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SLIM WHITMAN (1923-2013)
Ottis Dewey "Slim" Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013) was an American country music singer and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. Recorded figures show 70 million sales, during a career that spanned more than seven decades. His prolific output included more than 100 albums and around 500 recorded songs; these consisted of country music, contemporary gospel, Broadway show tunes, love songs, and standards.[2] Soon after being signed, in the 1950s Whitman toured with Elvis Presley.[3]
Biography
Ottis Dewey Whitman Jr.[4] was born in the Oak Park neighborhood of Tampa, Florida on January 20, 1923.[5][6][7] He was one of six children [citation needed] born to Ottis Dewey Whitman (1896–1961) and Lucy Whitman (née Mahon; 1903–1987).
Growing up, he liked the country music of Jimmie Rodgers and the songs of Gene Autry. He often sang along with records, but Whitman's early ambitions were to become either a boxer or a professional baseball player.
He served during World War II in the South Pacific with the United States Navy. While aboard ship, he sang and entertained members on board. Liking his contributions, the captain blocked his transfer to another ship. Whitman's life was saved, as the other ship later sank with all hands lost.
Career
Early career
Whitman was a self-taught left-handed guitarist, although he was right-handed. He had lost almost all of the second finger on his left hand in an accident while working at a meat packing plant.[8]
He had returned to Tampa after the war, where he worked odd jobs at a shipyard while developing a musical career. Eventually he performed with bands such as the Variety Rhythm Boys and the Light Crust Doughboys. He was briefly nicknamed The Smiling Starduster after a stint with a group called The Stardusters.
Whitman's first big break came when talent manager "Colonel" Tom Parker heard him singing on the radio and offered to represent him.[8] After signing with RCA Records,[8] he was billed as "the cowboy singer Slim Whitman", after Canadian singer Wilf Carter, who was known in the United States as Montana Slim. Whitman released his first single in 1948, "I'm Casting My Lasso Towards the Sky", complete with yodel. He toured and sang in a variety of venues, including the radio show Louisiana Hayride.
Initially unable to make a living from music, he kept a part-time job at a post office. That changed in the early 1950s after he recorded a version of the Bob Nolan hit "Love Song of the Waterfall", which made it into the country music top 10.[5] His next single, "Indian Love Call", taken from the light operetta Rose-Marie, was even more successful, reaching number two in the country music charts and appearing in the US pop music chart's top ten.[5] It sold over one million copies.[9]
Hit recordings
A yodeller, Whitman avoided country music's "down on yer luck, buried in booze" songs, preferring instead to sing laid-back romantic melodies about simple life and love. Critics dubbed his style "countrypolitan", owing to its fusion of country music and a more sophisticated crooning vocal style.[10] Although he recorded many country and western tunes, including hits "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", "Singing Hills", and "The Cattle Call", love and romance songs like "Serenade", "Something Beautiful (to Remember)", and "Keep It a Secret" figured prominently in his repertoire.
In 1955, he had a No. 1 hit on the pop music charts in the United Kingdom with the theme song to the operetta Rose-Marie. With nineteen weeks in the charts and eleven weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart,[11] the song set a record that lasted for 36 years.
In 1956 he became the first-ever country music singer to perform at the London Palladium.[12] Soon after, Whitman was invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, and in 1957, along with other musical stars, he appeared in the film musical Jamboree. Despite this exposure, he never achieved the level of stardom in the United States that he did in Britain, where he had a number of other hits during the 1950s.[11]
Throughout the early 1970s, he continued to record and was a guest on Wolfman Jack's television show The Midnight Special.[12] At the time, Whitman's recording efforts were yielding only minor hits in the US.
