The Boys of St. Vincent
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| The Boys of St. Vincent | |
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 DVD cover for Boys of St. Vincent |
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| Directed by | John N. Smith |
| Produced by | Sam Grana |
| Written by | Sam Grana, John N. Smith, Des Walsh |
| Release date(s) | 1992 |
| Language | English |
The Boys of St. Vincent is a 1993 film directed by John N. Smith for the National Film Board of Canada. It is a two part docudrama based on real events that took place at the Mount Cashel Orphanage in Newfoundland, one of a number of child sexual abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church.
The first film, The Boys of St. Vincent, covers the sexual and physical abuse of a number of orphans by priests headed by Brother Peter Lavin (Henry Czerny). The second film, The Boys of St. Vincent: 15 Years Later, covers the trial of the priests.
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[edit] Plot
Along with Lavin, Kevin Reevey is the central figure. In the first film Reevey (Johnny Morina) is an attractive 10-year-old abused child who tries to avoid Lavin’s attentions. In the second movie, Reevey (Sebastian Spence) is a man haunted by his abuse who still has nighmares, Lavin is a convincing character who manages to cover up the goings-on at the orphanage for many years. But he is also a vicious child molester. Young Kevin runs away and when he returns he tries to reject Lavin’s caresses. He is severely beaten with the buckle end of the priest’s belt. The next morning, as Brother Lavin watches the 10-year-old boys shower, the camera focuses on the boys’ naked bodies. This short erotic sequence was cut when the film was first shown in the United States.
Stephen Lunny (Brian Dodd) is another abused boy. He has an older brother, Brian (Ashley Billard), at the orphanage who tries to protect him. In the second film, the brothers meet again for the first time in years. Brian (Timothy Webber) tries to help the deeply troubled drug-addicted Stephen (David Hewlett) when he returns to give evidence at the trial. Stephen is destroyed by the defense advocate who reveals that he abused 7-year-old boys at the orphanage when he was aged sixteen. Stephen then kills himself with an overdose of drugs. This finally prompts Reevey to give evidence against Lavin.
Lavin remains in denial, even to his wife. His fate is left unanswered as is the question, posed by his wife at the end of the second film, as to whether he ever molested his own two young sons.
[edit] Legal intervention over television broadcast
In 1994, the House of Commons in Canada passed Bill C-42 in one day, amending over 100 aspects of the Criminal Code. Senators were concerned about provisions allowing publication bans. The Standing Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs held five hearings on the bill, giving publishers and criminal lawyers a chance to voice their concerns. While the Committee was reviewing the bill, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down a ban preventing the CBC from broadcasting The Boys of St. Vincent. The Court was protecting the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Senate Committee struck out the offending clauses, the House of Commons agreed, and the bill became law
