The True Story Behind 'The Rite'

Since the "The Rite" was released on January 28, 2011, it took the top box office draw for its premiere weekend. Anthony Hopkins' performance as Father Lucas is already creating Oscar buzz for this year as well. It's also been a bit controversial, as the spiritual thriller claims to be based on a true story.

The screenplay was written by Matt Baglio and Michael Petroni and was based on Baglio's 2009 book, "The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist."

As a part of researching exorcism for a book he had planned on the topic, Matt Baglio, who lives in Rome, went to a seminar on exorcism that was held by the Vatican at the Regina Apostolorum. As Baglio told Catholic Spotlight, " At the time, I was raised Catholic but wasn't really a practicing Catholic, and, as a journalist, I was just very curious about the course, the idea that a university level course could be taught to priests and nuns about exorcism and did the tricks to believe in that. I didn't know anything about exorcism, and so I was very curious."

When he met Father Gary Thomas, a priest from California who was also taking the course, Baglio began to see the story as bigger than a single article. Father Gary had been picked by a local bishop in San Jose California, to study and become a Vatican-sanctioned exorcist for the diocese. However, the young priest was skeptical and unsure of the whole concept.

Although "The Rite" movie changes the name of Gary Thomas to Michael Kovak and takes several other liberties with the truth of original story, the skepticism of the priest plays a key role in the film as well, which starts with following the priest's story well before he was a priest or studying to be an exorcist.

What happened next is the basis for the movie. Father Gary Thomas became an apprentice to an exorcist who was based in a township just outside of Rome. He saw over twenty exorcisms by the experienced, Rome-based exorcist, who is played by Anthony Hopkins in the movie. .

Anthony Hopkins seemed affected by playing the part himself. He stated in an interview, "It's a story about faith and doubt and life and the soul, and it's quite a debate, you know? There's a young priest in it who is worried about his own lack of faith, and so am I, the priest I play. I'm troubled by my loss of faith." He went on to call the film a good one that's based in reality.

The movie shows several exorcisms, while the skeptic Kovak starts to understand what he had once rejected. The experiences as an apprentice change him, as well as provide the audience with a stark look at those who claim to be possessed.

Father Gary Thomas was a consultant on "The Rite," and he claims that, beyond the creative licenses he expected the filmmakers to take, that the movie is accurate. The special effects employed by the movie obviously exaggerate what truly happened, and skeptical critics claim that the movie is more fictitious than fact. For example, famed film critic Roger Ebert points out in the Sun Times that Father Gary Thomas himself said that "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was a more realistic depiction of exorcism.

Yet, as Ebert also says in his review, " I admire "The Rite" because, while it delivers what I suppose should be called horror, it is atmospheric, its cinematography is eerie and evocative, and the actors enrich it. It has given some thought to exorcism. Grant its assumptions, and it has something to say."