Into Temptation (film)
Encyclopedia
Into Temptation is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Patrick Coyle, and starring Jeremy Sisto
, Kristin Chenoweth
, Brian Baumgartner
, Bruce A. Young
and Amy Matthews. It tells the story of a prostitute (Chenoweth) who confesses to a Catholic
priest (Sisto) that she plans to kill herself on her birthday. The priest attempts to find and save her, and in doing so plunges himself into a darker side of society.
The film was partially inspired by Coyle's father, a kind but belligerent man who had considered becoming a priest in his early life. The script won the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship from the IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts. Into Temptation was filmed and set in Coyle's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota
. Several supporting roles were filled with actors from the Minneapolis – Saint Paul theater area, and Coyle himself performed in a supporting role.
It was produced by Ten Ten Films and Farnam Street II, and distributed by First Look International
. With a budget of less than $1 million, filming began in May 2008. Cinematography was provided by David Doyle, Russell Holsapple composed the score, and Lee Percy worked as editor. The film touches on themes of temptation, sin, good and evil, redemption and celibacy, as well as the boundaries between a priest providing counsel and getting personally involved with helping parishioners.
Into Temptation was optioned in Hollywood
, but talks fell through due to complications from the global recession. The film did not receive a national release but played at theaters in several cities. Although first publicly shown for Coyle's father in December 2008, Into Temptation officially premiered on April 26, 2009, at the Newport Beach Film Festival
, where Sisto won the "Outstanding Achievement in Acting" award. The film received generally positive reviews. It was released on DVD on October 27, 2009.
) is the mild-mannered Catholic
priest of a small parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota
. Overworked and underpaid, he has grown jaded with the profession and has trouble connecting with his parishioners. During confession, a mysterious and unnamed prostitute (Kristin Chenoweth
) confesses to a sin she has not yet committed: she plans to commit suicide on her birthday. Father John is taken aback. The confession ends abruptly, and he is unable to stop the woman before she disappears. He only knows she wears a crucifix and is an Aries
, which means her birthday is soon. Father John grows obsessed with finding and helping this woman, and begins visiting the city's red-light district
with the hopes of finding her. On his way home, Father John meets a homeless man named Gus (Gene Larche), but with no money for him, he gives him a rosary
instead. Later, he seeks counsel from his friend Father Ralph O'Brien (Brian Baumgartner
), who advises him not to become too personally involved.
Father John returns to the red-light district and speaks to a prostitute named Miriam (Greta Oglesby), who suggests a powerful pimp
named James St. Clair (Ansa Akyea) might know about the woman. As they speak in a bar, the mysterious prostitute enters and solicits a john (Patrick Coyle), who leaves with her immediately. As she goes, Father John catches a glimpse of the crucifix she is wearing and tries to chase her down. She leaves in the john's car before he can catch them, but he writes down the license plate as they drive off. Back at church, his sermons start to grow more unorthodox, and Father Ralph warns him that his unusual church manner and trips to the red-light district have the archbishop
concerned. Meanwhile, Father John is contacted by his ex-girlfriend Nadine Brennan (Amy Matthews), who tells him she is divorcing her husband and still harbors romantic feelings for Father John.
Father John learns the john's car belongs to an accountant named Steven Miller, who tells Father John the prostitute is Linda, an expensive call girl who is widely considered among the best at her profession. Meanwhile, Linda visits her dying, elderly stepfather Donald Dupree (Tom Carey), who repeatedly raped Linda in her childhood and ultimately set her on the path to prostitution. Linda confronts him about their past, but claims she has forgiven him his sins, even though he continues to deny any wrongdoing. A drunk Nadine goes to talk to Father John in confession about her loneliness and feelings for him. He admits to caring for her as well, but they agree to remain friends. Later, Father John hires Lloyd Montag (Bruce A. Young
), an unemployed boxer at his church, to serve as his bodyguard as he talks to St. Clair. The pimp, who knows Lloyd from his boxing days, tells Father John what neighborhood Linda lives in. There, Father John and Lloyd find Zeke (Tony Papenfuss
), a taxi driver who knows they are looking for Linda and agrees to take them to her apartment. Zeke explains he had driven her to the church when she first spoke to Father John at confession, and Zeke later visited the church to watch Father John preach.