But the mid-1970s were a successful time for Whitman in the UK Albums Chart. In 1976, the compilation album The Very Best of Slim Whitman was number one for six weeks, staying 17 weeks on the chart. Another number one album followed in 1977 with Red River Valley: four weeks at number one and 14 weeks on the chart. Later the same year, his album Home on the Range made number 2 on the chart and accumulated a chart stay of 13 weeks.[11][13] He released "Ghost Riders in the Sky" album in 1978.[14]
In 1979, Whitman produced a TV commercial to support Suffolk Marketing's release of a greatest hits compilation titled All My Best. Just for You, also under the Suffolk umbrella, followed in 1980, with a commercial that said Whitman "was number one in England longer than Elvis and The Beatles." The Best followed in 1982, with Whitman concluding his TV marketing with Best Loved Favorites in 1989 and 20 Precious Memories in 1991. Twilight on the Trail, his final release, appeared in 2010, 55 years after his first.[15]
In 1982, Whitman's 20 Golden Greats was certified platinum in Australia.[16]
TV marketing
The TV albums briefly made Whitman a household name in the United States for the first time in his career, resulting in everything from a first-time appearance on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson to Whitman being parodied in a comic skit on Second City Television (SCTV); he was played by Joe Flaherty, as supposedly starring in the Che Guevara-like male lead in a Broadway musical on the life of Indira Gandhi. More importantly, the TV albums gave Whitman a brief resurgence in mainstream country music; he gained new album releases on major labels and a few new singles on the country charts. During this time, he toured Europe and Australia with moderate success.
Popularity in Europe
Although once known as "America's Favorite Folk Singer", Whitman was consistently more popular throughout Europe, and in particular the United Kingdom, especially with his covers of pop standards, film songs, love songs, folk tunes, and gospel hymns.
His 1955 hit single "Rose Marie" spent 11 weeks at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and held the record for the longest consecutive number of weeks at number one on the chart for 36 years. (Bryan Adams broke the record in 1991 with "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You".)[17] In the U.S., his "Indian Love Call" (1952) and a reworking of the Doris Day hit, "Secret Love" (1953), both reached No. 2 on the Billboard country chart.
From the mid-1960s and into the 1970s, Whitman had a string of top 10 hits. Together television marketing in the 1980s, he became known to new generations of fans. Throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century, he continued to tour extensively around the world. After several years without recording in a studio, he produced the album Twilight on the Trail (2010), which was his final one.
Later recordings
Angeline, Whitman's last album under contract, was released in 1984, after which he continued to tour.
In 1988[18] or 1990, EMI Australia released his joint album with his son Byron Whitman, titled Magic Moments.[19] In 1998, he released another album with Byron, Traditional Country: The Legendary Slim Whitman with Son Byron Whitman.[20]
In November 1991, after Bryan Adams' single "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" broke the 36-year UK sales record held by Whitman's version of "Rose Marie", Whitman joined Adams on stage at Wembley Arena and sang "Rose Marie" before presenting Adams with a plaque commemorating the achievement.[21]
Whitman's last performance in the UK was at Norwich in October 2002, and in the U.S. in September or October 2003, as he effectively retired from the music business to care for his ailing wife Jerry, returning to the stage only occasionally with one-week series of concerts in Las Vegas.[22][23] Whitman's beloved wife Jerry died in 2009.
In 2010, after eight years in production, Whitman released the album Twilight on the Trail. He was 87 years old. The album featured western standards such as Gene Autry's hit "Back in the Saddle Again" and the television theme song for The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show. Twilight on the Trail was produced by his son Byron Whitman and featured many well-known session musicians, including long-time band member Harold Bradley.[12]
Personal life
Whitman was married to Alma Geraldine "Jerry" Crist from 1941, until her death in 2009. Jerry was born in Kansas, the daughter of church minister, A.D. Crist, and his wife. The couple had two children, a daughter (Sharron, born 1942, who later married Roy Beagle), and a son (Byron Keith Whitman, born 1957).[24]
Byron followed his father into music as a performer and producer. He released a number of recordings with his father, and also toured with him on numerous occasions.[25][23][26][27][better source needed]
From 1957 until his death, Whitman lived with his family at his estate, Woodpecker Paradise, in Middleburg, Florida.[28][29]
He was a longtime active member and deacon at Jacksonville Church of the Brethren. A biography, “Mr. Songman: The Slim Whitman Story”, was written by Kenneth L. Gibble and published in 1982 by Brethren Press.[30]
Mistaken obituary and later death
On January 20, 2008, on what was, coincidentally, Whitman's 85th birthday, a premature obituary was published by the Nashville Tennessean newspaper. It was later picked up virally on the newspaper's website. It was believed to have been based on an erroneous report.[31]
Slim Whitman died of heart failure[32] on June 19, 2013, at age 90, at Orange Park Medical Center in Orange Park, Florida.[33][34] He is buried in the Middleburg Methodist Church Cemetery in Middleburg, Florida, next to his wife Jerry.
