Mass Appeal

1984 • 99 minutes

About this movie

Should a priest tell his congregation what they want to hear instead of the truth? That's just one of the issues raised in this witty and thought-provoking film version of Bill C. Davis' Tony-nominated Broadway hit. Jack Lemmon is Father Tim Farley, a complacent priest in a wealthy suburban parish who drives a Mercedes and cracks jokes from the pulpit. Along comes idealistic Mark Dolson (Zeljko Ivanek), a radical seminarian who accuses Farley of "song and dance theology." The result is a head-on clash that teaches each man the true meaning of faith. Outstanding performances from Lemmon, Ivanek and Charles Durning as an inflexible monsignor make this a humorous and compelling duel of conscience and compromise.

Ratings and reviews

Great movie about a Catholic life of a priest