Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story

Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story (2006), (original working title "Aimee Semple McPherson"), is a feature-length dramatic biographical film about evangelist "Sister" Aimee Semple McPherson.[1]

Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story
DVD Cover
Directed byRichard Rossi
Produced byFrank Carvajal
Connie Fleishauer
Written byRichard Rossi
StarringMimi Michaels
Rance Howard
Carl Ballantine
Kiera Chaplin
Teres Byrne
Music byRichard Rossi
Nita Sinaga
Edited byAdam Lightplay
Jaime Prater
Release date
  • January 2006 (2006-01)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States

Cast

The cast includes Mimi Michaels, Rance Howard, Carl Ballantine and Kiera Chaplin. Richard Rossi wrote, directed and also acted in the film. Rossi shot the film with a $300 consumer camcorder. The movie has a jittery, sepia-toned 1920s motif, employing silent film cards and a period look with a contemporary documentary style.

Production

The film was made under a low-budget agreement with the Screen Actor's Guild for experimental films with budgets under $75,000. It had a screening at SAG headquarters in the James Cagney theater as part of that year's SAG Conversations. SAG Conversations showcased the film with a discussion including the filmmaker, some cast and crew along with the panel taking questions from the audience of SAG members.[2] It also attracted a record crowd to Hollywood's New Beverly Cinema.[3][4]

The film's writer-director Richard Rossi, and his wife Sherrie in 1920s attire at a Los Angeles screening in April 2008

Rossi admitted telling his own story allegorically through telling Sister Aimee's. In November 2001, Rossi, a healing evangelist, received restoration treatment for depression and healing from childhood abuse at Healing for the Nations ministry in Atlanta, Georgia. "I was trying to help everybody else, but I was feeling empty inside," Rossi said. "It was like I was trying to fix the whole world, but I couldn't fix myself. It was a pretty lonely feeling."[5]

Critical response

Critical reception was mixed. Christianity Today said the film "goes much deeper" than previous portrayals of McPherson, including The Disappearance of Aimee (a 1970s television movie starring Faye Dunaway) and Rossi's 37-minute 2001 documentary film Saving Sister Aimee. The magazine gave the movie 2 stars out of 4 and said "Rossi gives insight into the emotional dysfunction arising from Pentecostalism's adulation of flawed and charismatic leaders...the film veers into psychohistory and reflects the psyche of the writer/director."[6] Film Threat's reviewer stated "'McPherson' is a dreadful self-defeating melodrama."[7] and MovieGuide's review said "The script is the best part of the movie, since it was filmed on a low budget and the acting is sometimes foolish. In spite of the technical flaws, this movie is very compelling."[8]

Upon release, the film was available in various media outlets. It is one of the first feature dramatic films on a major historical figure in Pentecostalism and on a woman who founded her own denomination. The film was released on DVD on April 22, 2008.[9]

See also

References
  1. Gilbert, Ryan (November 5, 2012). "Hallelujah! How Faith Healer Aimee Semple McPherson Inspired the Rip-Roaring New Musical Scandalous". Broadway Buzz. Broadway.com. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  2. Nuchow, Robert. ""AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON" A FILM BY RICHARD ROSSI FEATURING RANCE HOWARD". SAG Conversations. Screen Actor's Guild Magazine.
  3. Donnally, Ed (September 30, 2005). "Filmmaker Tells Story of 'Wounded Healer'". Charisma Magazine. Strang Publications. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. Levin, Steve (May 3, 2008). "Rev. Rossi back in news as Hollywood success story". Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Retrieved February 8, 2018.
  5. Griffiths, Lawn (August 27, 2005). "Finding Sister Aimee". East Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on March 11, 2009.
  6. Armstrong, Chris (January 1, 2005). "Aimee Semple McPherson". Christianity Today.
  7. Gore, Chris (January 11, 2006). "Reviews: Aimee Semple McPherson". Film Threat. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  8. "Aimee Semple McPherson: Not A Puff Piece". Movieguide. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  9. Zukowski, Kelsey (February 7, 2008). "Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story DVD Review". FilmArcade.net. Archived from the original on September 20, 2008.
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