Going Clear (film)

Last updated

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Going Clear Poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Alex Gibney
Written byAlex Gibney
Based on Going Clear
by Lawrence Wright
Produced by
  • Alex Gibney
  • Lawrence Wright
  • Kristen Vaurio
Starring
Narrated byAlex Gibney
CinematographySam Painter
Edited byAndy Grieve
Music by Will Bates
Production
company
Jigsaw Productions
Distributed by HBO Documentary Films
Release dates
  • January 25, 2015 (2015-01-25)(Sundance)
  • March 29, 2015 (2015-03-29)(HBO)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a 2015 documentary film about Scientology. Directed by Alex Gibney and produced by HBO, it is based on Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief (2013). The film premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. It received widespread praise from critics and was nominated for seven Emmy Awards, winning three, including Best Documentary. It also received a 2015 Peabody Award and won the award for Best Documentary Screenplay from the Writers Guild of America.

Contents

The film deconstructs Scientology's claims by presenting a condensed history of the group and its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, examining how celebrities interact with Scientology, and highlighting the stories of a number of ex-members and of the abuse and exploitation that they described seeing and experiencing. The Church of Scientology responded vehemently to the film, complaining to film critics about their reviews and denouncing the filmmakers and their interviewees.

Going Clear was released in a limited number of theaters on March 13, 2015, and aired on HBO on March 29, 2015. It was a major ratings success and by mid-April 2015 had attracted 5.5 million viewers, making it the second most-watched HBO documentary in the past decade. It was subsequently released internationally, showing in theaters and on television despite a sustained campaign by the Church of Scientology to block its release.

Synopsis

Going Clear is based closely on Lawrence Wright's book, covering much of the same ground with the aid of archival footage, dramatic reconstructions, and interviews with eight former Scientologists: [1] [2] Paul Haggis, an Oscar-winning film director; Mark Rathbun, Scientology's former second-in-command; Mike Rinder, the former head of Scientology's Office of Special Affairs; actor Jason Beghe; Sylvia "Spanky" Taylor, former liaison to John Travolta; and former Scientologists Tom DeVocht, Sara Goldberg, and Hana Eltringham Whitfield. [3]

The film breaks into three distinct acts. In the first, the former Scientologists describe how they joined Scientology; the second act recounts the history of Scientology and its founder L. Ron Hubbard; and in the final act, the film airs allegations of the abuse of church members and misconduct by its leadership, particularly David Miscavige, who is accused of intimidating, beating, imprisoning, and exploiting subordinates. The film depicts the role played by celebrity members, such as Travolta and Tom Cruise, through video clips contrasting their statements with the experiences of former Scientologists. [4]

To support its thesis, the film utilises footage of ex-Scientologists harassed and surveilled (per Hubbard's dictum that Scientology's critics were all criminals whose crimes needed to be exposed), [5] and describes the imprisonment of senior Scientology executives in a facility known as "The Hole"; [6] one Scientologist was said to have been forced to clean a bathroom with his tongue. [7] According to the film, actress Nicole Kidman was targeted for wiretapping by Scientology in an effort to break her marriage to Tom Cruise after she was labeled a "potential trouble source" by the Scientology Church; [8] whereas Travolta has been forced to stay in Scientology in fear that secrets from his personal life will be exposed. [9]

Development

Alex Gibney, director of Going Clear Alex Gibney 2011 Shankbone.JPG
Alex Gibney, director of Going Clear

The film is based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Lawrence Wright's book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief, which was published in January 2013 and was a National Book Award finalist. HBO announced in December 2014 that Alex Gibney, an Oscar-winning director who made Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005), Taxi to the Dark Side, (2007) and The Armstrong Lie (2013), was directing a film based on the book, to be released at the 2015 Sundance Festival. It was the first time that HBO had tackled Scientology directly, though not the first time it had clashed with Scientology; in 1998, protesters mounted demonstrations outside HBO's headquarters because of a documentary that presented anti-depressant drugs, which are fiercely opposed by Scientology, in a positive light. [10]

