CULTURE
By Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
Sister Rose’s FAVORITE MOVIES
about
SAINTS A Man for All Seasons (1966) Vision (2009)
The Song of Bernadette (1943) Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972) Romero (1989)
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Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, and Millie Bobby Brown star in the Netflix original Enola Holmes.
ENOLA HOLMES
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ixteen-year-old Enola (“alone” spelled backwards), played by Millie Bobby Brown, lives with her mother, Eudoria Holmes (Helena Bonham Carter), on the family’s estate in England. Eudoria teaches her daughter every school subject, however unconventional, and how to fend for herself. Then, on Enola’s 16th birthday, her mother goes missing. Enter Enola’s eldest, uptight brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin) and seemingly fuzzybrained brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill). Mycroft makes plans to send Enola off to a proper boarding school while Sherlock investigates their mother’s disappearance. Enola takes matters into her own hands, disguises herself as a stable boy, and heads for London. She has an idea where her mother might be. But her plans are derailed a bit when she encounters Lord Viscount Tewksbury (Louis Partridge), who is fleeing his family for reasons of his own. Enola Holmes is based on the young adult book series The Enola Holmes Mysteries, by Nancy Springer. The script is by Jack Thorne, and Harry Bradbeer directs. I thoroughly enjoyed this Netflix original film. Brown
shows her considerable acting talent, and the camera loves her. I was surprised at how deftly Enola unfolds the mystery, but it is also about women’s suffrage and feminism in late 19th-century England. It shows that there are alternative ways to resolve conflict and redress wrongs other than violence. There may be some romance in any sequels. Not yet rated, PG-13 • Peril and some fighting.
LEFT: COURTESY SISTER ROSE PACATTE, FSP/MIKE BLAKE/REUTERS; ENOLA HOLMES: COURTESY OF LEGENDARY PICTURES/ALEX BAILEY (2)
Sister Rose is a Daughter of St. Paul and the founding director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies. She has been the award-winning film columnist for St. Anthony Messenger since 2003 and is the author of several books on Scripture and film, as well as media literacy education.
50 • November 2020 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
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FRANCESCO: MIDDLE: COURTESY JUAN CARLOS CRUZ; LEFT; COURTESY L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO/COMMUNITY OF SANT’EGIDIO; RIGHT: COURTESY SISTER NORMA PIMENTEL
Sister Rose Pacatte, FSP
