Christopher Heffron

Sister Rose is celebrating 15 years with this magazine as the author of “Reel Time, ” and I’ve had the privilege of working with her as the editor of that column. In those years, I’ve learned that her gracious demeanor masks a startling intellect.

Father Richard Leonard, an Australian Jesuit and media expert, explains how film can be a gateway to God.

In the 1954 film On the Waterfront, Marlon Brando plays Terry Malloy, a longshoreman who struggles to take a stand against the Mob-controlled union that has made life for workers unbearable. One scene in particular rouses a Catholic spirit. Karl Malden’s Father Barry gathers some of the men at the dock and, standing a few feet from the corrupt bosses, speaks out against the injustices the workers face.