Gibney began working on Going Clear in 2013 after becoming intrigued by Wright's book. He collaborated with Wright, who came on board as a producer, to explore the book's underlying theme of "how people become prisoners of faith in various ways". [2] Gibney saw Scientology as one of the toughest subjects he has had to tackle in his career as a documentarian, alongside government complicity in torture, corporate financial malfeasance, and clerical sexual abuse. [2]

Fear of Scientology's litigiousness rendered American networks unwilling to license any material to the filmmakers, which Gibney found "astounding". [11] He commented that he "found it interesting that universally this subject — more than any other — provoked all the networks to decline to license. I think at the end of the day, that tells you more about Scientology than it does about the networks, which is how ruthless they've been in trying to silence any criticism." [12] Scientology's reputation of harassing its critics made it necessary for Gibney to use burner phones to contact interviewees and film in secret: "Sometimes for the on-camera interviews we'd set up gear in somebody's house and I'd make sure I'd be there hours before. Then the person would show up there so it was like they were just going to somebody’s house." [12]

Explaining why he chose to make a film about Scientology, Gibney told Reuters that he considered it "an important topic. Not only about this church of Scientology, which everybody's fascinated with partially because of the celebrities, but partially because of the way that the church seems to turn people to do things that I think they would normally never do if had they not entered the church." [13] Gibney, Wright, and the former Scientologists who appeared in the film told a post-screening question-and-answer session that they hoped the film would raise public awareness about the alleged abuses committed by the Church of Scientology, and would prompt the media and law enforcement agencies to investigate further. [1] Gibney later called in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece for Scientology's tax exemption to be revoked in the light of the allegations of abuse documented in the film. [14]

Distribution and screenings

United States

Going Clear made its world première on January 25, 2015, at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The Wall Street Journal described it as "the hottest ticket" at the festival. [1] The première was so popular that even those with tickets were unable to find seats, because so many VIP pass-holders chose to watch the film, displacing ordinary festival-goers. [1] It attracted numerous celebrities and media figures, including Alec Baldwin, Tobey Maguire, Jason Sudeikis, and New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd. [15] The audience gave Going Clear a standing ovation in an unusual occurrence for a Sundance presentation. [1] "Spanky" Taylor's appearance on stage, along with the daughter from whom the Scientology Church had forced her to "disconnect", reduced many in the audience to tears. [3] The film was subsequently shown in a limited number of New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco theaters from March 13, 2015. [16]

The initial theatrical release was deliberately small-scale, most likely undertaken to ensure that Going Clear met the eligibility criteria for an Oscar nomination. Due to continuing public demand, HBO announced in July 2015 that it would be releasing the film more widely from September 25 through the ArcLight Cinemas chain's theaters in California, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York City, Texas and a few other locations around the US. [17] [18]

HBO broadcast the television première of Going Clear on March 29, 2015. [16] It was the network's most successful documentary premiere since 2006, attracting 1.7 million viewers. [19] 5.5 million viewers were reported to have watched it within only two weeks of its TV première, making it the second most successful HBO documentary in the past decade after a 2013 film on the singer Beyoncé. [20]

International

The film sold worldwide but was scheduled only for non-theatrical release in most countries. The Church of Scientology undertook an intensive campaign to block its release internationally. According to Alex Gibney, "Every step of the way, every distributor, every festival has received multiple threatening letters from the Church of Scientology. Some have come very close to buckling." The Sydney Film Festival was among those threatened but the screening of Going Clear went ahead; Gibney declared himself to be "delighted with the way the Australians handled it." [21] However, Australian airline Qantas, which employs Scientologist John Travolta as an ambassador, was reported to have refused to show the film on its aircraft. [22]

The film was shown in Denmark on DR2 as Scientologys religiøse fængsel, on April 21, 2015, [23] in Sweden on SVT1 as Fångade av scientologin on May 19, [24] and by VPRO in the Netherlands on NPO 2 on May 19. [25] It was released in Italy as Going Clear: Scientology e la prigione della fede on June 25. [26]

Sky Atlantic, a co-distributor of the film, along with HBO Documentary Films, originally planned to broadcast Going Clear in the UK and Ireland soon after its US TV première. However, this was stalled due to potential legal problems. Because Northern Ireland is not subject to the Defamation Act 2013, which reformed the libel laws in other parts of the UK, and because Sky cannot differentiate its signal between regions, the film may be subject to legal challenge in Northern Ireland. The Church of Scientology successfully blocked the publication or distribution of the original book Going Clear in the UK and Ireland and indicated a willingness to sue broadcasters, saying in a statement that it "will be entitled to seek the protection of both UK and Irish libel laws in the event that any false or defamatory content in this film is broadcast within these jurisdictions." [27]

The film eventually received a low-key release in June 2015 in 18 theaters in England and Scotland. [21] It was broadcast on Sky Atlantic in the UK and Ireland, including Northern Ireland, on September 21, 2015, and attracted 88,000 overnight viewers. [28] By the start of October it had become Sky's most-watched documentary for three years, attracting a peak audience of 313,000 viewers and an average of 243,000 including catchup viewing. [29]

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes collected 87 reviews as of September 24, 2015, of which 94% were positive. The site's consensus states: "Thoroughly disquieting but impossible to ignore, Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief is a searing investigative work from a master documentarian." [30] Metacritic gave the film a score of 80/100 based on 11 critics, indicating "Generally favorable reviews". [31]

Variety's chief film critic, Scott Foundas, praised the level of detail in Going Clear and called it a "powder-keg" documentary that illustrates "the dangers of blind faith." [6] Lesley Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter characterized it as an "impeccably assembled and argued film" that "represents a brave, timely intervention into debates around the organization that have been simmering for some time." [32] Slate called the film "a stunning exposé of an organization and religion too long shrouded in mystery." [33] Screen Daily's Anthony Kaufman felt that some of the re-enactments in the film were "heavy-handed or sensationalistic," but commended it overall as "a serious, strange and unsettling account of brainwashing, greed and gross misuses of power." [34]

Writing in The Guardian , Brian Moylan described Going Clear as "entertaining and dismaying viewing" in which "the story of Scientology, with all its strange players, emerges as comedy, rather than horror," but criticised its reliance on a small group of defectors and the lack of any involvement by the Scientology Church. He felt that this made the film "a bit one-sided" and that it was "easy to be skeptical about some of the more outlandish claims made by former members." [4]

Sasha Bronner of the Huffington Post called the film a "shocking and eye-opening" work that would leave those who did not know much about Scientology "spellbound." [35] The BBC's Owen Gleiberman praised it as "the most exciting – and disturbing – work of cinematic non-fiction in a long time" and awarded Going Clear five stars, describing it as having "the scary intensity of a thriller." [36]

Following the initial HBO broadcast of Going Clear, Saturday Night Live aired a music video featuring the "Church of Neurotology", a parody of Scientology's 1990 music video "We Stand Tall", clips from which were shown in the documentary. [37]

Awards and nominations

Going Clear received a total of seven nominations for the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. The film was nominated in the categories for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming, Picture Editing for Nonfiction Programming, Sound Editing for Nonfiction Programming (single or multi-camera) and Sound Mixing for Nonfiction Programming (single or multi-camera). Alex Gibney also received two nominations for Writing for Nonfiction Programming and Direction for Nonfiction Programming. [38]

The film won in three Emmy categories: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Writing for Nonfiction Programming and Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming. [39] Gibney praised the "courageous support" of HBO executives and the "courage of witnesses who stood up against ... the human rights abuses" of Scientology. He suggested that a sequel to Going Clear might be in the works: "There's a lot more material already that I've received, more to come out — and so far the IRS has not revoked its [tax-exemption] protection so there’s a lot more to be done.". [40] On December 1, the film was selected as one of 15 shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. [41] It also won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay in 2015, [42] and won a 2015 George Foster Peabody Award, presented at the 2016 awards ceremony. [43]

Scientology reaction

The Church of Scientology stood in strong opposition to the film. Church of Scientology building in Los Angeles, Fountain Avenue.jpg
The Church of Scientology stood in strong opposition to the film.

Ten days before the film's premiere, the Church of Scientology took out full-page advertisements in The New York Times and Los Angeles Times to denounce Going Clear, [2] comparing it to the story "A Rape on Campus" published by Rolling Stone magazine. [44] Gibney subsequently said that he was grateful for the church's advertising, as it had attracted much publicity for the film; he only wished "they'd put in showtimes." [5] The head of HBO Documentary Films, Sheila Nevins, commented that when she saw the advertisements she knew that Going Clear would be a big success: "Docs don’t get full page ads, and when they do, they do really well." [45]

Scientology also published a "special report" attacking the film on one of its websites, started a new Twitter account which claimed to be "taking a resolute stand against the broadcasting and publishing of false information" [44] and bought numerous ads around Google search results relating to the film in order to direct searchers to its anti-Going Clear pages. [46] Additionally, Scientology posted a series of short films on its website attacking the filmmakers and their interviewees, with titles such as "Alex Gibney Documentary 'Going Clear' Propaganda," "Marty Rathbun: A Violent Psychopath," "Mike Rinder: The Wife Beater," "Sara Goldberg: The Home Wrecker" and "Paul Haggis: The Hypocrite of Hollywood." [12] [47]

Scientology complained that Gibney had declined to interview 25 of its members whom it had put forward to him. According to Gibney, Miscavige, Travolta, and Cruise all declined interviews. [7] Instead Scientology offered "a delegation of 25 unidentified individuals, presumably to smear the people in our film", which did not interest Gibney. [48] Scientology also denounced the film's interviewees as "the usual collection of obsessive, disgruntled former Church members kicked out as long as 30 years ago for malfeasance, who have a documented history of making up lies about the Church for money". [1]

Campaign against film interviewees and critics

According to Gibney, the Scientology Church mounted an "organized" and "brutal" response to the appearance of its former members in the film: "Some of them have had physical threats, people threatening to take their homes away, private investigators following them. That's the part that's really heartbreaking." [49] In March 2015, a New York private investigator named Eric Saldarriaga pleaded guilty to the federal charge of conspiracy to commit computer hacking after he illegally gained access to at least 60 email accounts on behalf of undisclosed clients, [50] one of the main ones reportedly being "someone who has done investigations on behalf of the Church of Scientology." [51] Among those targeted were Mike Rinder and the journalist Tony Ortega, [52] both interviewees in the film. [53] The names of Saldarriaga's clients were not revealed and prosecutors declined to pursue action against anyone else, citing a lack of evidence. [51] A few weeks after the film's TV première, Paul Haggis reported that a suspected Scientology spy posing as a reporter for Time had attempted to interview him in a possible attempt to obtain material to use against him; the Church denied the claim. [54] Tony Ortega and another interviewee in the film, former Scientologist Marc Headley, reported that investigators from the Scientology Church had surveilled them at Salt Lake City airport as they made their way to the Sundance Film Festival. [5]

Scientology contacted film critics complaining that their reviews of Going Clear were "filled with bald faced lies" and demanding that the critics should publish a statement rebutting the film. Jason Bailey of Flavorwire wrote that "pretty much every critic who wrote about Going Clear" received an email from Scientology spokesperson Karin Pouw. He commented that Scientology did not seem to realise that film critics do not usually try to interview people for reviews, and noted how neatly it "comports with the film's portrayal of the Church as a hive of shady, paranoid control freaks." [46] In an email to Flavorwire, Gibney observed that "anytime someone writes something – film criticism or social criticism – about Scientology, the Church of Scientology counter-attacks by smearing critics." [55]