At the apartment, Father John and Lloyd find Linda has moved out, but they discover she had possessed a 12-year-old newspaper clipping about Father John's ordination. Father John offers Lloyd a job helping out at the church, which Lloyd accepts. Father John then returns to his church and cries, fearing he is too late to save Linda. Meanwhile, Linda goes to a bridge and is about to jump off when she encounters Gus, who offers her the rosary he received earlier from Father John. A grateful and emotional Linda hugs Gus. It is not revealed whether she commits suicide or not. In a confession to Father Ralph, Father John expresses guilt he did not absolve Linda before her confession abruptly ended. Father Ralph says that even if Linda is dead, her soul is immortal, and that Father John's penance is to absolve her now. Father John does so. The film ends with a childhood memory of young Linda at church, where a group of boys laugh at her old torn clothes until she is defended by a young John Buerlein, whose act seems to make a strong positive impact upon her.
and met Margaret Mary Quinlan, who would become his wife and Patrick Coyle's mother. Coyle conceived of the script for Into Temptation while imagining what kind of priest his father would have been. His father strongly approved of the project, and told Coyle, "Go make that movie. And tell the truth." Coyle was also partially inspired by his childhood pastor and friend, the Reverend Damian Zuerlein, who performed the marriage ceremony for Coyle and his wife and baptized their children. Coyle said of him, "He's just a young, energetic, competent, committed, devoted man working with a poor parish. And he loves his work. I was inspired by that." Coyle said when writing Into Temptation, he did not intend to make a religious film, and said of protagonist Father John Buerlein, "The character could have been a minister or a rabbi or a public defender. He's a good man trying to do a job the best he can."
Ann Luster, the film's producer, helped with the script from the earliest stages, and claimed she and Coyle had a deep understanding of how to handle the characters from the start. The film was set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Coyle lived and worked as a writer and actor at the time. The fictional church in the story, St. Mary Magdalen's Downtown Catholic Church, is based in part on the St. Mary Magdalene church in Omaha
, Nebraska
, where Coyle was raised. However, the real-life church was also very different from the fictional church in that it lacked a shelter and drew very large congregations for weekend mass
, compared to the half-empty pews in the fictional church. The fictional church is also based in part on Our Lady of Guadalupe, another Catholic church in south Omaha. The Into Temptation script won the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship from IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts, and investors were sought through public readings. After reading the script, Patrick Coyle's wife said, "If you get a good Father John, you'll have a good movie."
on the NBC crime drama series Law & Order
. Sisto said of working on the show, "For nine months we basically do the same episode over and over. This [Into Tempation script] came out of nowhere." Sisto said of working on Into Temptation: "Having just come off a job where there is little room to find true moments and to create a full character, I felt this respite from the task of trying to force a space where I could express something more personal through my job was no less than a creative life saver."
Coyle cold called
Kristin Chenoweth's agent and proposed the part, which is different from her usual roles, and her agent said it was the exact part the actress was seeking. In order to film Into Temptation, Chenoweth took a five-day hiatus from her supporting role on the ABC
television series Pushing Daisies
. Brian Baumgartner, best known for his supporting role as Kevin Malone
in the NBC
comedy series The Office, was a regular theater performer in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area before joining that show. While visiting New York City in May 2008 for an Upfront
presentation, shortly after having finished filming the fourth season
of The Office, Baumgartner was offered the Into Temptation script by Coyle, who asked him to consider taking the role of Father Ralph O'Brien. Baumgartner said he enjoyed the script and agreed to the part.
Writer and director Patrick Coyle plays Steven Miller, one of Linda's clients. Many of the other minor roles were filled by local Minneapolis actors and community members. Greta Oglesby, who played the street-smart prostitute Miriam, and Isabell Monk O’Connor, who played a librarian who helps Father John, were both veterans of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul theater circuit. Ansa Akyea, who played pimp James St. Clair, and Amy Matthews, who played Father John's ex-girlfriend, were also from the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area.
. About a year before the film was released, Coyle asked Anne Marie Gillen to serve as executive producer
. Gillen said she had not responded to a script in such an emotional way since the 1991 drama film Fried Green Tomatoes
, which she also produced. Filming, which began in May 2008, took place entirely in Minneapolis. It included several scenes staged in the city's Uptown
commercial district, where Coyle lived.
In addition to his personal connections to the city, Coyle said filming took place in Minneapolis because it was relatively inexpensive to shoot there and hire local actors. He said, "Shooting in Uptown is a filmmaker's paradise. You've got everything here." Into Tempation was produced and shot on a very low budget of less than $1 million. Cinematography was provided by David Doyle, who made extensive use of the Red Digital Cinema Camera. The church scenes were filmed at the Incarnation Church in the city. Sisto and Chenoweth both attended mass services at the church as part of their research for the roles. Exterior car scenes were shot in the Uptown district. During one scene in particular, a police car with a siren passed by the actors during a shot. The actors continued uninterrupted, and the final shot was used in the film.
