, the movie, is a

pain to watch for all sorts of predictable reasons. I had not wanted to see the film but as a producer, director and sometimes Catholic film critic, felt it was my obligation. Besides I've met and respect the director, Leonardo DeFlippis and producer, Brian Shields as gentlemen who are sincere about their faith and try their best at the craft.

So I went last night with friends to a Cineplex where THÉRÈSE is now in it's

fourth week.

My reaction was very different from my peers. I liked the film, and it brought me to tears several times. Perhaps my take on it was positive because I had just attended a film festival where most of the films were horrible testaments to both story and the film-making craft and I was dying for anything that was shot within the most basic of rules. Or perhaps it was because I stood in line with hundreds of teens buying tickets to THE GRUGE, sort of the antithesis of THÉRÈSE. Or

perhaps it was because I've been teaching a couple of beginning film directing courses and after watching the beginning efforts of my students leads one to

feast on anything half well-done.

Or perhaps it's because I'm a filmmaker trying to make my first feature (I've produced and directed hundreds of corporate and non-profit fare), and I know

what DeFlippis went through to get his film made and admire him for it. Or

perhaps it's because I went to daily Mass for several years at The Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, MI and know a little, but not much, about THÉRÈSE from my visits to the church's museum about her. Or maybe I just like

disagreeing with people. But, for whatever the true reasons, I liked THÉRÈSE

very much. I came out a better person than when I went in, and I thought the

movie was well-crafted. Here are some specifics.

The director, Leonardo DeFilippis, has a reputation for overly dramatic one-man chancel dramas, and the criticism I had heard about THÉRÈSE was in that vein. But DeFilippis' performance as Therese's father is reserved, subtle, and refined. He cuts a good figure for a bourgeois Frenchman in the mid 1800s. For a first time film project, DeFilippis' direction is consistent, deliberate, and appropriate for the subject matter. Some may be disappointed by the number of small-scale and reserved tableau's, but for the budget and the simple story that the movie tries to convey in France in the mid 1800s, the project is well executed.

Catholic film critics are fond of criticizing the idea of producing "Saint Movies," as if such projects are below the calling of a writer or producer or are impossible to do well for a secularized culture preoccupied with tent pole releases. But what we forget is that the story of St. Therese is not in the same dramatic genre as THE PASSION, or A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. Yet, there is movie material

here, for there is a clear dramatic goal and conflict through which the

protagonist perseveres and accomplishes, ironically through death. THÉRÈSE,

the movie, is an ironic love story that works. It's a period drama about a calling not unlike Joan of Arc but without the swordplay.

DeFilippis' reasons for not previewing the movie with Catholic reviewers was

another signal that the movie was a bomb. We thought he was embarrassed to

let it be seen. But perhaps too many of us are cynical Catholic reviewers who are holding out for another LORD OF THE RINGS or trying desperately to avoid

another MERCY STREETS or LEFT BEHIND. And while THÉRÈSE is not in the

adventure-thriller genre (nor is it a "Presumptuous Preachy") it is an adventure of the soul that connects to the audience easily; for we all struggle with

acceptance of who were are in the shadow of an almighty God.

Before production, the script was criticized by respected script consultants. But the film's execution (with perhaps some script revisions) reveals a well-crafted story that is true to its source material. There is a clear goal, both physically and psychologically, good drama, character arcs, and turning points. And there are some great lines, like the first one we hear: "I want to be a saint, but I feel so helpless." In that one line we have the dramatic arc of the whole movie. That is good script writing, in one short sentence the moral dilemma of the protagonist is presented for our evaluation, and we root for her until she achieves it, and the fade to black.

For a low budget film ($1M) the cinematography and source lighting is lush and arresting to watch. The locations authentic and simple, as is the story is

intended. There are great reveals, and the art direction and costuming are an achievement for such a low budget effort. There is, however, a head-cropping

problem in the framing.

Lindsay Younce, who plays Thérèse, is believable and we like her. Her

simplicity of beauty and delivery represents well the persona of real Thérèse, and there is a similarity in their appearance. Even in her sickness and visions, we believe Younce's interpretation. The camera likes Younce and we do too.

But the real surprise is the score by Sister Marie Therese Sokol, a cloistered Carmelite nun near Seattle. It is magnificent with a sure hand at subtle

orchestrations, dramatic underscore, and comic relief. I do hope her superiors let her write more scores.

THÉRÈSE may not be popular mainstream fare, but it is a very good movie that

is easy to watch, and I predict will become much more than just a cult classic. It will be used widely to teach and inspire young women and men about the true

Christian understanding of love, sacrifice, and worship of God in the littlest but most profoundest of ways.