Legacy
For his contribution to the recording industry, Slim Whitman was celebrated by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1709 Vine Street.[35]
George Harrison of the Beatles cited Whitman as an early influence: "The first person I ever saw playing a guitar was Slim Whitman, either a photo of him in a magazine or live on television. Guitars were definitely coming in."[36] When a young Paul McCartney purchased his first guitar, the left-handed musician was unsure how to play an instrument that was manufactured and strung for a right-handed player. It was not until McCartney saw a picture of Whitman playing left-handed that he re-strung his guitar so that he too could play left-handed.[37][38] American pop singer Michael Jackson cited Whitman as one of his ten favorite vocalists.[39]
The 1996 film Mars Attacks! features Whitman's rendition of "Indian Love Call" as a weapon against Martian invaders (the song causes the Martians' heads to explode).[12][40] In 2003, Rob Zombie used Whitman's version of "I Remember You" in his directorial debut in the film House of 1000 Corpses.[12]
Daniel Johnston mentioned Whitman in his song "Wild West Virginia" on his 1981 album Songs of Pain.
Discography
Studio albums
- Slim Whitman Sings and Yodels (1954)
- America's Favorite Folk Artist (1954)
- Slim Whitman Favorites (1956)
a.k.a. Country Hits, Volume 2 - Slim Whitman Sings (1957)
a.k.a. Country Hits, Volume 1 - Slim Whitman Sings (1958)
a.k.a. My Best to You - Slim Whitman Sings (1959)
a.k.a. Country Favorites - I'll Walk with God (1959)
- Slim Whitman Sings Million Record Hits (1960)
a.k.a. The Song of the Old Waterwheel - Slim Whitman (1960)
a.k.a. Slim Whitman's First Visit to Britain
and I'll Never Stop Loving You - Just Call Me Lonesome (1961)
a.k.a. Portrait - Once in a Lifetime (1961)
a.k.a. Cool Water - Slim Whitman Sings Annie Laurie (1961)
a.k.a. Sweeter than the Flowers - Forever (1962)
- Slim Whitman Sings (1962)
a.k.a. Anytime - Heart Songs & Love Songs (1962)
- I'm a Lonely Wanderer (1963)
- Yodeling (1963)
- Irish Songs the Slim Whitman Way (1963)
- All-Time Favorites (1964)
- Country Songs / City Hits (1964)
- Love Song of the Waterfall (1965)
- Reminiscing (1965)
- More than Yesterday
(More Country Songs & City Hits) (1965) - God's Hand in Mine (1966)
- A Travelin' Man (1966)
- A Time for Love (1966)
- 15th Anniversary Album (1967)
- Country Memories (1967)
- In Love the Whitman Way (1968)
- Happy Street (1968)
- Slim! (1969)
a.k.a.Straight from the Heart - The Slim Whitman Christmas Album (1969)
- Tomorrow Never Comes (1970)
- Guess Who (1971)
a.k.a. Snowbird - It's a Sin to Tell a Lie (1971)
- The Best of Slim Whitman (1972)
- I'll See You When (1973)
- Happy Anniversary (1974)
- Everything Leads Back to You (1975)
- Red River Valley (1976)
- Home on the Range (1977)
- Ghost Riders in the Sky (1978)
- Till We Meet Again (1980)
- Songs I Love to Sing (1980)
- Christmas with Slim Whitman (1980)
- Mr. Songman (1981)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas (1981)
- Angeline (1984)
- Magic Moments (with Byron Whitman) (1988)
- Traditional Country (with Byron Whitman) (1998)
- Twilight on the Trail (2010)
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Monday, March 10, 2025
Saturday, March 8, 2025
CONCLAVE (2024)
Conclave is a 2024 political thriller film directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris. The film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini. In the film, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes) organises a conclave to elect the next pope and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about the major candidates.