Coyle approached Russell Holsapple, a Minneapolis – Saint Paul native and relatively inexperienced composer, to create the score for Into Temptation. Holsapple was given only a few weeks to create the score, which was composed mostly of piano music. Holsapple said Coyle gave him a great deal of artistic freedom and was largely receptive to the themes he wrote. James R. Bakkom worked as production designer on the film, and Deborah Fiscus served as costume designer. Both are natives of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area. Vanessa Miles was set decorator, while Sarah Jean Kruchowski and Amy Hubbard both worked as art directors.
Lee Percy served as editor of the film. He said the final cuts provided to him already contained the actors' strongest performances, but that he placed a greater focus on Father John's character in an effort to "help the audience get inside him and connect emotionally". Percy was assisted by editor Scott Ferril. Patrick Coyle's father, Jim, followed production of the film closely, making weekly calls to inquire about it. When his father's health started to decline, Patrick Coyle "worked like hell" to finish the film quickly so his father could see it before he died. The film was finished in December 2008.
, but Coyle was displeased when industry officials wanted him to change the ending and make the sex scenes more risque. Due to complications from the financial crisis of 2007–2010, the Hollywood discussions eventually collapsed. It did not receive a national release, but played at theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, Fargo, North Dakota
, and several cities throughout Minnesota, including Minneapolis and Duluth
. Coyle first publicly showed the film on December 26, 2008, at the Omaha hospice where his father Jim was staying for an audience of about 15 people. Jim Coyle, who died a few weeks after the screening, loved the film, describing it as very powerful and truthful. It officially premiered on April 26, 2009, at the Newport Beach Film Festival
in Newport Beach, California
.
During its opening weekend at the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis, Into Temptation sold more tickets in three days than any other film during its debut weekend, and sold twice the tickets of such major studio films as Taking Woodstock
and Quentin Tarantino
's Inglorious Basterds. This resulted in an extended run and strong word-of-mouth that led to exhibitions in other cities. The film earned a total of $97,457 in gross revenue in the United States. The Into Temptation DVD was released on October 27, 2009, with no bonus features.
magazine writer Rob Nelson called it a well-photographed film of "occasionally irreverent wit", and that Coyle "strikes a near-perfect balance between humor and holiness". Nelson said the film "falters only in its hokey characterization" of the Chenoweth character. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune
called it a "haunting, carefully crafted movie" with simple "matter-of-fact" direction, a "trim and efficient" screenplay, strong acting and solid characters. Covert said, "This is one of very few American films to deal with religious beliefs about faith and salvation with empathy and insight." OC Weekly
writer Matt Coker said Into Temptation had a cohesive script which "strikes just the right cord of reverence for the Catholic faith". He also praised the moments of comic relief with Sisto and Baumgartner, which he said complimented some of the film's heavier moments. L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star
called Into Temptation a well-made film that "gets the mood right from start to finish". He complimented the performances and said although pornography and prostitution were familiar film topics, "the film's nuanced understanding of the priest and his conflicted role in trying to save Linda adds a new element to the old story."
Bob Fischbach of the Omaha World-Herald
called the cinematography sharp, the editing crisp, and the acting "uniformly good". He added, "Best of all, the writing is anchored in reality. Coyle lets his film show rather than tell, and lets viewers reach their own conclusions." Lavender
magazine writer John Townsend said the film conveyed compassionate views of Christianity and complimented the cinematography. Townsend particularly praised Baumgartner's performance and described the scenes between Sisto and a young boy troubled by his homosexual feelings (John Skelley) as "exquisite". Chelsa Doyle, a writer with the website Blogcritics
, called it "a touching and introspective film about faith, hope and choice". Doyle praised the film's quiet tone and the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, but said it "occasionally gets a little sleepy in the middle", and that the subplot involving Father John's ex-girlfriend could have been cut altogether. Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy praised the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, and complimented Coyle's understanding of the pastoral work of a parish priest. However, she added that the film "doesn't break ground as a story, even one about redemption". Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader called it a "cheesy melodrama", and wrote, "Writer-director Patrick Coyle tackles such weighty issues as child abuse, alcoholism, hypocrisy, celibacy, and Catholic reforms, but the movie's spiritual agenda is belied by its voyeurism."
Jeremy Sisto was awarded "Outstanding Achievement in Acting" from the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival awards.
The film takes a modern, liberal approach to the rules and constraints of Catholicism. Even before Father John decides to help Linda, he is questioning the constraints of his religion and calling. While speaking to a prospective mother struggling over whether to raise her daughter within the strict confines of Catholicism, Father John gives her advice beyond the official dogma and encourages her to be flexible, telling her she should "take what works" from the church teachings. Father John also has an unorthodox view of homosexuality compared to the normal views of the church. This is demonstrated in a scene in which the priest comforts a young man who is struggling with his homosexual feelings. In meeting and interacting with the pimps and prostitutes of the red-light district, Into Temptation blurs the lines between good and evil, and between right and wrong. The negative responses Father John encounters from congregants and the church regarding his trips to the red-light district demonstrate the way sex and poverty are often stigmatized in society.
