Sister Jeannine Gramick is on a quest to bridge an understanding between the church’s leaders and the world’s homosexual catholic population “In Good Conscience.”

Much of the success of this Barbara Rick documentary is due to Gramick’s soft-spoken nature, believing that only through her softly spoken ways can real change be achieved.

One interesting series of exchanges makes this clear. She converses with a variety of protestors on each side of the issue. She reaches an understanding with a man wanting gays banned from the monastery.

We see that man, now united with her, trying hopelessly to find sense in the ravings of those who she refers to as “hate-spewers” (people whose arguments consist only of screaming references to obscure scriptures). These are people who seem to defend only what they’ve been taught but not necessarily what they may actually believe.

We even see her have disagreements on the protesting styles of people whose views are the same as hers. This steadfast refusal of hers to follow a mission of vilifying those she doesn’t agree with, but rather to find the bits of truth we all believe in could be considered a fault.

But this “fault” is actually the rare quality that makes her who she is.
On a technical level, the film has little to offer. You will not find the genius control over image arrangement of a Michael Moore or the stylish complexity of an Errol Morris. But these bits of manipulation would be out of place here. In fact, only one real instance of filmmaker interference can be found in the occasional pieces of narration whose tone makes obvious judgments upon the opinions of those whose letters are being read. For the most part, however, the filmmakers stay out of the way, letting their subject dictate the direction. “In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick’s Journey of Faith” offers rare insight and even rarer objectivity into exploring an issue that will only grow larger in coming years.

Its ability to present a clear point of view of all sides without trying to criticize, but to understand, is a quality that should please any person on any side of any issue.

*“In Good Conscience: Sister Jeannine Gramick’s Journey of Faith” * (Barbara Rick with Albert Mayles as cinematographer, betaSP, 82 min., 2004)

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