After premiering at the 51st Telluride Film Festival on August 30, 2024, Conclave was released in theaters in the United States by Focus Features on October 25 and in the United Kingdom by Black Bear UK on November 29. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, directing, screenplay, and cinematography. The film has grossed over $105 million worldwide on a $20 million production budget.
Conclave was named one of the top ten films of 2024 by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute.[6] Among other accolades, it won four awards at the 78th British Academy Film Awards—the joint-most of the evening—for Best Film, Outstanding British Film, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. At the 97th Academy Awards, it received eight nominations, including Best Picture, and won Best Adapted Screenplay.[7]
Plot
After the pope dies of a heart attack, the College of Cardinals, under the leadership of its dean, Thomas Lawrence of the United Kingdom, convenes to elect his successor. The four leading candidates are Aldo Bellini of the United States, a progressive; Joshua Adeyemi of Nigeria, a social conservative; Joseph Tremblay of Canada, a moderate; and Goffredo Tedesco of Italy, a staunch traditionalist.
Janusz Woźniak, the prefect of the papal household, claims that the late pope demanded Tremblay's resignation on the night he died, which Tremblay denies, while Bellini tells his supporters his goal is to prevent Tedesco from winning the papacy. Meanwhile, Lawrence is surprised by the last-minute arrival of Archbishop Vincent Benitez of Kabul, whom the pope named cardinal in pectore the previous year.[a]
On the first day, Lawrence gives a homily encouraging the college to embrace uncertainty, which some interpret as a declaration of his papal ambition. No one obtains the required two-thirds majority, though Adeyemi has a slight edge and Bellini and Lawrence split the liberal vote. Monsignor Raymond O'Malley, Lawrence's assistant, discovers the pope paid for Benitez's plane ticket to Geneva for a canceled medical appointment.
On the second day, while breaking for lunch, the college witnesses a confrontation between Adeyemi and Sister Shanumi, a nun recently transferred to Rome from Nigeria. Lawrence privately speaks with Shanumi, who confesses to an illicit relationship that led to the birth of a son. Adeyemi further confirms Shanumi's story when pressed. Though Lawrence is bound to secrecy, a whisper campaign derails Adeyemi's candidacy. Bellini reluctantly decides to back Tremblay.
Working with Sister Agnes, the nun overseeing the cardinals' accommodations, Lawrence discovers Tremblay arranged for Shanumi's transfer. When confronted, Tremblay claims he did so at the pope's request. Lawrence then breaks into the pope's quarters and finds documents indicating Tremblay committed simony by paying cardinals for votes. He shows the documents to Bellini, whose plea not to reveal their existence sparks an argument.
On the third day, after revealing Tremblay's actions, Lawrence reconciles with Bellini and agrees to stand against Tedesco. He votes for himself during the sixth ballot, which is interrupted by an explosion that knocks him to the floor and damages the Sistine Chapel. The college discovers the explosion was part of a series of suicide bombings throughout Europe. While Tedesco calls for a religious war against Islam, Benitez states his belief that violence should not be met with violence and chastises the cardinals for focusing on politicking over their religious mission. The college overwhelmingly elects Benitez on the seventh ballot, and he chooses the papal name of "Innocent".
Lawrence is initially enthused until O'Malley pulls him aside to discuss Benitez's canceled appointment. He confronts Benitez, who reveals he was born with a uterus and ovaries but was unaware of their existence until an appendectomy. The appointment was for a laparoscopic hysterectomy that Benitez decided against because he believes he is "what God made" him. Lawrence wanders the Vatican grounds, listening to the crowds cheer Pope Innocent's election, before returning to his bedroom, opening the window, and watching a trio of nuns in the courtyard below.