As the title suggests, one of the major themes of the film involves the temptations Father John faces to sin and stray from his priestly calling. This is perhaps most strongly manifested in his apparent ambivalence regarding the vow of celibacy
required of Catholic priests. As Father John goes deeper into the red-light district and the seedier aspects of Minneapolis, he appears to face temptations from the prostitution and overt sexuality surrounding him. Additionally, it can be interpreted that his interest in Linda is one of physical attraction, as well as a desire to help her. This is further manifested through the sudden reappearance of his former girlfriend, for whom Father John admits to still harboring romantic feelings. The priest demonstrates conflicting emotions when it comes to maintaining his priestly vows and his relationship with Nadine.
Into Temptation is also a story of redemption, both for Linda, who is seeking redemption for a life of sin and prostitution, and for Father John, who is seeking redemption for his failure to help Linda and his own doubts about religion and priesthood. At the start of the film, Father John appears to be questioning his duty to the church and its dwindling congregation; this is especially demonstrated when he appears bored during confession and does crossword puzzles to pass the time. Such struggles are not uncommon in priesthood. But after he resists the church boundaries and attempts to help Linda, his faith in the congregation and belief in the profession are restored, and he returns to the church a stronger and more content priest. The film demonstrates the power of compassion and individual kindness, particularly in the way that John's simple act of defending Linda during her childhood was such a profound moment in her life. The film also advocates repentance, and the extent of Linda's victimization can be interpreted as a sign of how catastrophic an unrepentant life can be.
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. Sisto has had recurring roles as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order on television and also starred in the films Jesus, Clueless and Thirteen.-Early life:Sisto was born in Grass Valley, California, the...
, Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
, Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
, Bruce A. Young
Bruce A. Young
Bruce A. Young is an American television, film, and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Capt. Simon Banks in the UPN science fiction police drama The Sentinel. Young had roles in the films Risky Business, Jurassic Park III, The Color of Money, Basic Instinct, Into Temptation,...
and Amy Matthews. It tells the story of a prostitute (Chenoweth) who confesses to a Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
priest (Sisto) that she plans to kill herself on her birthday. The priest attempts to find and save her, and in doing so plunges himself into a darker side of society.
The film was partially inspired by Coyle's father, a kind but belligerent man who had considered becoming a priest in his early life. The script won the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship from the IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts. Into Temptation was filmed and set in Coyle's hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
. Several supporting roles were filled with actors from the Minneapolis – Saint Paul theater area, and Coyle himself performed in a supporting role.
It was produced by Ten Ten Films and Farnam Street II, and distributed by First Look International
First Look Studios
First Look Studios was an independent American film studio that specialized in home video releases of films and TV series. It purchased the Blockbuster subsidiary, DEJ Productions, in 2005...
. With a budget of less than $1 million, filming began in May 2008. Cinematography was provided by David Doyle, Russell Holsapple composed the score, and Lee Percy worked as editor. The film touches on themes of temptation, sin, good and evil, redemption and celibacy, as well as the boundaries between a priest providing counsel and getting personally involved with helping parishioners.
Into Temptation was optioned in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, but talks fell through due to complications from the global recession. The film did not receive a national release but played at theaters in several cities. Although first publicly shown for Coyle's father in December 2008, Into Temptation officially premiered on April 26, 2009, at the Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Newport Beach, California, that showcases more than 350 films to more than 30,000 attendees annually....
, where Sisto won the "Outstanding Achievement in Acting" award. The film received generally positive reviews. It was released on DVD on October 27, 2009.
Plot
Father John Buerlein (Jeremy SistoJeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. Sisto has had recurring roles as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order on television and also starred in the films Jesus, Clueless and Thirteen.-Early life:Sisto was born in Grass Valley, California, the...
) is the mild-mannered Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
priest of a small parish in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Overworked and underpaid, he has grown jaded with the profession and has trouble connecting with his parishioners. During confession, a mysterious and unnamed prostitute (Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
) confesses to a sin she has not yet committed: she plans to commit suicide on her birthday. Father John is taken aback. The confession ends abruptly, and he is unable to stop the woman before she disappears. He only knows she wears a crucifix and is an Aries
Aries (astrology)
Aries is the first astrological sign in the Zodiac, which spans the zodiac between the zero degree and the 29th degree of celestial longitude. The Sun enters Aries when it reaches the northern vernal equinox, which is usually on March 21 each year, and remains in this sign until around April 20...
, which means her birthday is soon. Father John grows obsessed with finding and helping this woman, and begins visiting the city's red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
with the hopes of finding her. On his way home, Father John meets a homeless man named Gus (Gene Larche), but with no money for him, he gives him a rosary
Rosary
The rosary or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion. The term denotes the prayer beads used to count the series of prayers that make up the rosary...
instead. Later, he seeks counsel from his friend Father Ralph O'Brien (Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner is an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor, best known for playing Kevin Malone on The Office.-Personal life:...
