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Is Aimee's character portrayed believably by screen newcomer Mimi Michaels? A qualified yes, here. Though she handles the emotional range of the role admirably, Michaels looks too kittenish to be convincing as the mature Aimee, and her screechiness in the preaching scenes—partly the director's fault, no doubt—is a serious flaw. The sharp contrast between this histrionic, arm–waving stage persona and Michaels' confident but gentle "offstage Aimee" communicates a split personality. This may mislead us into seeing this remarkably gifted woman's whole ministry as a sublimation or overflowing of her personal struggles.

The film's budget was a paltry $50,000; the actors worked for free. Rance Howard (father of actor/director Ron Howard) shines in a nuanced performance as McPherson's father, James, and Teres Byrne's tight–lipped, hard–shelled Minnie Kennedy (Aimee's notoriously domineering mother) hovers like a wounded dragon over her famous child—showing flashes of vulnerability in her very fierceness.

Unfortunately, Rossi's preoccupation with Pentecostal emotionalism skews this portrayal in uncomfortable ways. Crucially, his tightly focused vision (and, granted, his tiny budget) never allows us to see McPherson's Angelus Temple congregation. We get no sense of either the true power of her message or the winning warmth of a gospel pioneer who founded a Christian denomination now 4 million strong.

The pull of the sensational and dysfunctional aspects of McPherson's life has once again proven too strong. We still await the movie that shows the gospel wallop and warm touch of McPherson's ministry. This can be done even while reckoning honestly with the dangers of emotional dysfunction and moral failure arising from early Pentecostalism's fiery activism and its adulation of flawed, charismatic leaders.

For the insight Rossi's movie gives us into the latter, this is a movie worth seeing—especially for those wrestling with the power and the pain of this Christian tradition.

To order a DVD copy of the film, send a check for $29.95 payable to ETERNAL GRACE, 5030 Whitsett Avenue, Suite One, North Hollywood, CA 91607. Or you can pay by e–mail at PayPal.com, sending $29.95 to Richard_rossi@lycos.com. Be sure to include your name and shipping address.

Talk About It

1. What did you think of Aimee's preaching style? Would it have appealed to you or not? Why or why not?
2. Based on this depiction, do you think Aimee was mentally stable? Why or why not?
3. Discuss the "scandalous" aspects of her life, especially as compared to other televangelist scandals of more recent years. How does such a scandal affect a preacher's testimony?

The Family Corner

This is probably not a movie for children. The subject material is adult—lines between spirituality and sexuality. There are harrowing scenes of relational strain and dissolution between Aimee and her mother Minnie, Aimee and her second husband "Mac," and Aimee and her third husband David Hutton. There are scenes in a brothel. There is an implied suicide: In 1944, Aimee died of an overdose of sedatives.The overdose was pronounced accidental, complicated by kidney problems, though many suspected suicide. Rossi's vision favors this interpretation in his treatment.

Photos from Richard Rossi Productions

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