First Hollywood feature film financed by Catholic Church marks 25th anniversary

Raul Julia with John Duigan

The first Hollywood feature film ever to be financed by the Roman Catholic Church was released twenty-five years ago on August 25, 1989. 'Romero' starred the Puerto Rican Raul Julia ('Kiss of the Spiderwoman' and the 'The Addams Family' franchise) as Salvadoran Archbishop Óscar A Romero, and was directed by the Australian John Duigan. The writer was John Sacret Heart (TV's 'The West Wing'), and the producer was Paulist Pictures' Fr Ellwood E Kiesel. "Its religious origins notwithstanding," the New York Times wrote, the film was 'a frankly commercial venture aimed at a mass audience.' But unlike what happens in other movie sets, the cast and crew of 'Romero' would gather each week to celebrate Mass, with the producer (Fr Kiesel) as its celebrant.

A quarter century later, 'Romero' still holds up, with an unusually reverent reception (eg, 75% critical approval and 81% audience appreciation on RottenTomatoes), and it has undeniably made its mark culturally by elevating its subject to the iconic stature that seems best attained on the silver screen:

To read on see: http://polycarpi.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/romero-movie-25th-anniv-edition.html