Entertaining Angels

Dorothy Day is no saint. She lives hard, makes mistakes, endures the consequences. But the unquenchable fire burning within her cannot be contained. Dorothy wants to make a difference. During the Depression, she vows to house the homeless, feed the hungry, tend the sick. Easily said. Not easily done when her total finances amount to 97 cents in a battered canister. Yet Dorothy persists, walking on frequently stormy waters of faith.

Popular stars and important themes combine in this compelling true story of the "American Mother Teresa," filmed by Paulist Pictures (Romero) from a script by ER writer and executive producer John Wells. Moira Kelly plays Day, the impassioned New York journalist who launched the activist newspaper "Catholic Worker" and put the words she wrote into controversial action. Martin Sheen, Melinda Dillon and Brian Keith join Kelly in this moving saga of a faith not just believed, but lived.

RATED PG-13 for a range of thematic elements, some sexuality and brief language.

DVD FEATURES:
Languages: English and Spanish tracks available
Subtitles- English
Viewing Format: Full-screen
Sound: Stereo, Dolby Surround
Bonus Material:
-Movie trailer, actor commentaries and biographies
-Study guide available in pdf format on the DVD or from our website
Chapter titles provided for easy scene access

The Power of Service

I watched this video with a group of high youth, the response was amazing. Many expressed openly their concerns of the poor and their compassion was evidant. Social Justice is a ministry that usually gets attention during the holidays - we can change that. I recommend this video to all teachers working with youth - help shift the focus from materialism. July 5, 2008

Great film

This film documents the life of Dorothy Day from her early bohemian years in New York and later conversion to Catholicism. It provides insight into the inner dynamics that led to her later transformation, along with her passion, and her angst, to impact social justice on behalf of the marginalized and poor. Dorothy Day was a driven women, and the film sheds insight on the praxis of Day and the organization she founded: The Catholic Worker Movement. Worth watching. September 3, 2007

Listening to God & Doing His Will

I had only briefly read of Dorothy Day and didn't really know much about her before I watched this movie. Moira Kelly is very believable in her role as Dorothy, and I think the movie does a good job of portraying her life. In a very touching scene Dorothy says to God, "You really sneak up on a person, don't you?" This is so true. Sometimes when we least expect Him.

"The film's description says "Dorothy Day is no saint." I'm not sure if that's true. Saints are not perfect, only God is. In one scene Dorothy says, "I don't think God will judge us on how successful we are at changing the world. I do think He will judge us on how faithful we are?" She certainly was faithful.

Having recently watched a movie about Mother Teresa and the poverty in India, I was somewhat surprised to see just how bad things once were in our own country. Dorothy, like Mother Teresa, was open to God's words to her. She, like all of us, had times when she felt God had deserted her. Her words: "Where are you? Why don't you answer me? I need you!" have certainly been mine own at times.

February 12, 2007

A Change of Heart

I saw this film when it was originally released. At the time, I was not as impressed with it as I had been with "Romero" another film produced? by the late Paulist Father Bud Kaiser. I reluctantly used this movie in a recent adult religious education series in our parish entitled "American Catholics", after not finding a filmed interview with Dorothy Day I had seen years before. The participants in the evening were taken with the story, especially as they are reading Day's "The Long Loneliness" as part of the series. After viewing the film for the first time in ten? or more years, I found my opinion had mellowed. It presents a portrait of Dorothy Day which is compelling, entertaining and quite useful as a means to introduce contemporary Catholics to this most fascinating and perhaps most influential American Catholic in the last 100 years.

While not a blockbuster hollywood extravaganza, by comparison it certainly falls into the top notch "tv movie" genre and well worth a viewing. February 11, 2007

Rich with insights

I'm not sure how this would be rated by "Hollywood" standards -- and I don't care. This film gives insights into struggle for identity and self-worth, holiness of ordinary people, mission of the Christians and mission of the Church through the beauty of a very human person who became very Christian. I used this with my class of sophomores: they were intrigued and easily "got the message." Most importantly, they found a genuine role model in Dorothy Day. January 12, 2007

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