The Secret Scripture (2016)

Summary

The Secret Scripture tells the story of Roseanne "Rose" McNulty, an elderly woman who has been confined to a mental hospital in County Roscommon, Ireland, for over 50 years. As the hospital faces closure, the compassionate psychiatrist Dr. William Grene (Eric Bana) is assigned to assess her case. Rose has been secretly documenting her life story in a hidden notebook—a poignant memoir detailing her youth, her passionate affairs, and the circumstances that led to her wrongful imprisonment in the restrictive, patriarchal Ireland of the 1940s. Dr. Grene uses her writings and his own investigation to unravel the tragic mystery of Rose's past, revealing a story of forbidden love, religious oppression, and the search for a long-lost truth.

Plot

The film operates on two timelines: the present day (around 2007) and the 1940s/50s.

Present Day

Dr. Grene arrives at the institution and is immediately drawn to Rose (played by Vanessa Redgrave in her older years), a remarkably lucid and artistic woman despite her decades of confinement. Rose is constantly writing her "secret scripture" on whatever scraps of paper she can find. Grene reads these writings, which detail her arrival in a small Irish town as a young, beautiful woman (Rooney Mara).

Flashbacks (1940s)

Young Rose, an orphan, moves to the town where she attempts to build a life despite the suffocating conservatism and gossip of the community. She captures the attention of several men, including a handsome RAF pilot (Jack Reynor) and a quiet, kind co-worker (Theo James). The local Catholic priest, Father Gaunt (Aidan Turner), becomes dangerously obsessed with Rose, believing she is an evil temptress.

Rose falls in love with the pilot, but the relationship is interrupted by the war. She becomes pregnant, but Father Gaunt, fueled by jealousy and religious zeal, conspires to have her declared insane. He fabricates evidence and uses his influence to have her institutionalized, believing he is saving her soul from sin.

Resolution

Dr. Grene eventually uncovers the painful truth: Rose was never mentally ill but was a victim of malicious religious and societal judgment. The biggest reveal is the fate of her baby. Rose had been told her child died at birth, but Grene discovers the child was adopted. In a heartbreaking twist, Dr. Grene realizes he is Rose's son, adopted years ago after being separated from her at birth. The film ends with Rose's release and her reunion with her son, bringing closure to her decades of suffering.

Cast

Crew

• Director: Jim Sheridan

• Screenplay: Jim Sheridan and Johnny Ferguson (Based on the novel by Sebastian Barry)

• Producers: Noel Pearson, Jim Sheridan, Rob Quigley

• Music Composer: Brian Byrne

• Cinematography: Mikhail Krichman

• Production Company: Parallel Films

Release Info

• Release Year: 2016

• Release Date: September 10, 2016 (Toronto International Film Festival)

• Running Time: 108 minutes

• Language: English

• Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance