The Exorcism of Emily Rose is a capable courtroom drama with a few really good scares. What it is not is another version of The Exorcist. If you go into Emily Rose expecting spinning heads, projectile green vomit and obscene gestures with a crucifix,  you'll be disappointed. The battle in The Exorcism of Emily Rose isn't so much a battle between good and evil fought over a young girl's soul than it is a battle between faith and science played out by believers and non-believers alike in a court of law.

Very loosely based on the story of 22-year old Anneliese Michel (a German college student), Emily Rose (Jennifer Carpenter) is a 19-year old American student from a devout Roman Catholic family who goes away to university on a scholarship. While in school she either becomes possessed by demonic forces or  develops a rare case of psychotic epilepsy. Unable to continue in school, she returns home where, at the urging of her family's parish priest Father Moore (Tom Wilkerson), she stops taking her medication and undergoes an exorcism. She dies a miserable death shortly afterwards and Father Moore is placed on trial for negligent homicide. The Archdiocese hires hot shot attorney and agnostic Erin Bruner (Laura Linney) to defend him. While on the case both she and Father Moore experience a series of bizarre 'supernatural' events.

The performances in Emily Rose were solid. Linney was credible as a woman who didn't believe but whose faith in her lack of faith was shaken by the Father and by the incidents that transpired. English actor Tom Wilkerson was also credible as the father who risks his career to tell Emily's story - a story he hoped would inspire faith in others.

For me, The Exorcism of Emily Rose worked best as a courtroom drama where some thought-provoking questions about faith and science took the forefront. The problem with these scenes is that they tended to go on a little longer than necessary causing the movie to drag a big in the middle. As a horror movie, Emily Rose does provide a few jolts but this is not the horror movie it's made out to be in the trailer and the previews. Ever since The Exorcist, there are certain 'standards' that we have come to expect in a movie about an exorcism. And, even though the movie was more about Father Moore's trial than it was about the exorcism and possession itself, the scenes where Emily Rose appeared to be possessed could have benefited from a few more special effects or even  a good dose of 'horror makeup'. As it is now, the exorcism and possession are not as scary as they could have been.