), who advises him not to become too personally involved.
Father John returns to the red-light district and speaks to a prostitute named Miriam (Greta Oglesby), who suggests a powerful pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
named James St. Clair (Ansa Akyea) might know about the woman. As they speak in a bar, the mysterious prostitute enters and solicits a john (Patrick Coyle), who leaves with her immediately. As she goes, Father John catches a glimpse of the crucifix she is wearing and tries to chase her down. She leaves in the john's car before he can catch them, but he writes down the license plate as they drive off. Back at church, his sermons start to grow more unorthodox, and Father Ralph warns him that his unusual church manner and trips to the red-light district have the archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
concerned. Meanwhile, Father John is contacted by his ex-girlfriend Nadine Brennan (Amy Matthews), who tells him she is divorcing her husband and still harbors romantic feelings for Father John.
Father John learns the john's car belongs to an accountant named Steven Miller, who tells Father John the prostitute is Linda, an expensive call girl who is widely considered among the best at her profession. Meanwhile, Linda visits her dying, elderly stepfather Donald Dupree (Tom Carey), who repeatedly raped Linda in her childhood and ultimately set her on the path to prostitution. Linda confronts him about their past, but claims she has forgiven him his sins, even though he continues to deny any wrongdoing. A drunk Nadine goes to talk to Father John in confession about her loneliness and feelings for him. He admits to caring for her as well, but they agree to remain friends. Later, Father John hires Lloyd Montag (Bruce A. Young
Bruce A. Young
Bruce A. Young is an American television, film, and stage actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Capt. Simon Banks in the UPN science fiction police drama The Sentinel. Young had roles in the films Risky Business, Jurassic Park III, The Color of Money, Basic Instinct, Into Temptation,...
), an unemployed boxer at his church, to serve as his bodyguard as he talks to St. Clair. The pimp, who knows Lloyd from his boxing days, tells Father John what neighborhood Linda lives in. There, Father John and Lloyd find Zeke (Tony Papenfuss
Tony Papenfuss
Tony Papenfuss is an American television and film actor.Papenfuss is best known for his role as one of the brothers Darryl on Newhart. He reprised this role as a guest-star on an episode of Coach...
), a taxi driver who knows they are looking for Linda and agrees to take them to her apartment. Zeke explains he had driven her to the church when she first spoke to Father John at confession, and Zeke later visited the church to watch Father John preach.
At the apartment, Father John and Lloyd find Linda has moved out, but they discover she had possessed a 12-year-old newspaper clipping about Father John's ordination. Father John offers Lloyd a job helping out at the church, which Lloyd accepts. Father John then returns to his church and cries, fearing he is too late to save Linda. Meanwhile, Linda goes to a bridge and is about to jump off when she encounters Gus, who offers her the rosary he received earlier from Father John. A grateful and emotional Linda hugs Gus. It is not revealed whether she commits suicide or not. In a confession to Father Ralph, Father John expresses guilt he did not absolve Linda before her confession abruptly ended. Father Ralph says that even if Linda is dead, her soul is immortal, and that Father John's penance is to absolve her now. Father John does so. The film ends with a childhood memory of young Linda at church, where a group of boys laugh at her old torn clothes until she is defended by a young John Buerlein, whose act seems to make a strong positive impact upon her.
Writing
Into Temptation marks the second film by independent filmmaker Patrick Coyle, who wrote and directed the 2003 drama film Detective Fiction. Coyle said Into Temptation was partially inspired by his father, James Patrick Coyle, a kind but belligerent man who had been encouraged by his mother to become a priest. James entered seminary but dropped out before ordination after he was drafted into serving overseas in World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and met Margaret Mary Quinlan, who would become his wife and Patrick Coyle's mother. Coyle conceived of the script for Into Temptation while imagining what kind of priest his father would have been. His father strongly approved of the project, and told Coyle, "Go make that movie. And tell the truth." Coyle was also partially inspired by his childhood pastor and friend, the Reverend Damian Zuerlein, who performed the marriage ceremony for Coyle and his wife and baptized their children. Coyle said of him, "He's just a young, energetic, competent, committed, devoted man working with a poor parish. And he loves his work. I was inspired by that." Coyle said when writing Into Temptation, he did not intend to make a religious film, and said of protagonist Father John Buerlein, "The character could have been a minister or a rabbi or a public defender. He's a good man trying to do a job the best he can."
