The Proposition (1998)

Father Michael McKinnon goes from the UK to Boston circa 1935. For unknown reasons, he avoids at all costs the most prominent parishioners, Arthur and Eleanor Barret. Meanwhile Eleanor and ... See full summary »

Director:

Lesli Linka Glatter

Writer:

Rick Ramage

Stars:

Kenneth Branagh, Madeleine Stowe, William Hurt

1 win.

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

Storyline

Father Michael McKinnon goes from the UK 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:

boston massachusetts | bare chested male | title directed by female | two word title | voice over narration | 

---

Taglines:

One man gave up everything he owned. The other, everything he believed in.

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some sexual content

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shakespeare's Sister

Filming Locations:

Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 15 Newbury Street, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$61,560, 29 March 1998, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$121,875, 5 April 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Interscope Communications, Polygram Filmed Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scott Wolf and Matt Damon were considered for the role of Roger Martin.

---

Goofs

The narration of this movie is supposed to be Father McKinnon telling the story to Hannibal Thurman, yet there are parts of the story that Hannibal is in which would certainly not have to be told to Hannibal by McKinnon. If that isn't bad enough, there is a part of the narration (right after Roger agrees to be the surrogate father) that McKinnon says "Hannibal knew that.........." even though it is Hannibal he is talking to.

---

Connections

Featured in Siskel & Ebert: The Newton Boys/Meet the Deedles/A Price Above Rubies/No Looking Back (1998)

---

Soundtracks

They Can't Take That Away From Me
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Arranged by Sonny Kompanek

User Reviews

Not the Aussie western

I was looking for the Australian western of the same name and the Sundance credits writer got it wrong and roped me into this 1930s Boston Catholic melodrama. I still want to see the western, but this was not a bad misdirection.

Whoever cast A History of Violence had to see this film as William Hurt plays the same character in both films - marvelously, I might add. He is a rich Catholic businessman here instead of a mobster, but the basics are the same. He wants to give his wife (Madeleine Stowe in a great performance) a child and Viagra was not yet invented, so he hires someone (Neil Patrick Harris) to do the job. His only mistake was picking a 24-year-old who couldn't just take the money and walk away. OK, so we have a moral question here, but we ignore that for the movies sake.

Into his parish comes a new priest (Kenneth Branagh) and he jumps the Rabbit-Proof Fence, uses The Magic Flute, and we have an Alien Love Triangle. Didn't Richard Chamberlain do that naughty priest bit in The Thorn Birds? There is a lot of Catholic malfeasance, guilt and remorse and penance and symbolism here, but don't let that turn you off as it doesn't interfere with the story. And, no children were hurt in the making of this film.

There are some fine performances and an interesting story. You should check it out.