Gosnell trailer hints at film’s treatment of religion

The trailer for Gosnell: The Trial of America’s Biggest Serial Killer dropped yesterday, and it looks awesome:

About a minute and a half in, Gosnell’s lawyer blasts the lead detective as “an overly zealous, Catholic investigator.” That is immediately followed by the detective (in another scene) protesting “Is that what you want to make this about?” All well and good; this appears to be a solid depiction of the traditional pro-choice strategy of hiding behind religious distractions whenever the violence of abortion is exposed.

But that message is potentially undermined by the next frame: “Find the faith.” Granted, the word “faith” doesn’t always carry a supernatural connotation. It could, for instance, refer to finding faith in the justice system (which would be consistent with the companion texts, “Find the strength” and “Find the truth”). I hope that’s the case. I hope the filmmakers haven’t used their platform to proselytize. This story is too important.

We’ll find out when Gosnell is released on October 12. If you want to support the movie’s promotional efforts, you can do so here.