BOYS OF ST. VINCENT, THE {THE BOYS OF SAINT VINCENT} (TV)
Summary
This made-for-television drama film, the first of two, explores the dark secrets at a Catholic boys' orphanage in Newfoundland. The story begins as young Kevin Reevey is summoned to Brother Peter Lavin's office late at night. In the morning, the boys shower and attend Mass, and Kevin asks Brother MacLaverty if the teachers attend confession, as the students do. He hides in the basement during class and encounters the kindly janitor, Mike Finn, though does not explain why he is down there. The brothers sit down to dinner all together and the boys are put to bed, though Kevin is called by Lavin again. In the morning he inspects the boys for tidiness, and a few students go door-to-door collecting clothing donations, though one boy acquires some money for himself as well. Finn jokes around with the boys as they sort through the clothes, and when Kevin is called to Lavin's office again, he runs away instead and heads for the shipyard, where he is picked up by the police. They take him back to school despite his protests, and he is left alone with Lavin, who begins to kiss and fondle him. When Kevin tells Lavin that he is not his "mother," however, Lavin grows angry that he is acting "like the other boys" and beats him soundly with a belt.
The next day, Kevin refuses to leave his bed as the other boys attend their classes, and Finn checks on him and asks Lavin why he was punished so severely. Lavin rudely tells him to stay out of the matter, but Finn takes Kevin to the hospital anyway. Lavin catches up with them and fires Finn, who calls him a "nutcase" and vows to continue helping the boys, and when the doctor says that Kevin has been "terrorized," Lavin blames one of the older students. Back at school, Lavin tells Kevin that he punished him merely to teach him and that he is "special" to him. That night, Brother Glackin steals into the dorm and molests Steven Lunny, and in the morning Steven's older brother Brian bursts into Lavin's office and furiously tells him what happened, though Lavin accuses him of lying and has his palms severely beaten. Finn finds him and tends to his injuries, and Steven finally tells him the truth about the ongoing sexual abuse. Finn immediately heads off to tell the authorities, but is told that he must follow proper "procedures" and fill out a form to be reviewed, and he is disgusted at the ineffective process. Lavin and the other Brothers prepare for some extensive renovations to the school, for which they require a government grant of almost a million dollars. They hold a holiday event to raise money, while elsewhere Finn meets with Detective Noseworthy, who questions him about Kevin's trip to the hospital and what he personally witnessed at the school.
Steven and Kevin steal alcohol from the rectory and sell it to the older boys for a price while another boy serves as lookout. Lavin notes that MacLaverty has changed their usual breakfast grace to include a plea to God for forgiveness, and Kevin is later called to the office to talk to a policeman. Lavin threatens him not to talk about the abuse and violently questions Brian when he emerges from talking with the cop, but he refuses to divulge what was said. Kevin appears too frightened to tell the policeman the truth, though Brian encourages the younger boys to be honest about their abuse. Noseworthy learns of Kevin's tragic past and the deaths of his parents from a social worker, who admits that she has heard many "rumors" of abuse over the years but has been prevented from even visiting the boys by of the Church's strength. The Archbishop talks to Lavin about the complaints, telling him that they are making the school look bad and that more boys are likely to be questioned. The boys are pulled out of bed in the middle of the night and lectured severely by Lavin, who tells them that spreading stories of abuse makes them "traitors" to God and that they will be thrown into the street if the donations stop coming in. Mike Sproule tells the truth about Glackin, however, and as the police question the other boys they hear several other reports of abuse, though everyone seems hesitant to accuse Lavin.
Noseworthy's boss tells him that he needs stronger evidence before they can prosecute a powerful entity like the Church, and the boys are thrilled to learn that Glackin has been "relieved of his duties" and replaced by MacLaverty, who is not abusive. The government officials debate funding the renovation in the light of the scandal, and Lavin kicks Brian out of school, threatening to hurt Steven further if Brian talks about what is occurring in the school. Brian promises Steven that he will rescue him from St. Vincent's as soon as he can, and MacLaverty coaches the boys through a rehearsal of an upcoming event at which they will accept a large donation check. Kevin is selected to give a special gift to the premier, and when Lavin stands in for the premier and subtly fondles Kevin again, he finally decides to talk to Noseworthy about his abuse, explaining that Lavin singles him out as "his boy." Noseworthy assures him that "it's all over" and confronts Lavin, telling him that he does, in fact, have the authority to arrest him for his crimes and will soon do so. A crazed Lavin searches for Kevin and finds him in the basement, but breaks down when Kevin calls him "Mom" and embraces him. MacLaverty enters and witnesses the inappropriate contact, calling Lavin "a sick, evil man."
Brother Davitt and two other new teachers arrive to replace the abusers, who have been "transferred," and Davitt urges the boys to "put the past behind them." Noseworthy's boss calls his report "pornography," however, and orders him to remove all references of sexual abuse from the boys' statements, fearing repercussion from the Church. Noseworthy is outraged that the boys will not receive true justice, and at night, Kevin witnesses one of the new Brothers at Steven's bedside, meaning that the problem has not been solved at all. Later, the boys accept the government check and greet the Newfoundland premier as the audience applauds, apparently unconcerned with the truth about the school.
Details
- NETWORK: CBC (Canada)
- DATE: December 6, 1992
- RUNNING TIME: 1:32:27
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:72889
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: International Collection - Canada; Drama; Sexual abuse; Religion
- SERIES RUN: CBC - TV, 1992
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Claudio Luca … Executive Producer
- Colin Neale … Executive Producer
- Sam Grana … Producer, Writer
- Nicole De Rochemont … Associate Producer
- Martine Allard … Line Producer
- John N. Smith … Director, Writer
- Des Walsh … Writer
- Neil Smolar … Music by
- Henry Czerny … Cast, Brother Peter Lavin
- Brian Dooley … Cast, Detective Noseworthy
- Philip Dinn … Cast, Mike Finn
- Michael Wade … Cast, Brother MacLaverty
- Greg Thomey … Cast, Brother Glackin
- Brian Dodd … Cast, Steven Lunny
- Ashley Billard … Cast, Brian Lunny
- Jeremy Keefe … Cast, Mike Sproule
- Jonathan Lewis … Cast, Eddie Linnane
- Johnny Morina … Cast, Kevin Reevey
- Alain Goulem … Cast, Brother Glynn
- Ed Martin … Cast, Tom Kennedy
- Maurice Podbrey … Cast, Archbishop
- Sam Grana … Cast, Monsignor
- Aidan Devine … Cast, Brother Michael Davitt
- Gordon Day … Cast, Premier
- Kelly Ricard … Cast, Social Worker
- David Francis … Cast, Lou Benson
- Ralph Allison … Cast, Official
- Terry Haig … Cast, Official's Aid
- Tony Robinow … Cast, Dermot Maher
- Sean Tartaryn … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Gabriel Allard-Gagnon … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- David Graham … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Christopher Millar … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Daniel Pilon … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Andreas Traczyk … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Dennis Van Horn … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Ettore Zuccheroso … Cast, Boy of St. Vincent
- Tyrone Benskin … Cast, Dr. Maynard
- Glenn Downey … Cast, Policeman
- Dom Fiore … Cast, Policeman
- Daniel Hemond … Cast, Detective
- Paulina Abarca … Cast, Nurse
- Susan Mackasey … Cast, Nurse
- Nellie Ludlow … Cast, Woman Donating
- Jane Wheeler … Cast, Receptionist
- Peter Cureton … Cast, Brother Peter
- Richard Jutras … Cast, Brother Graham
- Luc Hamel … Cast, Priest
- John Matthews … Cast, Archbishop's Guest