I saw this movie 4 times when it played in Nashville, and I cried each time. The love of a father for his daughters, and the love of a future Saint for her Beloved is portrayed in an effective and moving film that captures the essence of the Catholic faith.

Leonardo Defilippis is the director, principle writer, and male lead actor. He is both charming and inspiring in his role as the father of Therese.

St. Therese is played by Lindsay Younce, who infuses her character with beauty, wit, and intensity. This is one actress to watch in the years to come.

If you are a Catholic, you will be blessed and your heart will be touched by seeing Therese. And, even if you aren't a Catholic you can find much to love about this enchanting film and the life and faith of the widely-loved Saint who inspired it.

Greetings: The Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit, if many churches are correct. The Trinity is a Family-- two Parents and an Offspring, if many churches are correct.In the Book of Job which is part of the bible,the Lord is compared to a Father and also a Mother with a womb. "From whose womb comes the ice? Who gives birth to the frost from the heavens"--Job 38:29. What is written in this paragraph (before this sentence)is compatible with Catholic Church doctrine. Saying that the "Father and the Son are the Parents of the Holy Spirit" is simply another way of saying that the Holy Spirit "proceeds from the Father and the Son" which has been official Catholic Church teaching for centuries. Of course, The scriptures are vague if the Holy Spirit is the 3rd or 1st or 2nd Person of the Trinity--whichever of these is true,the First Person and the Second Person may be the Parents of the Third.

I went to this thinking it was going to be an epic in the lines of "Gandhi."

Had I known it was going to be a home movie that looked like it was shot on a video camera, and acted by the Junior High School Drama Club, I probably would have passed. I realize this is an "independent" film, and the story of St. Therese is certainly one worth telling, but it could have been told a whole lot better than this. It was poorly acted, poorly written, poorly directed, and poorly produced. It was more like a made for TV special than a motion picture feature.

This film has been done before, and with much higher quality. Anyone that wants to see this story told should check out the 1986 version of the same tale.

Movies "based" upon real life events are very frequently the most compelling. However, such dramas are not infrequently enhanced by the author to make the characters larger than they could have been in real life. It is seldom that a movie can capture the fullness of a true story without reliance on such dramatizations. This movie is richly and so accurately, the encapsulation of "The Story of A Soul", one of the most published and beloved autobiographies of all time. This story is the true and heart rendering account of a simple young Therese and her sisters, who abandoned incredible and luxurious wealth to live the sacrificial, cloistered—imprisoned—lives of Carmelite nuns in the late 19th Century. Through time, Saint Therese shares directly with her readers, and now with her viewers, the meaning of her incredible "little way", and what it has meant to millions of people for over a century. She is so highly regarded, that only 32 other saints in all of history have been named Doctor of The Church, a title shared by the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales, St. Thomas Liguori, St. John of The Cross, St. Catherine of Sienna, and Teresa of Avila, from whom she took her own name. Written under strict obedience of her prioress, and wonderfully captured on film, her story will be treasured until the end of time. This is not simply a Catholic movie written about a Catholic saint. This is a fabulous story about a person who continues to do as she promised, and always will. "I will spend my Heaven doing good upon the earth"

This movie had definite potential that really would not have been hard to fulfill, but yet it still fails. The acting was fully reprehensible. All of the actors/actresses looked almost exactly the same for every emotion. In addition to this, the delivery of their lines was off-kilter, almost robotic, although, admittedly, the fact that the dialog was stilted probably didn't help. The religious imagery was so trite and clichéd, such as the Jesus and Mary with the bright auras. This movie lacked subtlety and everything was exactly how it seemed; in other words, one never really had to think at all. This movie seemed like a "St. Terese For Dummies" manual and seemed preoccupied with everything going on around Terese instead of what was going on inside of her. In addition to this, I was not fond of the directing, and the shots to show passage of time were way too tired and over-used; here again, I point out the lack of subtlety. This movie was poor and I thought the original "St. Terese" was a lot better. This was too geared for a younger audience that really didn't like or understand it. 4/10

All I can say is that thanks to this movie's website I met Therese who touched my heart and soul and came alive in my life - She pointed my way to the Good God from whom all good comes to us. This is my very personal experience which nobody and nothing can take away from me - Meeting Therese, thanks to Luke Films' website, enriched my life with her spirituality which makes "The Love of God" so desirable and attainable by all in such an ordinary yet so profound "Little way" - as the movies slogan goes - Ordinary Girl - Extraordinary Soul. This new way of trust in God has been made available to me thanks to all the love and efforts put in by a group of people who risked their all for whom they love and for what they believe in.