Cast
- Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, a British liberal and dean of the College of Cardinals
- Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Aldo Bellini, an American liberal. Bellini's previous failure to gain election despite being the early favorite is based on Carlo Maria Martini's experiences during the 2005 papal conclave.[8]
- John Lithgow as Cardinal Joseph Tremblay, a Canadian moderate
- Lucian Msamati as Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi, a popular Nigerian candidate with conservative social views
- Brían F. O'Byrne as Monsignor Raymond O'Malley, Lawrence's assistant and opposition researcher
- Carlos Diehz as Cardinal Vincent Benitez, a little-known Mexican archbishop working in Afghanistan
- Merab Ninidze as Cardinal Sabbadin
- Thomas Loibl as Archbishop Mandorff
- Sergio Castellitto as Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco, an Italian traditionalist
- Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, the cardinals' head caterer and housekeeper
- Jacek Koman as Archbishop Janusz Woźniak, the Prefect of the Papal Household and the late pope's confidant
- Loris Loddi as Cardinal Villanueva
- Roberto Citran as Cardinal Lombardi
- Balkissa Maiga as Sister Shanumi
Production
It was announced in May 2022 that Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini were set to star in the film, with Edward Berger directing.[9] Additional casting was announced in January 2023 as production began in Rome.[10] Filming also took place at Cinecittà.[11] Filming concluded in March.[12]
The set designers took great care to replicate the Sistine Chapel, though they took some artistic license with the Domus Sanctae Marthae. They made their set more prison-like to enhance dramatic tension because they felt that the real version was rather dull. Costume designers visited Gammarelli, Tirelli Costumi, and several museums in Rome as part of their research. For the cardinals' red attire, costume designer Lisy Christl opted for a hue used in 17th-century cardinal vestments, rather than the scarlet one from modern-day ones, believing it be "far more beautiful and far easier for our eyes".[13]
While writing the screenplay, Peter Straughan said that he met with a cardinal to discuss the logistics of the conclave. He also took a private tour of the Vatican, and said he did not feel hostility while there and felt that the Vatican had been open to him.[13]
Music
German composer Volker Bertelmann composed the score to Conclave, his fifth collaboration with Berger. In an interview with IndieWire, Bertelmann discussed developing a sound that was neither "too ecclesiastical [nor] classical", leading to experimentation with lesser-known instruments. As a result, much of the score makes use of the Cristal Baschet, a crystallophone played using wet hands.[14] A similar approach was used for Bertelmann's score for Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), where a harmonium was used.[15]
Due to many characters sharing scenes in the film, Bertelmann chose to create themes for specific situations as opposed to themes for individual characters.[16] In addition, he had string players use a ricochet bowing technique.[14] In order to mirror the film's conflicting factions within the cardinals, Bertelmann sometimes incorporated polyrhythms, such as triplets against sixteenth notes.[14]
Release
In August 2022, Black Bear Pictures' newly founded British distribution arm acquired U.K. distribution rights to the film from FilmNation Entertainment, serving as one of its first acquisitions and maiden releases in the United Kingdom; Black Bear's company Elevation Pictures also serves as Canadian distributor.[17] Steven Rales served as one of the executive producers, co-financing the film via his production company, Indian Paintbrush.[18]
In November 2023, Focus Features acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.[19] In July 2024, Conclave was announced as part of the Special Presentations section for the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival scheduled for 8 September 2024.[20][21] The film would subsequently be announced as part of the lineup for the Telluride Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.[22] Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera explained why the film did not play at Venice: "I didn't think it was a Competition film for Venice but I invited it Out of Competition. We tried to figure out timing for it to play here and at Telluride, which they also wanted, but we couldn't find the right dates and timing for it to work. We discussed various options but couldn't get the time that suited everyone. It's a shame."[23]
The film was released in the United States on 25 October 2024.[24] It was previously scheduled for a limited theatrical release on 1 November before opening wide on the following week.[25] It was released in the United Kingdom on 29 November.[1]
Reception
Box office
As of March 6, 2025, Conclave has grossed $32.6 million in the United States and Canada, and $72.6 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $105.2 million.[3][4]
In the United States and Canada, Conclave was released alongside Venom: The Last Dance, and was projected to gross $4–6 million from 1,753 theaters in its opening weekend.[2] The film made $2.5 million on its first day, including $500,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $6.6 million, finishing in third.[26] The film is aimed at significantly older audiences. 77% of viewers were over 35 years old, with the largest demographic group being those over 55 at 44%, and 67% identifying as Caucasian.[27][28] The film then made $5 million in its second weekend (dropping 23.7%)[29] and $4.1 million in its third weekend (dropping just 18.1%), finishing in fourth and sixth place, respectively.[30]
Critical response
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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 296 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's consensus reads: "Carrying off papal pulp with immaculate execution and career-highlight work from Ralph Fiennes, Conclave is a godsend for audiences who crave intelligent entertainment."[31] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 54 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[32] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those surveyed by PostTrak gave it an 84% overall positive score, with 62% saying they would "definitely recommend" it.[27]
The film's cinematography and ensemble cast were widely praised;[33][34][35][33] however, some criticism was met for the plot,[36] with Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times calling it "a pretty thin and silly mystery ... that seems like it's deeper than it actually is".[37] IndieWire's David Ehrlich agreed that the film was "very silly but wonderfully staged ... even if the film might be a bit too convinced of its own dramatic import".[38] The Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips praised the film's "delicious portraits in pursuit, deceit and evasion".[39]
Mark Kermode praised the film for what he saw as a thoughtful and respectful portrayal of the papal election process. He highlighted the strong performances, particularly by Fiennes, and said that the film created suspense and intrigue without resorting to sensationalism. He also noted the nuanced exploration of the Catholic Church's future and its internal politics, which he found compelling and well-executed.[40] Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair said that the film rightly portrayed "both the seriousness of [the conclave] process and the campy ridiculousness of it", and thought that the film "touch[es] fingers with prestige greatness while keeping its feet firmly planted in the realm of rollicking entertainment".[41] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times noted that the film's stance towards the Roman Catholic Church mirrors Hollywood's own stance towards its film industry: "lightly cynical, self-flattering and finally myth-stoking".[42]
Lawson called the final twist "reckless" and insufficiently thought through,[41] while Variety's Peter Debruge called it "one of the most satisfying twists in years, a Hail Mary that both surprises and restores one's faith (maybe not everyone's, but certainly that of the disillusioned)".[43] Otosirieze Obi-Young, writing for Nigerian magazine Open Country Mag, argued that the portrayal of Adeyemi is problematic for playing into stereotypes of black men being sexually aggressive, and that "Sexual abuse ... has become, in the last few decades, the defining moral damage of Western Catholicism, yet the ahistorical vision of Conclave pins that responsibility not on a cardinal from any of those Western countries but on its sole black African papabile."[44]
Filmmaker Alexander Payne named it one of his favorite films of 2024, saying: "You just can't believe how riveting it is – funny and suspenseful and so well-cast and well-acted. Berger has the miraculous quality of making something you never forget is a movie, but at the same time, it's as though you're actually there."[45] Other filmmakers, including Oliver Stone, Kelly Fremon Craig, Adam Elliot, Coralie Fargeat, Tim Fehlbaum, Hannah Fidell, William Goldenberg, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Savanah Leaf, Laurel Parmet and Paul Schrader, also lauded the film, particularly the performances of the cast.[46][47]
Religious response
The progressive National Catholic Reporter praised Conclave, calling it "a compelling and ecclesial call for a renewed spiritual stewardship characterized by humility, meekness, and, curiously, doubt".[48] Kate Lucky of Christianity Today, an evangelical publication, called the film "gorgeous" and "riveting", and said that "though the film subtly advances progressive convictions, it gives cardinals of all ideological persuasions equal opportunity to fall short".[49] Writing for the Catholic Herald, Miles Pattenden considered that the film "lacks the subtlety to explore [Church politics] inventively" despite some "exquisite moments", notably the performances of Sergio Castellitto and Rossellini. He also criticised its "lack of historical awareness", noting that questions concerning voting eligibility at conclaves and intersex clergy were "nothing new to the Church".[50]
John Mulderig of the Catholic OSV News said about Conclave that "rival viewpoints within the church are caricatured with a broad brush ... and the deck is predictably stacked in favor of those who advocate change". He warned that "all moviegoers committed to the church's creeds will want to approach this earnest, visually engaging but manipulative—and sometimes sensationalist—production with caution".[51] The Archdiocese of Los Angeles' Angelus magazine praised several of the actors' performances but ultimately dismissed the film, writing: "The problem here is not that it is full of bias against the Catholic Church. The problem is that it is just plain bad. ... At the crucial moment, [Benitez] gives a speech so full of platitudes it could have been written by ChatGPT."[52]
The Bishop of Winona–Rochester, Robert Barron, dismissed it as Oscar bait and termed it "a film about the Catholic Church that could have been written by the editorial board of The New York Times".[53] Sean Fitzpatrick of The Catholic World Report agreed with Barron's criticisms, while also criticizing the writing of Benitez's intersex status, opining that the statement "I am what God made me" is a common yet flawed argument.[54]
Social media influence
Following the film's release, several outlets noted the film's presence on social media and within meme culture.[55][56][57] Memes comparing the film to RuPaul's Drag Race and The Real Housewives appeared on Twitter, while other users created fan cams, including ones set to pop musicians such as Charli XCX.[55] Online comparisons were also made to media such as Mean Girls, while the "elimination" of the various papal candidates was compared to reality television shows like Survivor or The Bachelor. Also noted were memes comparing the characters in the film to real life figures such as Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, the two major candidates in the 2024 United States presidential election, which took place days after the film's U.S. release.[55] Many of these outlets took note of the apparent contradiction that a film that "might be [for] retired folks catching a weekday matinee" was popular in meme culture.[57]
Real-life parallels
In late February 2025, the 88-year-old Pope Francis became very ill and was hospitalized.[58] Philiana Ng of TheWrap observed, "The cast of Conclave celebrated their ensemble win at the Screen Actors Guild Awards[,] but acknowledged the real-life parallels to the movie – which chronicles the secret process of electing a pope – amid Pope Francis' current health crisis. 'We are very, very worried for our pope', Isabella Rossellini told reporters[;] '[w]e love this pope – Papa Francesco, Pope Francis. We wish him well. We wish him to recover.' "[59]
Accolades
| Award | Ceremony date | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA International Awards | 7 February 2025 | Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Won | [60] |
| Best Supporting Actor | Stanley Tucci | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| AARP Movies for Grownups Awards | 8 February 2025 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [61] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Stanley Tucci | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenwriter | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Academy Awards | 2 March 2025 | Best Picture | Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell and Michael A. Jackman | Nominated | [62] |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Production Design: Suzie Davies Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter |
Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Alliance of Women Film Journalists | 7 January 2025 | Best Film | Conclave | Nominated | [63] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Stanley Tucci | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Isabella Rossellini | Won | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble Cast and Casting Director | Conclave | Won | |||
| American Cinema Editors Awards | 14 March 2025 | Best Edited Feature Film (Drama, Theatrical) | Nick Emerson | Pending | [64] |
| Artios Awards | 12 February 2025 | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Feature Studio or Independent Film (Drama) | Nina Gold, Martin Ware, Francesco Vedovati, Barbara Giordani | Won | [65] |
| Astra Film and Creative Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [66] |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Cast Ensemble | The cast of Conclave | Nominated | |||
| 8 December 2024 | Best Casting | Barbara Giordani, Nina Gold, Francesco Vedovati and Martin Ware | Nominated | ||
| Best Film Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies | Nominated | |||
| Austin Film Critics Association | 6 January 2025 | Best Film | Conclave | Nominated | [67] |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Nominated | |||
| British Academy Film Awards | 16 February 2025 | Best Film | Alice Dawson, Robert Harris, Juliette Howell, Michael Jackman, and Tessa Ross | Won | [68] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Leading Role | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Casting | Nina Gold and Martin Ware | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Won | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies and Cynthia Sleiter | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding British Film | Edward Berger, Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, Michael A. Jackman, and Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| British Society of Cinematographers | 1 February 2025 | Best Cinematography in a Feature Film | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | [69] |
| Camerimage | 23 November 2024 | Golden Frog for Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | [70] |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 12 December 2024 | Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | [71] |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Costume Designers Guild Awards | 6 February 2025 | Excellence in Contemporary Film | Lisy Christl | Won | [72] |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 7 February 2025 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [73] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Acting Ensemble | Conclave | Won | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies | Nominated | |||
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 18 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | 3rd Place | [74] |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Won | |||
| Directors Guild of America Awards | 8 February 2025 | Outstanding Directing – Feature Film | Edward Berger | Nominated | [75] |
| European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | [76] |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 20 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [77] |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Won | |||
| Best Art Direction / Production Design | Nominated | ||||
| Golden Globe Awards | 5 January 2025 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Conclave | Nominated | [78] |
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 20 November 2024 | Best Original Score – Feature Film | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | [79] |
| London Film Critics' Circle Awards | 2 February 2025 | Film of the Year | Conclave | Nominated | [80] |
| British or Irish Film of the Year | Conclave | Won | |||
| Screenwriter of the Year | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Actor of the Year | Ralph Fiennes | Won | |||
| Supporting Actress of the Year | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Technical Achievement Award | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Mill Valley Film Festival | 16 October 2024 | Audience Overall Favorite | Conclave | Won | [81] |
| National Board of Review | 4 December 2024 | Top 10 Films | Conclave | Won[b] | [82] |
| Best Ensemble | Won | ||||
| New York Film Critics Online | 16 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [83] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Runner-up | |||
| Best Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Runner-up | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Won | |||
| Online Film Critics Society | 27 January 2025 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [84] [85] |
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Won | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 3 January 2025 | Ensemble Performance Award | Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati and Isabella Rossellini | Honored | [86] |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 9 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | Runner-up | [87] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Stanley Tucci | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Runner-up | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Runner-up | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies | Nominated | |||
| San Diego International Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Best Gala Film | Conclave | Won | [88] |
| San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle | 15 December 2024 | Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | [89] |
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies and Roberta Federico | Nominated | |||
| San Sebastián International Film Festival | 28 September 2024 | Golden Shell | Conclave | Nominated | [90] |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | 15 February 2025 | Outstanding Performer of the Year Award | Ralph Fiennes | Honored | [91] |
| Satellite Awards | 26 January 2025 | Best Motion Picture – Drama | Conclave | Nominated | [92] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Film Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies and Cynthia Sleiter | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 23 February 2025 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | [93] |
| Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Sergio Castellitto, Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Isabella Rossellini, and Stanley Tucci | Won | |||
| Seattle Film Critics Society | 16 December 2024 | Best Picture | Conclave | Nominated | [94] |
| Best Lead Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Nominated | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Nominated | |||
| Best Costume Design | Lisy Christl | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies and Cynthia Sleiter | Nominated | |||
| Set Decorators Society of America | 7 February 2025 | Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Contemporary Feature Film | Cynthia Sleiter, Suzie Davies | Won | [95] |
| Society of Composers & Lyricists | 12 February 2025 | Outstanding Original Score for a Studio Film | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | [96] |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Best Film | Conclave | Nominated | [97] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actor | Stanley Tucci | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Ensemble | Conclave | Won | |||
| Best Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Production Design | Suzie Davies and Cynthia Sleiter | Nominated | |||
| Toronto Film Critics Association | 15 December 2024 | Best Lead Performance | Ralph Fiennes | Runner-up | [98] |
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Runner-up | |||
| USC Scripter Awards | February 22, 2025 | Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | [99][100] |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 8 December 2024 | Best Film | Conclave | Nominated | [101] |
| Best Director | Edward Berger | Nominated | |||
| Best Actor | Ralph Fiennes | Nominated | |||
| Best Supporting Actress | Isabella Rossellini | Nominated | |||
| Best Adapted Screenplay | Peter Straughan | Won | |||
| Best Cinematography | Stéphane Fontaine | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Nick Emerson | Nominated | |||
| Best Original Score | Volker Bertelmann | Nominated | |||
| Best Acting Ensemble | Conclave |