MovieChat Forums > Philomena (2013) Discussion > Her ability to forgive ruined the whole ...

Her ability to forgive ruined the whole movie for me.

posted 8 years ago by The_Monad
7 replies | jump to latest

I can't get behind that.
I understand not wanting to waste your energy on hate, or not wanting to be a miserable cynic, but that stupid old nun did not deserve anyone's forgiveness.

[–] The_Monad 8 years ago

I just realized maybe they're trying to show she's more like Jesus than anyone else in the movie, forgiveness, turning the other cheek. It just makes me mad.

[–] mn_aqua 8 years ago

@The Monad:
I completely agree.
I call it misplaced moralism, for it is very unrealistic (and even inhumane) to not be angry at what these nuns did to ones own child.

[–] clarkartist 7 years ago

This type of forgiveness does happen. Just look at the Charleston Church Shooting. Family members of the victims had forgiven the young white supremacist for shooting their loved ones so to say it's "unrealistic" is incorrect.

[–] gobears87 7 years ago

This type of forgiveness does happen. Just look at the Charleston Church Shooting. Family members of the victims had forgiven the young white supremacist for shooting their loved ones so to say it's "unrealistic" is incorrect.

Excellent example, clarkartist.

[–] allianz90 8 years ago

I agree The_Monad.

Letting these 'evil nuns' (to quote the movie) think their immoral actions were okay made me sick.

[–] gobears87 7 years ago

I understand not wanting to waste your energy on hate, or not wanting to be a miserable cynic, but that stupid old nun did not deserve anyone's forgiveness.

You've almost got it. Philomena forgiving Hildegaarde is not really for or about Hildegaarde. The beneficiary of Philomena's forgiveness is primarily Philomena herself. As you suggested, she does not want to waste her life on hatred. (How Hildegaarde opts to respond to Philomena's forgiveness is a separate issue, and is up to Hildegaarde to wrestle with.)

Hildegaarde does not appear to "deserve" forgiveness in any ordinary human sense. But Jesus said, "Be merciful, as I have been merciful to you." Mercy means giving someone favor which they don't deserve. As you suggested in a subsequent post, this scene shows that Philomena is the most authentic Christian of the whole lot.

[–] mark.waltz 7 years ago

gobears87, you are very right. I don't understand the inability to forgive even under the worst of transgressions. I have been done wrong by trusted people in my life, and the only way to move on and loose the poison of resentment is to forgive. The old nun was stuck in the old ways of the church which she believed in her heart to be justified. Philomena needed that conclusion. It's up to God whom to bring home and who to leave in whatever abyss lies for those whom he doesn't, but that's for Hod to decide. My life is happier and clearer because through prayer, God gave me the ability to forgive. I couldn't do it without him. I'll never forget, though, in catacism being forced to do the sign of the cross over and over again by a nun who saw me do it incorrectly, grabbed my hand, and forcibly made to do it right. This nun really reminded me of that one, but fortunately, a good majority of the nuns I've met are quite different than the old school cruel nuns I once dreampt were the witch in "The Wizard of Oz".

"Great theater makes you smile. Outstanding theater may make you weep."