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 | |
Edit
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:
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.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 1998, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$121,875, 5 April 1998Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?
Goofs
A modern high-rise is visible between the buildings during the scene at the paupers' cemetery. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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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.