Conclave Writer Responds To Recent Conservative Backlash To Ending: "I Stand By It"
Conclavewriter Peter Straughan has responded to criticisms over the film's ending at the 2025 Golden Globes. The story of Conclave follows several cardinals who vote for a new pope following the death of the previous one. At the end of Conclave, the recently elected Cardinal Benitez is revealed to be intersex, which has proven to be very controversial. Despite the controversy, its reviewshave been exceptional, and the film currently has a score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The cast of Conclaveincludes Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, and Carlos Diehz.
While reviews for Conclave have been outstanding, some have publicly voiced their disdain for the film's surprising ending. Megyn Kelly, for example, refers to the movie as "anti-Catholic" and believes watching the movie was a mistake. See Kelly's post below:
Screen Rant was present at the Golden Globes press conference after Straughan won the award for Best Screenplay. During the press conference, Straughan responded to critics like Kelly, and defended Conclave's ending, arguing that the film is not anti-Catholic. Read his full quote below:
I don’t think the film is anti-Catholic. I was brought up Catholic. I was an altar boy. I think the core message of Conclave is about the church always having to re-find its spiritual core, because it deals so much with power. That’s always been a careful, difficult balance. To me, that was a very central Catholic ideal that I was brought up with. I stand by it.
What Straughan's Comments Mean For Conclave
Straughan Stands By The Final Twist In Conclave
In Conclave, none of the cardinals knew that Benitez was named a cardinal by the previous pope. Therefore, he is a surprise addition to the conclave. However, he proves to be a very thoughtful and kindhearted member and is eventually elected to be the next pope after a powerful speech. At the end of Conclave, it is revealed that Cardinal Benitez is intersex. The previous pope arranged for Cardinal Benitez to get a hysterectomy, but he chose to remain the way God had created him.
Cardinal Benitez being intersex in Conclaveis a major step forward for the Catholic Church, even if this secret is not known to the rest of the world yet. As Straughan mentions, Conclave deals with the church reinventing itself after the death of a pope. Throughout the movie, it is made clear that some cardinals are very conservative in their beliefs, while others are quite progressive. Cardinal Benitez is one of the progressive cardinals, and will pave a new path for the Catholic Church moving forward.
Our Take On Staughan's Defense Of Conclave
Cardinal Benitez Being Intersex In Conclave Is Very Meaningful
Religion is undoubtedly a very controversial subject, so it is not necessarily surprising that Conclave's ending has led to some negative reactions. However, it is unfortunate that Straughan needs to defend the ending of the film, as the twist that Cardinal Benitez is intersex at the end of Conclave is incredibly meaningful. Conclave's ending recontextualizes the rest of the movie, and reinforces the theme that the church needs to re-find its spiritual core.
Conclave
- Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Runtime
- 120 Minutes
- Director
- Edward Berger
- Writers
- Peter Straughan, Robert Harris
- Producers
- Michael Jackman, Robert Harris, Tessa Ross, Alice Dawson, Juliette Howell
Cast
Cardinal Lawrence
Stanley TucciCardinal Bellini
Cardinal Lawrence leads the secretive papal election at the Vatican, where he uncovers a conspiracy and a secret that could destabilize the Church's foundation as leaders gather from around the world.
- Main Genre
- Drama
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