I liked this movie a heck of a lot more than I thought I would, as I had little interest in seeing a horror film (this just isn't a genre I enjoy most of the time). A lot of this was because the movie really wasn't a horror film per se, but a courtroom drama following the death of a supposedly possessed girl as well as a film that discusses the possibility of demonic possession--though this is handled in a pretty ambiguous way and with no easy or pat answers. I could see people who say demonic possession can be explained away by natural phenomena AND those who believe in its existence both enjoying this interesting and thought-provoking film. It probably won't offend religious people nor will like likely offend others--it's just a good film. It's even more interesting when you learn that the story is based on a real case, though artistic license was used in making this film (just how much, I don't know).

Despite an excellent script, excellent acting by the actress playing "Emily Rose" and a real creepy mood, there is one problem with the film and that is the acting by BOTH the prosecuting and defense attorney in the film. The prosecutor seemed too wooden, angry and unprofessional to be real and I truly doubt if his histrionics in the courtroom would have been tolerated by a sane judge. Likewise, the defense attorney, at times, seemed rather dumb and presented nearly as poor a case at the prosecutor. Plus, the average person probably could have done a better job than they did! I really wonder if the writers ever consulted with real lawyers to find out how to create these roles--they just were not believable and tended to detract from the rest of the film.

Still, despite this serious complaint, this IS a good film--though I really doubt if it's a good idea to let young kids see this due to the subject matter.

Also, if you get a chance, see REQUIEM. This is a German-made version of the exact same case of Anneliese Michel--the inspiration for both stories. Both are very good but have a much different focus.

It's been a while since we had a good exorcism movie – not counting that rubbishy EXORCIST sequel that came out a few years ago. When I heard about THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, I thought it sounded good – different enough to be worth a look. When I caught it on TV last night, I knew I'd been right. This takes the true-life case of a failed exorcism and turns it into a gripping John Grisham-style courtroom drama in a very intriguing, thought-provoking way.

I'm a big believer in the supernatural and I've studied it a lot in the past. What is presented here is a very believable, very frightening account of demonic possession. I honestly believe that this really happened. Although the film is lengthy and slow-moving, it's never boring and that's because somebody had the great idea of including harrowing flashbacks of the possessed Emily during the courtroom case. It really works, breaking up the courtroom tension, and adding in genuine frights and chills along the way too.

The movie is topped off with a fantastic cast working at the top of their game. I don't believe Laura Linney has ever been better than she has here, and her portrayal of a woman with integrity is fine. Tom Wilkinson makes us believe he is the disturbed priest with every drop of sweat that comes from him. As for Jennifer Carpenter, well she should be going places with her portrayal of the tormented Emily here, and I hope she doesn't suffer the same kind of career nosedive as Linda Blair did in the '80s.

Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a pretty regular girl who had a scholarship to leave her home. Then she dies and Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is brought up for charges after he performed an exorcism on the girl. Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) is brought in to defend the Father against her wishes. She's somewhat of an agnostic and doesn't believe in the Father. And then she starts having experiences.

This is a courtroom drama trying to fit in some horror. The courtroom drama holds a little bit of interest, but the horror has no scares. It's done in flashbacks which we know what generally will happen. It's like trying to get into a ball game even though you know what the final score will be. It's hard to do. This could be a pretty good courtroom thriller, but it's too long and too disrupted by all the flashbacks that isn't scary. It's like it couldn't really decide if it wants to be 'Law & Order' or 'The Omen'. The good thing in the movie is the solid acting from Linney and Wilkinson. They elevate this movie.