Boys of St. Vincent

Based on a true case that scandalized Canada, this film takes place in two halves. The first, set in the mid-1970s, deals with a Catholic orphanage, run by Brother Lavin (Henry Czerny), who doesn't have the boys' best interest at heart. Rather, he uses them to fuel his own sick sexual desires, becoming a predator in a priest's collar, making an indelible mark on 10-year-old boys. And he's not the only one (just the most vicious). Cut to 1990: One of the now-grown boys comes forward to accuse Lavin and face him in court. But Lavin is now married and the father of two boys--and the church continues to deny that any impropriety occurred. This is strong stuff, with the emotional pain almost harder to take than the shadowy scenes of sexual abuse--but the latter are upsetting as well. Originally made for Canadian TV but released in American theaters. --Marshall Fine