Twist of Faith (2004)

100% of critics liked it
(21 reviews)
63% of users liked it
(751 ratings)

A man must reconcile his religion with a need for justice and closure in this documentary. Tony Comes was a firefighter living in Toledo, OH, with his wife and children. While Comes was a solid family man and had the respect of his fellow firemen, he was hiding a secret that had been haunting him… More A man must reconcile his religion with a need for justice and closure in this documentary. Tony Comes was a firefighter living in Toledo, OH, with his wife and children. While Comes was a solid family man and had the respect of his fellow firemen, he was hiding a secret that had been haunting him for almost 20 years -- when he was 14 years old, Comes was sexually abused by a Catholic priest, an event that left him with emotional scars that were slow to heal. In 2002, as stories of child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic clergy were appearing in newspapers across the country, Comes decided it was time to take action. Comes met with the bishop in his parish and told him of the incident, but he soon discovered that he was not being told the truth about what was being done to prevent the priest from molesting other children. Seeing little alternative and concerned about the safety of others, Comes filed a lawsuit against the parish. Twist of Faith is a documentary that follows Comes as he deals with his inner turmoil and the often uncharitable reactions of others as he attempts to bring his abuser to justice, while maintaining his sincere faith in God and his loyalty to the Catholic Church. Produced for the premium cable network HBO, Twist of Faith was nominated for Best Documentary Feature honors at the 2005 Academy Awards. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Kirby Dick
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Aug 20, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Feb 21, 2006
Studio: Artistic License

Critic Reviews

Shawn Hubler, Los Angeles Times
It's a demanding film but one filled with important truths about humanity in all its denominations.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Kirby Dick's damning, Oscar- nominated documentary, Twist of Fate, puts a face on the clerical sex scandals rocking the Roman Catholic Church.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Abuses of power are all the more shocking when the betrayers are expected to be figures of moral integrity.
Gene Seymour, Newsday
The child-abuse scandals that rocked the Catholic Church are brought to painfully intimate terms in this engrossing, unnerving documentary.
Ben Kenigsberg, Village Voice
Kirby Dick (Derrida) shapes the movie in such a way as to leave everyone flummoxed.
Dennis Harvey, Variety
A powerful and damning look at the long-term impact of sexual abuse, as well as the less-than-exemplary response of Catholic Church officials to allegations of priestly molestation.
Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card
Now 34, Tony opens his soul-searching, his home, his private moments with family & children so that the world can see the consequences of those that prey from the pulpit.
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times
Dick's film puts a human face on a churchwide scandal that sometimes seems too big to comprehend.
Timothy Knight, Reel.com
A remarkable portrait of a courageous man's efforts to put his life back together.
Ron Stringer, L.A. Weekly
The pain and the contradictions and the ironies are manifold, and Dick...does justice to all.
Phil Villarreal, Arizona Daily Star
The film is difficult to watch but illuminating as a piece of hard, spare journalism.
Jonathan W. Hickman, Entertainment Insiders
There are scenes in this movie that moved me to tears, it is impossible not to be taken in by Tony's plight.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Like so many true stories, Comes' lacks the clarity and comforting resolution of fiction; it's a morass of accusations and denials that taints and poisons everyone involved.
Mark Athitakis, Filmcritic.com
makes a convincing case that suffering in silence would have been much worse

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Alec B

It works as a companion to the horrifying documentary 'Deliver Us From Evil'. That film, while it dealt with the emotional toll it took on families and their personal rage at those responsible, was more about the environment in the Catholic Church that allowed this type of… More
It works as a companion to the horrifying documentary 'Deliver Us From Evil'. That film, while it dealt with the emotional toll it took on families and their personal rage at those responsible, was more about the environment in the Catholic Church that allowed this type of rampant abuse to occur and remain secret for so long. 'Twist of Faith' is entirely about the personal cost of sexual abuse on the victims. It never goes away, and its arguable that it may never really get better. The toll it takes on this mans family life, his sexual relationship with his wife, his interaction with other people, his religious faith, and every day moments is astronomical. Director Kirby Dick wisely keeps the focus on the people and lets them talk and tell the story. Its unbelievably sad and infuriating that this Priest could destroy so many lives . . . and not just those he abused but the loved ones of the victims as well.

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