Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief (2015)

A documentary looking at the inner-workings of the Church of Scientology.

Director:

Alex Gibney

Writers:

Alex Gibney, Lawrence Wright (book)

Stars:

Paul Haggis, Jason Beghe, Spanky Taylor

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 4 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Haggis	...	Self
Jason Beghe	...	Self
Spanky Taylor	...	Self
David Miscavige	...	Self (archive footage)
John Travolta	...	Self (archive footage)
Tom Cruise	...	Self (archive footage)
Lawrence Wright	...	Self
L. Ron Hubbard	...	Self (archive footage)
Marjorie Cameron	...	Self (archive footage)
Mike Rinder	...	Self
Tony Ortega	...	Self
Antony A. Phillips	...	Self (archive footage)
Hana Whitfield	...	Self (as Hana Eltringham Whitfield)
Kim Masters	...	Self
Sara Goldberg	...	Self

Storyline

A devastating two hour documentary based on Lawrence Wright's book of the same name. Scientology is laid bare by a film that skilfully knits together archive footage, testimonials from former high ranking officials and public, and dramatic reconstructions.

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Plot Keywords:

dianetics | scientology | based on book | year 2013 | e meter | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Scientology has two major, landmark buildings in the Hollywood area, both of which appear in the film's cut-away footage. The Scientology Celebrity Center is located on Franklin Ave, near the bottom of the Hollywood Hills. It is the castle/mansion-like building seen in this film when first discussing John Travolta. The more iconic baby blue building photographed by drone and shown much more frequently in the film is the primary church and office headquarters of Los Angeles. It is located at 4810 Sunset Blvd.

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Goofs

(at around 8 mins) When Paul Haggis is discussing his beginnings with the church, a clip is shown claiming to be "London, Ontario." What is actually shown is a view of downtown Hamilton, Ontario, looking east from King Street and James Street. The bus clearly reads "West Hamilton". Also visible: Woolworth's, the Wright House, and Gore Park - downtown Hamilton landmarks.

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Quotes

Lawrence Wright: Scientology really is a journey into the mind of L. Ron Hubbard and the further you get into it the more like L. Ron Hubbard you become.

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Connections

Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Nathan Lane/Kristen Schaal/Børns (2015)

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Soundtracks

Bohemian Rhapsody
(uncredited)
Written by Freddie Mercury
Performed by Queen

User Reviews

Effective, Gripping Interviews

I was involved with Scientology from 1978-1990 and encountered some of the human rights abuses that Alex Gibney exposed in his documentary. The Sea Org people, who sign Billion Year contracts, bore the brunt of the mistreatment and are well represented in this film. Most former members will know of details that were not included in the show, but the topics that became the focus received a more complete treatment as a result.

The humanity of these survivors shown through in each interview and should evoke empathy in anyone willing to accept the truth in the story. I never felt that someone was embellishing or seeking attention; in fact, quite the opposite.

A huge thank you to HBO for having the guts to air this and not back down.

Details

Official Sites:

HBO Documentary Films

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 June 2015 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$230,194

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Documentary Films, Jigsaw Productions, Sky Atlantic

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1