This Exorcism Lacks Scary Feel

   "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" reveals that 3 a.m. is not just a popular bar closing time but also "demonic witching hour," when the devil's army attacks. Which, I think, makes 2:45 the demonic last call.

   But the most devilish behavior in "Emily Rose" comes from bait-and-switch marketers who are selling it as if it were an "Exorcist"-style movie, when it's really a melodrama in which nonbelieving attorney Laura Linney contends that a priest (played by Tom Wilkinson) should not be held accountable for the death of Emily, who died after a failed exorcism. Linney faces off against a devout prosecutor (Campbell Scott), who is forced to counter her argument that Wilkinson did what any man of faith would do.

   Linney, Wilkinson and Scott are fine actors (so is newcomer Jennifer Campbell, who plays Emily in the exorcism flashbacks), and they give authority to the courtroom scenes, which offer an unusual approach to spirituality. "Exorcism's" premise -- that much of what goes unexplained in the world can be attributed to religious forces -- is an interesting approach to the idea of spiritual belief. Although "Exorcism" pays lip service to Scott's arguments, its sympathies are with th the priest, who is dismayed by Emily's death but convinced he did the right thing.

   I wish "Exorcism" pursued that theme more forcefully. There's a suggestion here that not only is the justice system ill-equipped to deal with questions of faith but also that religious belief is too often dismissed as mental illness (that idea is explored better in the movie "Frailty" and the book "Mariette in Ecstacy"). That's fascinating stuff, and the Scott and Linney characters provide a chance to deal with it, but "Exorcism" isn't willing to commit to exploring why a person might become convinced that God can help her more than doctors.

   To make that commitment, "Exorcism" would have had to ditch the flashbacks that it leans on in its advertising. The flashbacks aren't bad -- in fact, they're riveting. They just don't fit in this movie.