Many remember the fear that “ The Exorcist ” inflicted upon audiences in the early 70's. “ The Exorcism of Emily Rose ” draws on that fear in a whole new way by focusing on the truths in the supernatural and usually hazy subject of exorcism. The movie is a very sober piece beginning with Emily Rose's death after a long and drawn out “illness”. Father Richard Moore (Tom Wilkinson), the priest who presided over Emily's exorcism, is now on trial and facing charges of negligent homicide. His attorney, Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is an agnostic who thinks herself to be above such demonic dangers as possession by the simple fact that she does not believe in the existence of such forces. But as the courtroom finds itself the battleground for the perpetual war between science and religion, she discovers that mere disbelief may not be enough to protect her from the powers that could be closer than she ever thought.

All around the cinematography, musical score, and the entire cast delivers superb acting performances. Laura Linney(Erin Bruner), Tom Wilkinson(Father Moore), Mary Beth Hurt(Judge Brewster), Colm Feore (Carl Gunderson), Jennifer Carpenter (Emily Rose), and Campbell Scott (Ethan Thomas) each have a good sense of their characters and portray them wonderfully. The script is well written and the dialogue is sometimes tense without being overdramatic. With all elements considered, “The Exorcism of Emily Rose” earns four stars on a scale of one to five.