Vivificat! on CBS' Pope John Paul II

Teofilo of Vivificat! opines on CBS' recent two-part biopic of Pope John Paul the Great. In a word: he loved it!

So far, this is the only biopic that has respected the order of events in Pope John Paul's life. There was good attention to detail: the conclave scene is faithful down in terms of place and ceremony. You may clearly see the cardinals' seats in the Sistine Chapel, as well as the three-cardinal committee that counted the ballots, everything, including the cry of extra omnes ("everyone out") preceding the start of the election, was authentic. The ABC's biopic that aired last Thursday rendition of the same moment seemed oversimplified and rushed in comparison.

The real strength of the movie lies in its cast. Cary Elwes played the younger Karol Wojtyla in the movie's first part and I have to say that at times, and from certain angles, he closely resembled the young Wojtyla. But the thing I liked the most is that he projected an inner joy and peace that was captivating. Wojtyla was no sourpuss and Elwes "got it right."

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For John Voight, this was an Emmy-worthy performance. It helped that Voight resembled the Pope physically, sharing the same square, strong jaw as John Paul. The way Voight captured Pope John Paul's accent and baritone voice was at times pretty scary, so much so that I wonder how much of his lines were lip-synched to existing audio tracks of the late Pope. Voight's countenance when he opened the Holy Doors for the Year 2000 Jubilee so uncannily resembled John Paul's that I had to blink a couple of times to ensure that I was watching Voight and not John Paul. Therefore, kudos and congrats go too to CBS's makeup department for such an outstanding job. Maybe there's an Emmy here for them too.

Voight captured John Paul's physical suffering so much so that it was inspiring. I bet that is not easy to capture a face paralyzed by Parkinson's disease, but Voight did it, down to the trickle of saliva off the side of his mouth at the reenactment of the Pope's last public appearance.

Teofilo, I agree with every word. You expressed brilliantly the joy I experienced in seeing this mini-series. I give CBS kudos for producing and showing such a faithful rendition of our late Holy Father's life. Considering this is the same CBS that produced a hatchet-job on Ronald Reagan a mere two years or so before, I can say only this: You've come a long way, baby!

My only critique is that the series was too short. This biopic could easily have lasted three or even four nights. Trying to consisely summarize Pope John Paul the Great's life in four hours minus commercials must be daunting. At times, the film seemed choppy and uneven. Otherwise, I stand by everything Teofilo said.