I will be forever in debt with Luke Films who served as instruments in the Creative Hands of the Good God so that His Loving Grace might reach deep down within my soul - This is the story of my Soul - the Good Lord willed that Therese comes into my life in a moment of darkness - and her encouraging words gave me hope and nurtured my faith to always BELIEVE and TRUST in the Good God even when, sometimes, He seems to be, as the little flower herself puts it so well "asleep on our boat" !!

I am sure that others will benefit from this Movie just as I much as I did. This is the driving force behind my support

"a tree is recognized from its fruit": I am sure I did not reap so many good fruit from a "thorn bush"!

God Bless Anthony

I am a fan of movies about faith, and will confide that faith and spirituality make great themes, although I prefer Roman Catholic subjects. Here is one par excellence, about The Little Flower, Saint Therese, the newest and youngest Doctor of the Church, acclaimed by the late Pope, Blessed John Paul II.

I bought this on DVD at a store, influenced by the cover art which was both gorgeous and sophisticated, so, what a fake out to find the film itself so banal and insipid; it was just barely watchable, just endurable enough to determine if it would remain bad and boring through to the end. Yes, it was bad. Not as bad as "One Night with the King" (2006), about Queen Esther saving the Jews, but that was the worst movie of all time. Be warned, many devout people with good intentions vote on this site and run up the points for bad religious films. I know a score of "5" is fair warning, but both of these films got around "5.8" -- not even close to their just deserts, as the Esther film would only rival this Therese as an unintentional parody of a real movie, whereas Therese's panegyric is too boring even for that. Therese deserves a much better movie than this in English. There are two very good French films about her. You may have to wait a few years for one without subtitles, for those of you folks disinclined to read and watch films simultaneously. Btw, is that a sin? Well, maybe not, but making a mind rotting movie about a great saint ought to be!

Sorry to say if you were disappointed by this movie. There weren't any big action scenes, no big romance, no real villains other than a couple mean nuns. There was no big conflict other than her desperate quest to become a nun, and then her battle with TB. But the truth is, it was a simple movie without really much to it. It told the story of a girl, an ordinary girl as promised. St. Therese was a simple woman who lived a simple life. She didn't really do much. But the point she made and I believe this movie was trying to make is that what she did do, no matter how small, she did for God. Something we should all try to do because, after all, He is the only reason we can do anything.

"Therese" is an amateurish film. Not just the acting or the dialogue, but also the make-up, hair, costumes and sets felt less like a theatrical film and more like a high school production by folks trying to present spiritual themes to an unsophisticated audience.

There are many better films about religion out there. I strongly recommend "Into Great Silence," a recent documentary about Carthusian monks, "The Greatest Story Ever Told," about the life of Christ, or "Passion of the Christ" for viewers who can handle that film's violence.

St. Therese de Lisieux has had a profound effect on the lives of millions, and she deserves a better movie than this. Until that movie is made, read her book, "The Story of a Soul."

It is tempting to criticize it. and real easy. because each viewer has his perspective about Therese Martin. and , at first sigh, Lindsay Younce is far to be the perfect choice for the lead role. but... . the film has few significant virtues. the first - the atmosphere of Martin family. and the flavour of French XIX century. and, sure, the life of convent. for a not believer, it could seems be too sweet and pink and conventional. for a Greek - Orthodox like me, correct translation on screen of the biography of one of the most loved saints of Romano-Catholic Church. in fact, it is a beautiful portrait. moving hommage. for many reasons. one of them - the performance of Leonardo Defilippis in the role of Louis Martin.

This is such a great movie to watch that I watched it twice. The young girl's love of God is so overwhelming that it touches my heart in a profound way. I cried and was in tears throughout the movie. It washed my soul. I can identify with her in many ways - her passionate and single-hearted pursuit of God and the joy thereof. She showed us how to love God in small ways and in doing seemingly "small" things for others. Love of God will transform to love of those around us. Saint Therese's simple way of life is such an inspiration! I would recommend this to any one who is searching for life's meanings and who is searching for the ultimate love and joy and intimacy - a deeper relationship with God, our maker and our eternal lover. Though I don't care too much about some of the Catholic practices in the movie, such as praying to Mary, etc., it is a good movie even for non-Catholics to watch, all because the love of God is so overwhelming and the main theme of the story won't be missed.

Leonardo has done a wonderful job once again! I am so thrilled that a movie with a positive portrayal of Catholics has finally been released for the big screen! I had been eagerly awaiting the release of this film for many months, and was so impressed once I actually got to see it. The quality of the film is not a great as it could be but 10 minutes into the movie you are so captivated with Therese's simplicity and the beauty of the film that any quality issues are completely forgotten. Her life is such an inspiration to so many people. The portion of the film once Therese is in the monastery is absolutely priceless. I recommend this film to anyone of any age who is looking for an uplifting, true story, that will make you laugh and cry for at least a whole afternoon!