The Third Miracle (1999)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1999
Running Times: 119 mins
Format: colour     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: American Zoetrope / Franchise Pictures / Haft Entertainment
Executive Producers: Andrew Stevens, Ashok Amritraj, Francis Ford Coppola
Producers: Elie Samaha, Fred Fuchs, Steven Haft
Co-Producer: Don Carmody
Associate Producers: Daryl Sancton, David Siegel
Unit Production Manager: Deb LeFaive
Production Coordinator: Melissa F. Barrie
Assistant Production Coordinator: Shannon O'Connor

SCRIPT
Script: John Romano, Richard Vetere
Novel: Richard Vetere

DIRECTION
Director: Agnieszka Holland
Key Trainee Assistant Director: Brian Backman

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Jerzy Zielinski
Steadicam Operator: Tim Merkel
1st Assistant Camera: Jayson Clute
Assistant Camera: Kirsta Teague
Gaffer: David Breeze
Rigging Gaffer: Andy Langevin
Stills: Pierre Vinet
Colour Timer: Kenny Becker

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: David J. Siegel
Assistant Editor: Vince Filippone
Post-Production Supervisor: Eric Bergman

MUSIC
Music: Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Music Editor: Christopher Kennedy

SOUND
Re-Recording Mixers: Chris David, John Brasher
ADR Recordist: Brian Smith
Sound Effects Editor: Tim Kimmel
Foley Artist: Doug Reed
Foley Editor: Gina Nuccio

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Beverly Carr
Make Up For Anne Heche: Elaine L. Offers

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Coordinator: Michael Kavanagh
Key Special Effects: Warren Appleby
Special Effects: Dawn Rivard

VISUAL EFFECTS
Visual Effects Supervisors: Henrik Fett, Kevin Mullican
Visual Effects Producer: Mark S. Driscoll
Digital Artist / Lead Animator / Lead Modeler: David L. Comfort
Animator / Compositor: Danny S. Kim
Titles and Opticals: Film Effects Inc

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Robert de Vico
Set Decorator: Wayne Jacques
Storyboard Artist: Kasia Adamik

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Financing: Massimo Nouhra, Imperial Entertainment Group
Production Accountant: Deborah Bacquel
Assistant to Agnieszka Holland: Kaija Vogel
Assistant to Anne Heche: Lynn Foster
Security Officer: Jen Leonard
Set Supervisor: Brenda Gilles

LOCATIONS
Locations: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Location Manager: Marty Dejczak
Assistant Location Manager: David McIlroy

CASTING
Extras Casting: Jane Rogers

CAST
Sofia Polanska (young Helena)
Pavol Simon (Helena's father)
Ivan Lukac (young priest)
Patrik Minar (young German soldier)
Michael Rispoli (John Leone)
Kenny Robinson (front desk manager)
Rony Clanton (Higgins)
Ed Harris (Frank Shore)
Angela Fusco (charity woman)
Charles Haid (Bishop Cahill)
Susan Henley (Sister Margaret)
Ken James (Father Paul Panak)
Jade Smith (young Maria)
Monique Mojica (Sister Mary Catherine)
James Gallanders (Brother Gregory)
Gerard Ronan (one-eyed man)
Alastair Moir (boy in wheelchair)
Kay Hawtrey (wheelchair mother)
Ron Gabriel (Dr Farkas)
Desmond Ellis (card-playing priest)
Mark Huisman (Brother Thomas)
Anne Heche (Roxane)
Barbara Sukowa (Helen)
Norma Dell'Agnese (Mrs Witkowski)
Rogue Johnson (Miller)
Ian Ryan (black kid)
Christopher Bolton (Wayne Stozzi)
Natalie Urquhart (backseat girl)
Ralph Small (Reo trucker)
Don Carmody (Jack Da Sica)
Caterina Scorsone (Maria Witkowski)
Rodger Barton (Detective Al Winston)
Junior Williams (Officer Herman)
Catherine Gourdier (reporter)
Lili Francks (woman in churchyard)
Craig Eldridge (Father Burke)
Michael Millar (priest)
Armin Mueller-Stahl (Werner)
Aron Tager (Cardinal Humes)
Arthur Eng (doctor)
Father Duaine Devereaux (father at mass)
Steve Ferguson (Stevens)
Ron Kennell (spasmatic man)
Bob Jarvis (Cardinal Nola)
Jean-Louis Roux (Cardinal Sarrazin)
Ned Vukovic (Father Castaldi)
Mary Lu Zahalan (Jean)
Trevor Lowden (singing boy)

PLOT SUMMARY

A priest who is beginning to have doubts is sent to investigate the case of a woman whose death apparently caused a statue of the Virgin Mary to bleed. The blood is then said to have cured a young girl dying from lupus. As the priest investigates the supposed miracle, he starts to piece together his own ruined life.

AVAILABILITY

Argentina
Theatrical Distributors: Distribution Company
Video Distributors: Argentina Video Home

Germany
Theatrical Distributors: Planet Media Home Entertainment

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics
DVD Distributors: Columbia / Tristar (04755)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 13

Chile
Rating: 14

Denmark
Rating: 15

Germany
Rating: 12

Peru
Rating: 14

Singapore
Rating: PG

Spain
Rating: 13

USA
Rating: R (for some language, sex-related and violent images, and brief drug use)

TIMELINE

1998
October
31: Canada – filming begins

1999
September
13: Canada – shown at the Toronto Film Festival

1999
November
23: Argentina – shown at the Mar del Plata Film Festival

December
29: USA – limited theatrical release

2000
April
20: Singapore – theatrical release
28: Spain – theatrical release

June
9: Poland – theatrical release
13: USA - DVD release (Columbia / Tristar (04755))

July
11: Iceland - video release

September
21: Australia – theatrical release

November
9: New Zealand - video release
23: Argentina – theatrical release

December
7: Peru – theatrical release

2001
February
14: Hungary - video release

June
15: Italy – theatrical release

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Das Dritte Wunder - German title
O Terceiro Milagre - Brazilian title
El tercer milagro - Argentinian / Spanish title
Il terzo miracolo - Italian title
Le troisième miracle - French Canadian title
Verikyyneleet - Finnish title

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Entertainment Weekly no.521 (14 January 2000) p.52 (USA)
review (Cutest Priest (B-) by Lisa Schwarzbaum)

Entertainment Weekly no.544 (9 June 2000) p.56 (USA)
review (by Troy Patterson)

film dienst vol.56 no.13 (17 June 2003) pp.36-37 (Germany)
review (by Peter Hasenberg)

Variety vol.376 no.5 (20 September 1999) p.86, (USA)
review (by Derek Elley)

KEYWORDS

alcoholism, catholicism, miracles, saints

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009