Ann Luster, the film's producer, helped with the script from the earliest stages, and claimed she and Coyle had a deep understanding of how to handle the characters from the start. The film was set in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Coyle lived and worked as a writer and actor at the time. The fictional church in the story, St. Mary Magdalen's Downtown Catholic Church, is based in part on the St. Mary Magdalene church in Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, where Coyle was raised. However, the real-life church was also very different from the fictional church in that it lacked a shelter and drew very large congregations for weekend mass
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
, compared to the half-empty pews in the fictional church. The fictional church is also based in part on Our Lady of Guadalupe, another Catholic church in south Omaha. The Into Temptation script won the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship from IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts, and investors were sought through public readings. After reading the script, Patrick Coyle's wife said, "If you get a good Father John, you'll have a good movie."
Casting
Jeremy Sisto said he was drawn to the script, and was excited to take on a different project than his regular role of Detective Cyrus LupoCyrus Lupo
Det. Cyrus "Lupes" Lupo is a fictional character on the long-running NBC series Law & Order, played by Jeremy Sisto. He replaced Nina Cassady, who was written out of the show due to Milena Govich's departure from the cast.-Character development:...
on the NBC crime drama series Law & Order
Law & Order
Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
. Sisto said of working on the show, "For nine months we basically do the same episode over and over. This [Into Tempation script] came out of nowhere." Sisto said of working on Into Temptation: "Having just come off a job where there is little room to find true moments and to create a full character, I felt this respite from the task of trying to force a space where I could express something more personal through my job was no less than a creative life saver."
Coyle cold called
Cold calling
Cold calling is the marketing process of approaching prospective customers or clients, typically via telephone, who were not expecting such an interaction...
Kristin Chenoweth's agent and proposed the part, which is different from her usual roles, and her agent said it was the exact part the actress was seeking. In order to film Into Temptation, Chenoweth took a five-day hiatus from her supporting role on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies
Pushing Daisies is an American comedy-drama television series created by Bryan Fuller that aired on ABC from October 3, 2007 to June 13, 2009. The series stars Lee Pace as Ned, a pie-maker with the ability to bring dead things back to life with his touch, an ability that comes with stipulations...
. Brian Baumgartner, best known for his supporting role as Kevin Malone
Kevin Malone
Kevin Jaye Malone is a character in the United States television series The Office. He is played by Brian Baumgartner. Kevin's counterpart in the UK series is Keith Bishop.-Biography:...
in the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
comedy series The Office, was a regular theater performer in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area before joining that show. While visiting New York City in May 2008 for an Upfront
Upfront
In the North American television industry, an upfront is a meeting hosted at the start of important advertising sales periods by television network executives, attended by the press and major advertisers...
presentation, shortly after having finished filming the fourth season
The Office (U.S. TV series) season 4
The fourth season of the American television comedy The Office premiered in the United States on NBC on September 27, 2007, and concluded on May 15, 2008. The season consisted of 9 half-hour episodes, and 5 hour-long episodes to comprise the 19 total episodes of material created...
of The Office, Baumgartner was offered the Into Temptation script by Coyle, who asked him to consider taking the role of Father Ralph O'Brien. Baumgartner said he enjoyed the script and agreed to the part.
Writer and director Patrick Coyle plays Steven Miller, one of Linda's clients. Many of the other minor roles were filled by local Minneapolis actors and community members. Greta Oglesby, who played the street-smart prostitute Miriam, and Isabell Monk O’Connor, who played a librarian who helps Father John, were both veterans of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul theater circuit. Ansa Akyea, who played pimp James St. Clair, and Amy Matthews, who played Father John's ex-girlfriend, were also from the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area.
Filming
Into Temptation was produced by Coyle's production company, Ten Ten Films, and the company Farnam Street II, in association with Cabin 14 Productions. It was distributed by First Look InternationalFirst Look Studios
First Look Studios was an independent American film studio that specialized in home video releases of films and TV series. It purchased the Blockbuster subsidiary, DEJ Productions, in 2005...
. About a year before the film was released, Coyle asked Anne Marie Gillen to serve as executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
. Gillen said she had not responded to a script in such an emotional way since the 1991 drama film Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes (film)
Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg. It was released in the UK under the novel's full title. Directed by Jon Avnet and written by Fannie Flagg and Carol Sobieski, it stars Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy,...
, which she also produced. Filming, which began in May 2008, took place entirely in Minneapolis. It included several scenes staged in the city's Uptown
Uptown, Minneapolis
Uptown is a popular commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis, Minnesota, centered at the Uptown Theater at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, ECCO, CARAG and East Isles neighborhoods, within...
commercial district, where Coyle lived.
