How does the ending of "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" make sense?
From movie mistakes:
Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) loses her case and Father Moore (Tom Wilkinson) is found guilty. But as the judge is about to tell Father Moore his sentence, one of the jury members suggests that Father Moore's sentence be a "time spent" sentence, which means he is found guilty but doesn't do time.
This ending makes no sense to me. How can one be found guilty without punishment? I tried googling "time spent sentence" and "time spent prison sentence" but found nothing about this type of punishment.
Best Answer
In many jurisdictions - including the US, where the film is set - if you are handed a jail sentence, any time you have already spent in custody before and/or during your trial (known as "time spent on remand") is automatically deducted from your sentence. For example, if you're sentenced to a year in jail, but you've already spent three months on remand, then you'll only serve nine months. This does actually make sense, especially since criminal proceedings can drag on for much longer than three months.
A sentence of "time spent" (or "time served") means that your sentence is equal to the amount of time you've already spent in custody, meaning the two cancel each other out and you're free to go. Essentially, the jury decided that the time Father Moore had already spent in custody was punishment enough.
To provide an official example, the UK Crown Prosecution Service describes this process here. I imagine that the process in the US is not too different.
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What happens at the end of The Exorcism of Emily Rose?
At the end of the movie, Emily is greeted by the Virgin Mary who gives Emily a choice. She can either ascend to heaven or remain on earth and become a martyr to prove that God and demons are real. Emily chooses to become a martyr and shortly after dies.What is the message of The Exorcism of Emily Rose?
In a message said to be from the Virgin Mary, Emily is told that she can come to heaven immediately and end her suffering, or she can stay and be used to turn people to Mary and to God.Is the exorcist of Emily Rose Based on a true story?
The film is loosely based on the story of Anneliese Michel and follows a self-proclaimed agnostic (Linney) who acts as defense counsel representing a parish priest (Wilkinson), accused by the state of negligent homicide after he performed an exorcism.Was Emily Rose possessed?
Anna Elisabeth "Anneliese" Michel (21 September 1952 \u2013 1 July 1976) was a German woman who underwent 67 Catholic exorcism rites during the year before her death....Anneliese MichelKnown forSupposed demonic possession, death after exorcismHeight1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)6 more rowsEverything Wrong With The Exorcism of Emily Rose in 19 Minutes or Less
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