Father Michael McKinnon goes from the U.K. to Boston circa 1935. For unknown reasons, he avoids at all costs the most prominent parishioners, Arthur and Eleanor Barret. Meanwhile, Eleanor ...
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Title: The Proposition (1998)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Robert Loggia | ... | Hannibal Thurman | |
 |
Bronia Wheeler | ... | Sister Mary Frances |
| Kenneth Branagh | ... | Father Michael McKinnon | |
| Madeleine Stowe | ... | Eleanor Barret | |
| William Hurt | ... | Arthur Barret | |
| Ken Cheeseman | ... | Wayne Fenton | |
|
|
Jim Chiros | ... | Timothy |
| Dee Nelson | ... | Susan Vicar | |
|
|
Pamela Hart | ... | Skip Taylor |
| Wendy Feign | ... | Maid | |
| Blythe Danner | ... | Syril Danning | |
|
|
Dossy Peabody | ... | Hannibal's Secretary |
| Neil Patrick Harris | ... | Roger Martin | |
| Thomas Downey | ... | Torrey Harrington (as Tom Downey) | |
| Tom Kemp | ... | Arthur's Chauffeur | |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Father Michael McKinnon goes from the U.K. to Boston circa 1935. For unknown reasons, he avoids at all costs the most prominent parishioners, Arthur and Eleanor Barret. Meanwhile, Eleanor and Arthur desperately want to have a child, but Arthur is sterile, so they hire Harvard law student Roger Martin to impregnate Eleanor, but unfortunately Roger falls in love with her.
Plot Keywords:
priest in love | boston massachusetts | bare chested male | title directed by female | two word title |Taglines:
One man gave up everything he owned. The other, everything he believed in.Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
27 March 1998 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Shakespeare's Sister See more »Filming Locations:
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$61,560, 29 March 1998Gross USA:
$147,773Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$147,773Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Composed by Anton Bruckner (uncredited)
Performed by The New England Conservatory Chamber Singers
Courtesy of The New England Conservatory
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
A modern high-rise is visible between the buildings during the scene at the paupers' cemetery. See more »Quotes
Father Michael McKinnon: You're probably the one person in the world Arthur Barret respects enough to fear, loves enough to kill for.See more »
Soundtracks
Asperges MeComposed by Anton Bruckner (uncredited)
Performed by The New England Conservatory Chamber Singers
Courtesy of The New England Conservatory
See more »
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Love it or hate it, and the opinions seem to be pretty evenly divided, this is a compelling film because of the performances of three fine actors--Kenneth Branagh, Madeline Stowe, and William Hurt. The story is incredibly far-fetched but, a la Six Feet Under, because it deals with emotions and fantasies we've all felt, it works in some sort of quirky way.
Madeline Stowe is absolutely radiant--confused, vulnerable, strong, passionate. William Hurt perfectly combines the ruthless Wall Street professional and the condescending tenderness of a man of his time. Branagh is a cypher whose screen charisma makes him riveting.
Some of the nitpicking in earlier reviews seems wrong to me. The Mass vestments are exactly right for the solemn high mass of that period, as is Branagh's demeanor. Extreme Unction can in fact be administered for a short period after death, though not, of course, on a corpse in a coffin. In fact, the only reason to open the coffin before burial is so that Eleanor can see who it is that's being buried.