Created Equal Page #4

Synopsis: A cocky, up-and-coming attorney, begrudgingly takes on a case to sue the Archdiocese of New Orleans for sex discrimination; after a woman, who's desperate to become a priest, solicits his help.
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director(s): Bill Duke
  11 wins & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
5.6
TV-PG
Year:
2018
91 min
97 Views


[tranquil music]

[Dunbar] And settle this.

[Alejandra shouts]

Stop! Ah!

[Alejandra screams] Help!

You'll be punished

for your disobedience.

[Father John] Hey! Hey!

[Alejandra shrieks]

- Hey, hey! Come here!

Sister, are you okay?

I am.

[Father John]

I need some help here!

I need some help!

Are you okay?

- What happened?

- She'll be fine.

[Alejandra] A man attacked me

and said he'd punish me

for my disobedience.

I'm a little shaken up,

but I'll be all right.

The Lord is my light

and my salvation.

[Tommy]

It's not safe here, Ally.

We gotta get you out of here.

Silk, get a picture of that.

Send it to me.

Yeah, it's Tommy.

May need your help.

[suspenseful music]

[car approaching]

Enrico!

Your Eminence.

It is unfortunate

that these events have occurred.

Yes, I'm afraid so.

[Cardinal Sierra] So...

What will be do about this?

I have a pretrial conference

before the judge.

I also just found out

that Ms. Batista was attacked

in the church.

- Is she all right?

- [Enrico] I don't know.

But we will be blamed for this.

They would portray us

as the bad guys in any event.

Just make sure

this doesn't turn into a circus.

I understand.

I interviewed a half a dozen

Catholic theologians

who do not support

the church's position

on male only priests.

A couple of women

even went to the Vatican

and challenged the Pope.

[Jane] Any candidates?

They've all been defrocked

over it.

[Tommy] No Catholic scholars.

Renzulli will just

dismiss their views

as rants of a rogue group.

Then what do we present?

I'm not sure yet.

Talking settlement?

Why not? I thought Dunbar

was gonna stab me

with his pruning shears

for filing a suit.

[Jane] But unless

the church backs down,

I don't see how we settle.

[Tommy] Gotta try, right.

If they don't back down,

maybe we can meet

Dunbar halfway.

I know that I'm the last person

in this firm he wants at trial.

Tommy, Ms. Batista

isn't gonna settle.

[Tommy] I have to get

to the courthouse.

[Silk] Hm-mmm.

Go get 'em.

Always do, partner. Hey...

do you mind checking on Ally?

See if she needs anything.

[bright music]

- Enrico Renzulli.

- Thomas Reilly.

Is your client here?

[Tommy] Not until the trial.

If there's a trial.

Settling?

[courthouse bailiff] All rise!

Court is in session.

[bailiff] The Honorable

Judge Watford presiding.

No talking.

Anyone using

any electronic devices,

will be escorted out.

You may now be seated.

We are here on the matter

of Batista versus

the Archdiocese of New Orleans

and Bishop Cardinal Jose Sierra.

[Judge]

Is plaintiff's counsel present?

Thomas J. Reilly.

Law Offices of Finlay

and Dunbar.

[Judge] And defense counsel?

For the Archdiocese

and Cardinal Bishop Jose Sierra,

Monsignor Enrico Renzulli,

counsel of the United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops.

[Judge] Counsel,

please approach the bench.

Monsignor, I know you filed

a motion to dismiss

and you've each requested

oral argument.

Before I renew decision,

have you two

had a chance to speak?

No, Your Honor.

Well, Mr. Reilly,

due to the gravity of this case,

may I make a suggestion?

[Tommy] Yes, Your Honor.

I'm going to reserve decision.

I'd like to see you

back in here on Friday.

And let's say you show

the Monsignor some hospitality.

See if we can't come

to a resolution

before we go any further.

Counsel, step back.

[Judge] Defendant's motion

to dismiss

has been marked submit.

Parties will be back

in this courtroom on Friday.

[gavel bangs]

Looks like I'm buying.

[Enrico] No need.

Come by the Cardinal's home

for dinner this evening.

[solemn music]

[car alarm activates]

[Enrico] Thank you for coming.

[Tommy] Thanks for having me.

- Would you like a drink?

- Uh, sure.

- It's been a rough day.

- Bet it has.

So, how is your client

holding up?

[Tommy] She's strong.

Considering

she was just attacked.

You wouldn't know anything

about that, would you?

I'm not even going to dignify

that with a response.

[Tommy] How are your clients

holding up?

- They're bent.

- I'm sure.

Thomas, I'm glad the judge

asked us to get together.

I would like to work this out

before it's too late.

Too late for what?

[suspenseful music playing]

For you to turn back.

Is that a threat?

- No.

- Then, what is it?

[Enrico] Advice.

[Enrico] You see, Thomas,

you can't win this case

and that's a fact.

[Tommy] My client's commitment

is unwavering.

I hear you're allergic

to the inside of a courtroom.

[Enrico] You really

should make this go away

before you embarrass yourself.

Well, if you're ready to remove

the stained glass ceiling,

then, of course,

we are open to a settlement.

[Enrico] Not possible.

Not now. Not ever.

[Tommy] Okay.

I think we've established

our initial positions.

I'm surprised.

Does Kent Dunbar agree

that a settlement is impossible?

Mr. Dunbar and I both agree

that absent a better solution,

this case should be settled by

a jury of Ms. Batista's peers.

Even if you get past

my motion to dismiss,

she'd never be a priest. Period.

So, my question is,

"Why are you doing this?"

Because I believe

she has a case.

Are you a Catholic?

I've been hearing that

a lot lately.

I was raised Catholic.

[Enrico] Do you feel

any conflict of interest

in representing Ms. Batista?

[Tommy] I don't.

I accept the teachings of Jesus

as revealed in scripture.

That does not include

the man made rules

of cardinals and popes.

Have you ever heard the term

'cafeteria Catholic'?

A cafeteria Catholic

picks and chooses

what church teachings

he accepts,

but to be a Catholic,

one must accept

all the teachings.

Okay, look, if Judge Watford

sustains your motion

and throws us out, that's it.

If not, the media's

gonna beat this to death

and I don't believe

either of us want that.

No, we don't.

I put on two witnesses only.

Ms. Batista plus

Dr. Sylvia Touran.

It's a psychologist

appointed by the Archdiocese

to screen potential seminarians.

Who do you expect of me?

You put on

Bishop Cardinal Sierra.

You'll be relying solely

on your cross examination

of Archbishop Sierra to prove

that the church's position

is unreasonable?

[Tommy] That's right.

[sinister music playing]

[camera shutter clicking]

[photographer] Oh, hey.

Hey, there's a camera.

[photographer]

I'm with the C1 News Agency.

I don't care where you work.

You're gonna get out of here.

Do you understand me?

Yeah.

Yeah.

[tram bell ringing]

[phone rings]

- Hello.

- Nicki, it's Tommy.

I was, I was

just thinking about you.

Want to see

what you're up to tonight.

[Nicki] Why?

[Tommy] Cause I miss you, baby.

[Nicki scoffs]

Cut the crap!

Tommy, what do you want?

Look, I got a big day at court

Friday and I wanted to see

if you could be there for me.

No. No, you don't need

anybody, Tommy.

[Nicki]

That's your whole problem.

[phone ringing]

I have to take this call.

Can we talk later?

No.

- Hello?

- [Silk] Tommy.

[Silk]

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Ned Bowman

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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