Twist of Faith

In 2002 the news media exploded with reports of clergy sex abuse and charges of cover-up by Catholic leaders from dioceses all over America. Twist of Faith is the first documentary to delve into the wrenching psychological journey of one victim who determines to take on the church and set things right.

Tony Comes, a 34-year-old loyal Catholic, strapping fire fighter, and family man in Toledo, Ohio, is reacquainted with a disturbing past when he discovers that his alleged abuser, Father Dennis Gray, lives just five houses away. Emotional floodgates swing open, and, as if trying to salvage truth itself, Comes and his wife bravely invite filmmaker Kirby Dick's unswerving camera into their lives. As Comes goes public with his case, he encounters the Catholic Church's cold resistance to culpability, and his shame and embarrassment turn to pain and anger. He pursues healing and hires expert lawyers, but the pillars of his life -- his faith, his marriage, and his joie de vivre -- begin to crumble.

Comes is a remarkably generous and articulate subject; his willingness to share his most intimate feelings give us a palpable and profound sense of the complex damage of sexual abuse. Meanwhile, footage of Father Gray's deposition, where he eerily fails to exhibit remorse, reinforces the invincibility of the church's power. If the church won't serve Tony justice, perhaps this beautifully wrought, powerfully candid film will.