A while ago, I was listening to an interview with Ellen Burstyn on NPR, and one of the callers commented how much they loved her film 'Resurrection'. This was a movie that completely slipped by my radar at the time, and I kept it in mind as a film I'd like to take a look at someday when I got the chance. Well, I got the chance last night when I found it on the 'on demand' lineup of our local cable company, and I'm glad I did.
Now, normally this is not the sort of picture I'd go out of my way to see, the subject matter didn't really appeal to me on the surface (near death experiences, supernatural healing powers, religious overtones), but once I relaxed into it, the film really moved me on many levels.
Burstyn's character deals with a unique situation with intelligence and open-mindedness which really puts the audience in her corner, as she acts with a sort of selflessness and true compasion for others. Meanwhile, the scientists want to observe and study and try to measure and quantify her healing gift, the fundamentalist bible-thumpers want her to conform to their narrow agendas. I really liked one line delivered by the main characters' grandmother: "If we only loved each other as much as we say we love 'Him', the world would be a much better place"
I did a little reading afterwards about the film, and apparently there is a lot of things that Ellen Burstyn was dealing with on the picture that she was dealing with in her personal life (death of a husband, estrangement from her father). She gives a very moving performance, probably better than her more celebrated roles (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, The Exorcist). Good supporting work also by a young Sam Shepard and an inspiring Richard Farnsworth, in a small but pivotal role.