Aimee Semple McPherson (2006)

Director:

Richard Rossi

Writer:

Richard Rossi (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes the greatest battle is between flesh and spirit.

Plot:

A feature film about the life of Aimee Semple McPherson, the famed evangelist of the 1920s.

Plot Keywords:

Charlie Chaplin | Christian | Faith | Healing | Character Name In Title

Cast

Mimi Michaels	...	Aimee Semple McPherson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laura Anderson	...	Leita Mae
Carl Ballantine	...	Realtor in China
Teres Byrne	...	Minnie Kennedy
Kiera Chaplin	...	Myrtle Ste. Pierre
Barbara Kerr Condon	...	Sister Maria
Angela de Malignon	...	Speakeasy dancer
Etienne Eckert	...	Emma Shaffer
Joe Gonzalez	...	Ralph Jordan
Charles Gorgano	...	Asa Keyes
Melissa Greenfield	...	Louise Weick
JoAnn Green	...	Waitress
Rance Howard	...	James Kennedy
Charles Hoyes	...	Harold McPherson
Anjenique Hughes	...	Sister Susannah
Rex Kerr	...	Bartender
Brandy Maddox	...	Rosalee
David Mattey	...	The Enforcer
Obren Milanovic	...	Blind Man
Michael Minor	...	Kenneth Ormiston
Chad Nadolski	...	Robert Semple
Roy O'Reilly	...	Judge
Louis Pastore	...	Barker
Linda Pitak	...	Speakeasy Dancer
Joshua Rossi	...	Rolf McPherson
Karis Rossi	...	Roberta Salter
Richard Rossi	...	David Hutton
Sherrie Rossi	...	Juror
Laurie Shaw	...	Reba Crawford
Jenny Tallent	...	Sister Jane
Randy Toews	...	Defense Attorney
Suzanne Tsai	...	Aimee's Chinese Housekeeper
Jose Vega	...	Mexican Man
Selah Victor	...	Lulu
Laura Voethe	...	Mrs. Brooks

Also Known As:

Sister Aimee: The Aimee Semple McPherson Story (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, brief language and smoking.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Richard Rossi Productions

Trivia:

Director Richard Rossi chose an actor-friend with long hair and a beard to play Jesus at the end of the film. The Jesus actor relapsed with an addiction to heroin and was a no-show. The Jesus role is uncredited and it is a mystery who played Christ embracing Aimee, but rumors persist Richard Rossi wore the wig and played Christ himself in the final scene.

Goofs:

When the D.A. gives his opening statement in Sister Aimee's trial, there is a large map on the wall behind him that clearly says, "Kern County, California." Her trial took place in Los Angeles County. Richard Rossi was given free use of a courthouse in Bakersfield (Kern County) by a judge who was kindly disposed toward the project and allowed free shooting on a Saturday.

Quotes:

Aimee: Faith is the key to miracles, and you have faith or you wouldn't be here today!

Movie Connections:

Version of The Disappearance of Aimee (1976) (TV)

Aimee Semple McPherson by Richard Rossi

I saw this movie, with a friend and a film writer. The content was misleading at best. The film quality and directing was amateurish. His camera actually moved from person to person, without cuts. I got dizzy just watching. I, with no film experience, know better than that.

My film writer friend thought his work was so amateurish that she was embarrassed for Rossi. My other friend who has written and done stage work herself, was literally sickened by his misportrayal of Aimee Semple McPherson's life.

His intended premise is misguided and never proved. The movie never gave "insight" to anything but gross exaggeration and erroneous information. There is nothing to indicate why she was such a phenomenon. There is never a crowd -- no attempt to give any kind of context to her world-wide appeal or her national "celebrity" status.

Seeing this movie you would think all she did in life was marry three times, in a very short span of time, and fought with her mother. And that really is the just of the movie in a nutshell. And very poorly done at that. Now I've just saved you 2 1/2 hours of watching a boring movie.