I am not one for Hollywood movies – I try my best to avoid them. Why? Because so many Hollywood films are remakes; they lack originality, have extremely poor acting or are over the top violent.

After many, many recommendations from friends insisting that I view Philomena I finally did so.  I must admit, I was not at all disappointed with the film.  Philomena directed by Stephen Frears, stars Judy Dench (Philomena) a young teen growing up in Ireland, who becomes pregnant during a one-night fling. She is shunned by her family, sent to a Catholic convent where she delivers a baby boy who, eventually is adopted by a rich American family. Best Film? No. Best Actress? Yes, I think this movie is one of Judy Dench’s better performances. Her performance was real; during her journey to find her son we shared her pain, we shared her undying beliefs, her determination and, above all, we shared her humor and continued faith in her religion. The movie is funny, sad, and left me questioning whether as a Catholic I would be capable of forgiving.