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Leap of Faith

A meet cute that takes place in a confessional seems somehow doomed to failure, but that doesn't stop gentle new comedy "The Good Catholic" from having its would-be romantic protagonists first encounter each other there. Daniel (Zachary Spicer) is a young priest and new to his parish, so he's drawn the short straw of having to staff the church's late-night confession hours. Aspiring singer Jane (Wrenn Schmidt, "I Saw the Light") drops in to Daniel's confessional booth one night. She's prickly but charming, catching him off-balance with her chatter and ultimately hooking him with her admission: "I'm dying."

This turns out to be more of a metaphysical realization than an intimation of imminent mortality, but it sets the stage for an exploration of the camaraderie and unexpected chemistry between the two: the disillusioned inquirer and the doubting priest. This in turn frames a debate on the nature of faith that ranges across the entirety of "The Good Catholic."

Daniel serves under venerable parish priest Father Victor (Danny Glover, "Almost Christmas") and alongside the jovial Father Ollie (John C. McGinley, "The Belko Experiment"). There's a perpetually percolating, brotherly competitiveness between the two older priests that's fueled in part by the fact that Ollie is a Franciscan, and quick to elucidate the inherent variations in the order's interpretation of the faith. For practical purposes, what this means for lay viewers is that Ollie philosophically justifies his amusing habit of throwing a basketball jersey on over his long brown robes before parking himself in front of the tv on game nights.

The main story here is that of the "where is this headed?" relationship between Daniel and Jane, but it's an equally interesting look at a side of the priesthood that is seldom explored. What do priests do when they're not saying mass? In the case of "The Good Catholic" they minister to the sick - both Victor and Ollie see to a parishioner who's in hospice and in need of last rites - as well as practice hymns, rehearse sermons, go for early morning runs, sit down together to dinner, butt heads over opposing views, eat junk food, and enjoy the occasional aforementioned game or two of college basketball. In short, the priesthood doesn't seem all that different, on some level, from other jobs.

This may be how Daniel sees it, and why he's moved to entertain doubts when the fiery Jane enters his life and presents another option. It turns out he's joined the priesthood to please his father rather than being motivated by any deep devotion of his own. He responds, when asked why he retains the collar when he's confessed that he doesn't see or feel God: "Because if God ever does show up I don't want to miss it." This may be its own kind of faith, but possibly not enough to sustain a life dedicated to pastoral service.

The vagaries of Daniel's shades of grey faith are thrown into relief by Victor, who's an old-school priest and more than ready to spar when Jane comes to dinner at the rectory. He treats Jane's arrival as a chance to meet the enemy; during the meal he fiercely presses Daniel about his commitment to the church, which ultimately seems reasoned and strategic when placed against the older priest's unwavering conviction. It's one of the best scenes in the film: Mr. Glover's delivery is ferocious, and it adds some bite to what has up to this point been an exceedingly placid exploration of the nature of faith and the choices that face us in all walks of life.

"The Good Catholic" is in the end an interesting hybrid, a romantic comedy that gives rise to a philosophical debate. The performances are enjoyable - in addition to Mr. Glover's strong work here, fans of Mr. McGinley will be rewarded with a gentler-than-usual turn that still showcases the actor's trademark sharp delivery, and Mr. Spicer is engaging and sympathetic as we watch him visibly struggle to find the path between two possibilities. Ms. Schmidt has a disarming charisma, though she sometimes misses the mark in finding the softer side of her character. As a result, when pondering whether there's enough beyond her fierce exterior to justify Daniel potentially following his heart in her direction, we're left to take it on faith.