In addition to his personal connections to the city, Coyle said filming took place in Minneapolis because it was relatively inexpensive to shoot there and hire local actors. He said, "Shooting in Uptown is a filmmaker's paradise. You've got everything here." Into Tempation was produced and shot on a very low budget of less than $1 million. Cinematography was provided by David Doyle, who made extensive use of the Red Digital Cinema Camera. The church scenes were filmed at the Incarnation Church in the city. Sisto and Chenoweth both attended mass services at the church as part of their research for the roles. Exterior car scenes were shot in the Uptown district. During one scene in particular, a police car with a siren passed by the actors during a shot. The actors continued uninterrupted, and the final shot was used in the film.
Coyle approached Russell Holsapple, a Minneapolis – Saint Paul native and relatively inexperienced composer, to create the score for Into Temptation. Holsapple was given only a few weeks to create the score, which was composed mostly of piano music. Holsapple said Coyle gave him a great deal of artistic freedom and was largely receptive to the themes he wrote. James R. Bakkom worked as production designer on the film, and Deborah Fiscus served as costume designer. Both are natives of the Minneapolis – Saint Paul area. Vanessa Miles was set decorator, while Sarah Jean Kruchowski and Amy Hubbard both worked as art directors.
Lee Percy served as editor of the film. He said the final cuts provided to him already contained the actors' strongest performances, but that he placed a greater focus on Father John's character in an effort to "help the audience get inside him and connect emotionally". Percy was assisted by editor Scott Ferril. Patrick Coyle's father, Jim, followed production of the film closely, making weekly calls to inquire about it. When his father's health started to decline, Patrick Coyle "worked like hell" to finish the film quickly so his father could see it before he died. The film was finished in December 2008.
Distribution
Into Temptation was optioned in HollywoodHollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, but Coyle was displeased when industry officials wanted him to change the ending and make the sex scenes more risque. Due to complications from the financial crisis of 2007–2010, the Hollywood discussions eventually collapsed. It did not receive a national release, but played at theaters in New York City, Los Angeles, Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo, North Dakota
Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
, and several cities throughout Minnesota, including Minneapolis and Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
. Coyle first publicly showed the film on December 26, 2008, at the Omaha hospice where his father Jim was staying for an audience of about 15 people. Jim Coyle, who died a few weeks after the screening, loved the film, describing it as very powerful and truthful. It officially premiered on April 26, 2009, at the Newport Beach Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival is a film festival in the United States held in Newport Beach, California, that showcases more than 350 films to more than 30,000 attendees annually....
in Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, California
Newport Beach, incorporated in 1906, is a city in Orange County, California, south of downtown Santa Ana. The population was 85,186 at the 2010 census.The city's median family income and property values consistently place high in national rankings...
.
During its opening weekend at the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis, Into Temptation sold more tickets in three days than any other film during its debut weekend, and sold twice the tickets of such major studio films as Taking Woodstock
Taking Woodstock
Taking Woodstock is a 2009 American comedy-drama film about the Woodstock Festival of 1969, directed by Ang Lee. The screenplay by James Schamus is based on the memoir Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life by Elliot Tiber and Tom Monte.The film premiered at the 2009 Cannes...
and Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Inglorious Basterds. This resulted in an extended run and strong word-of-mouth that led to exhibitions in other cities. The film earned a total of $97,457 in gross revenue in the United States. The Into Temptation DVD was released on October 27, 2009, with no bonus features.
Critical response
Into Temptation received generally positive reviews. VarietyVariety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine writer Rob Nelson called it a well-photographed film of "occasionally irreverent wit", and that Coyle "strikes a near-perfect balance between humor and holiness". Nelson said the film "falters only in its hokey characterization" of the Chenoweth character. Colin Covert of the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
called it a "haunting, carefully crafted movie" with simple "matter-of-fact" direction, a "trim and efficient" screenplay, strong acting and solid characters. Covert said, "This is one of very few American films to deal with religious beliefs about faith and salvation with empathy and insight." OC Weekly
OC Weekly
OC Weekly, a sister publication of both LA Weekly and The Village Voice, is a free, left-wing weekly paper distributed in Orange County, California and also in Long Beach....
writer Matt Coker said Into Temptation had a cohesive script which "strikes just the right cord of reverence for the Catholic faith". He also praised the moments of comic relief with Sisto and Baumgartner, which he said complimented some of the film's heavier moments. L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star
Lincoln Journal Star
The Lincoln Journal Star is Lincoln, Nebraska's major daily newspaper. Owned by Lee Enterprises, the Journal Star was created by the 1995 merger of Lincoln's morning newspaper and its evening newspaper The Lincoln Journal Star is Lincoln, Nebraska's major daily newspaper. Owned by Lee...
called Into Temptation a well-made film that "gets the mood right from start to finish". He complimented the performances and said although pornography and prostitution were familiar film topics, "the film's nuanced understanding of the priest and his conflicted role in trying to save Linda adds a new element to the old story."
