TV MovieThrillerDramaRomanceMystery

Broken Vows

- A priest who falls in love and doubts his beliefs and needs time to understand how he really feels.

When Father Joseph Hennessey visits the home of one of his parishioners to offer last rights,he becomes embroiled in a plot which ultimately shakes his faith to its very foundation. Intrigued by the dying man's mention of "Nim," and fascinated by the man's saintly demeanor, Father Joseph's curiosity is redoubled when a beautiful young woman enters his church to question the young priest about the deceased man. Father Joseph and the woman, whom he discovers to be the "Nim" in question, embark upon an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the man's death.

Release Date : 1987-01-28

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : RHI EntertainmentBrademan Self Productions

Production Country : CanadaUnited States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Pater Joseph McMahon

Original Name : Tommy Lee Jones

Gender : Male

Character Name : Nana Marie 'Nim' Fitzpatrick

Original Name : Annette O'Toole

Gender : Female

Character Name : Detective Mulligan

Original Name : M. Emmet Walsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Monsignor Casey

Original Name : Milo O’Shea

Gender : Male

Character Name : Michael Drumm

Original Name : David Groh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Chase

Original Name : Madeleine Sherwood

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gene Drumm

Original Name : Jean De Baer

Gender : Female

Character Name : Stuart Chase

Original Name : David Strathairn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maureen Phelan

Original Name : Frances Fisher

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dan Phelan

Original Name : Peter Crombie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carlos

Original Name : Anthony LaGuerre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Lalor

Original Name : Sylvia Short

Gender : Female

Character Name : Father Purdy

Original Name : Richard Dumont

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy in Confession

Original Name : Andrew Nichols

Gender : Male

Character Name : Conductor

Original Name : Joseph Drblik

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy in Line

Original Name : Mark Kulik

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2024-05-09

**_Big city drama (with Tommy Lee Jones and Annette O'Toole) tackles the hard issues_** In a dubious neighborhood in Manhattan, a Catholic priest (Jones) starts to question his occupation after talking with a dying man (David Strathairn) and meeting the woman in whom the victim was once involved (Annette). M. Emmet Walsh is on hand as a know-it-all detective. I guess “Broken Vows” (1987) is technically a television production helmed by a proven TV director (Jud Taylor) and this can be observed in the wooden delivery of the characters’ dialogues (like they just learned their lines the night before). Once you get past that issue, however, this ranks with Tommy Lee’s best movies, just don’t expect the action thrills of “The Fugitive.” Rather, it has ‘thrills’ in the sense of real-life drama, which can be more compelling than overkill action if done effectively, at least for the mature-minded. Annette was still in her prime at 34 years-old during shooting and so was Frances Fisher, who has a smaller part as Maureen. Meanwhile Jones was 40. I also appreciated the unexpected depiction of artists and their studios in the big city. I had a couple of friends in this uncertain line of work; one was my best friend at the time and his studio looked very similar to Stuart Chase’s in the movie, aka Amil. The film works on three fronts: There’s the murder mystery, there’s McMahon’s struggles with the usefulness of his profession and the Catholic sect in general, and, lastly, the relationship of the two protagonists. As my title blurb suggests, the flick commendably addresses the good, the bad and the ugly of life’s blessings & curses and everything in between. The lowkey route is taken and the movie's the better for it. For instance, we sense what's going on underneath the surface, but it's not spelled out. Lesser flicks require a passionate sex scene to 'wow' the viewer whereas this one opts for a revelatory statement or the simple clasping & kissing of hands. It runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Montréal, Québec. GRADE: B+