THE THIRD MIRACLE — **1/2 — Ed Harris, Anne Heche, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Michael Rispoli, Charles Haid, James Gallanders, Catarina Scorsone, Barbara Sukowa; rated R (profanity, violence, gore, racial epithets, brief drug use, brief sex, brief partial nudity); exclusively at the Loews Cineplex Broadway Centre Cinemas.
It's been a rough couple of years for the Catholic Church in cinema.
Not only did the comedy "Dogma" put the church's basic tenets and beliefs up for debate, but bad horror movies like "Stigmata" only helped to further the ugly Hollywood stereotype of evil clergymen.
So, when something different like "The Third Miracle" comes along, it's tempting to embrace the film simply because it's not out to show the Catholic Church — and religion in general — in a bad light.
However, that's not to say this fantasy-drama is flaw-free. In fact, it bogs down amid clichéd and conventional storytelling and nearly wastes some good performances, as well as a thought-provoking premise about the nature of faith.
Veteran character actor Ed Harris stars as Father Frank Shore, a church-appointed "spiritual detective" of sorts, who's been nicknamed "The Miracle Killer."
Unfortunately, years of disproving miracles has left him embittered toward the church and worsened his drinking problem. Still, his superiors call on him one more time, to investigate a Chicago church where mystical phenomena may be occurring.
To be more specific, parishioners claim that a deceased immigrant woman (played by Barbara Sukowa in flashbacks) performed miraculous healings, and they are asking the church to canonize her.
Needless to say, the worldly priest is skeptical, though they do have some convincing evidence.
If that's not bad enough, as he prepares his case, Father Frank also finds himself attracted to the dead woman's daughter (Anne Heche).
The final third is a showdown between Father Frank and a disbelieving archbishop (Armin Mueller-Stahl) over the woman's legacy, and that's where the movie should really come together.
Instead, it's where director Agnieska Holland ("Washington Square") and a pair of screenwriters (including Richard Vetere, adapting his novel) nearly fumble the whole thing away with clumsy contrivances and an ambiguous ending that seems tacked on.
Also, though their respective performances are fine, Harris and Heche really don't have much chemistry together, and the whole romantic subplot appears to have been a commercial concession. Fortunately, that's not the whole focus of the movie.
"The Third Miracle" is rated R for profanity, violence (mostly wartime explosions, seen in flashbacks), gore, use of racial epithets and ethnic slurs, brief simulated drug use (heroin and inhalants), a brief simulated sex act and brief partial male nudity. Running time: 119 minutes.
You can reach Jeff Vice by e-mail at jeff@desnews.com