Bob Fischbach of the Omaha World-Herald
Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
called the cinematography sharp, the editing crisp, and the acting "uniformly good". He added, "Best of all, the writing is anchored in reality. Coyle lets his film show rather than tell, and lets viewers reach their own conclusions." Lavender
Lavender (magazine)
Lavender Magazine is a biweekly magazine, part of Lavender Media, published in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. It is distributed free of charge in the Twin Cites of Minneapolis and St...
magazine writer John Townsend said the film conveyed compassionate views of Christianity and complimented the cinematography. Townsend particularly praised Baumgartner's performance and described the scenes between Sisto and a young boy troubled by his homosexual feelings (John Skelley) as "exquisite". Chelsa Doyle, a writer with the website Blogcritics
Blogcritics
Blogcritics is a blog network and online magazine of news and opinion. The site—a self-proclaimed "sinister cabal of superior writers"—was founded in 2002 by Eric Olsen and Phillip Winn...
, called it "a touching and introspective film about faith, hope and choice". Doyle praised the film's quiet tone and the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, but said it "occasionally gets a little sleepy in the middle", and that the subplot involving Father John's ex-girlfriend could have been cut altogether. Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy praised the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, and complimented Coyle's understanding of the pastoral work of a parish priest. However, she added that the film "doesn't break ground as a story, even one about redemption". Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader called it a "cheesy melodrama", and wrote, "Writer-director Patrick Coyle tackles such weighty issues as child abuse, alcoholism, hypocrisy, celibacy, and Catholic reforms, but the movie's spiritual agenda is belied by its voyeurism."
Jeremy Sisto was awarded "Outstanding Achievement in Acting" from the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival awards.
Themes
Throughout the film, Father John is warned that his role as a priest comes with boundaries, and that he should not become personally involved with the congregants or try to solve their problems except through counseling. However, Father John begins to question those boundaries and reconsider whether the role as priest goes far enough in having a positive, substantive impact on the lives of those in his care, particularly Linda. And, in addition to questioning whether he is helping his congregants, Father John questions whether staying within those boundaries is enough to personally fulfill himself as a priest and provide his own life with meaning. He ultimately crosses over those boundaries and gets personally involved in trying to help Linda by delving into the city's red-light district to seek her.The film takes a modern, liberal approach to the rules and constraints of Catholicism. Even before Father John decides to help Linda, he is questioning the constraints of his religion and calling. While speaking to a prospective mother struggling over whether to raise her daughter within the strict confines of Catholicism, Father John gives her advice beyond the official dogma and encourages her to be flexible, telling her she should "take what works" from the church teachings. Father John also has an unorthodox view of homosexuality compared to the normal views of the church. This is demonstrated in a scene in which the priest comforts a young man who is struggling with his homosexual feelings. In meeting and interacting with the pimps and prostitutes of the red-light district, Into Temptation blurs the lines between good and evil, and between right and wrong. The negative responses Father John encounters from congregants and the church regarding his trips to the red-light district demonstrate the way sex and poverty are often stigmatized in society.
As the title suggests, one of the major themes of the film involves the temptations Father John faces to sin and stray from his priestly calling. This is perhaps most strongly manifested in his apparent ambivalence regarding the vow of celibacy
Clerical celibacy
Clerical celibacy is the discipline by which some or all members of the clergy in certain religions are required to be unmarried. Since these religions consider deliberate sexual thoughts, feelings, and behavior outside of marriage to be sinful, clerical celibacy also requires abstension from these...
required of Catholic priests. As Father John goes deeper into the red-light district and the seedier aspects of Minneapolis, he appears to face temptations from the prostitution and overt sexuality surrounding him. Additionally, it can be interpreted that his interest in Linda is one of physical attraction, as well as a desire to help her. This is further manifested through the sudden reappearance of his former girlfriend, for whom Father John admits to still harboring romantic feelings. The priest demonstrates conflicting emotions when it comes to maintaining his priestly vows and his relationship with Nadine.
Into Temptation is also a story of redemption, both for Linda, who is seeking redemption for a life of sin and prostitution, and for Father John, who is seeking redemption for his failure to help Linda and his own doubts about religion and priesthood. At the start of the film, Father John appears to be questioning his duty to the church and its dwindling congregation; this is especially demonstrated when he appears bored during confession and does crossword puzzles to pass the time. Such struggles are not uncommon in priesthood. But after he resists the church boundaries and attempts to help Linda, his faith in the congregation and belief in the profession are restored, and he returns to the church a stronger and more content priest. The film demonstrates the power of compassion and individual kindness, particularly in the way that John's simple act of defending Linda during her childhood was such a profound moment in her life. The film also advocates repentance, and the extent of Linda's victimization can be interpreted as a sign of how catastrophic an unrepentant life can be.