Indiewire's Max O'Connell criticised Scientology's approach as counterproductive. He predicted that "their campaign against the film is going to be the best publicity that Alex Gibney and company could ever hope for, if also a hassle for critics and filmmakers and (this is no small thing) a nightmare for the ex-CoS members who dared to speak out against Scientology's practices. But then, they don't seem terribly aware that attacking everyone who criticizes you doesn't do a lot of good for your image." [46] Paul Haggis, who was labeled "doughy" and "pasty" by the church, likewise felt that the attacks were backfiring: "You don't think that makes you look really bad trying to slander me in that way? I'm an imperfect human being. And I've made many, many mistakes in my life. So you can absolutely publicize any of those. But this, really, (you’re) thinking that makes you look good?" [47]

The filmmakers reported receiving "lots of cards and letters" from the church, though in their case it had limited its response to "loads of legal paperwork". [5] HBO had earlier said that it had put "probably 160 lawyers" onto the task of reviewing the film in anticipation of challenges from the notoriously litigious group. [10] Sheila Nevins of HBO commented that she could not believe how aggressive the Scientology Church had been. Not only did it effectively provide free advertising for the film, but its hostility had made HBO Documentary Films even more determined to produce the film: "I thought, 'They really don't want us to do it. All the reason more to do it.'" [45]

Campaign to influence Oscar awards

Following the film's success at the Emmys, the Church of Scientology was reported to have mounted an aggressive campaign to deny it recognition at the Oscars. Scientology's campaign included producing an anti-Gibney film and approaches to members of the Academy's documentary branch, responsible for selecting contenders for the awards. Several members of the documentary branch reported receiving approaches from Scientology's magazine Freedom in connection with a planned profile of Gibney. Although Scientology denied that its actions had anything to do with the Oscars, Lawrence Wright suggested that its "more feverish attention to the documentary" had to do with it feeling "threatened by the possibility that [the Hollywood] community would examine the church more closely" as the Oscars approached. [56] In January 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter , the film and Gibney were reported to have been "snubbed" by Oscar voters and not included in the Best Documentary category of the 88th Academy Awards. [57]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scientology controversies</span>

Since its inception in 1954, the Church of Scientology has been involved in a number of controversies, including its stance on psychiatry, Scientology's legitimacy as a religion, the Church's aggressive attitude in dealing with its perceived enemies and critics, allegations of mistreatment of members, and predatory financial practices; for example, the high cost of religious training:191 and perceived exploitative practices. When mainstream media outlets have reported alleged abuses, representatives of the church have tended to deny such allegations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Miscavige</span> Leader of the Church of Scientology (born 1960)

David Miscavige is the second and current leader of the Church of Scientology. His official title within the organization is Chairman of the Board of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), a corporation that controls the trademarks and copyrights of Dianetics and Scientology. He is also referred to within the Scientology organization as "DM", "C.O.B." or "Captain of the Sea Org".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Scientology</span> American religious group and business

The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious movement. The movement has been the subject of a number of controversies, and the Church of Scientology has been described by government inquiries, international parliamentary bodies, scholars, law lords, and numerous superior court judgements as both a dangerous cult and a manipulative profit-making business. In 1979, several executives of the organization were convicted and imprisoned for multiple offenses by a U.S. Federal Court. The Church of Scientology itself was convicted of fraud by a French court in 2009, a decision upheld by the supreme Court of Cassation in 2013. The German government classifies Scientology as an unconstitutional sect. In France, it has been classified as a dangerous cult. In some countries, it has attained legal recognition as a religion.

Scientology has been referenced in popular culture in many different forms of media including fiction, film, music, television and theatre. In the 1960s, author William S. Burroughs wrote about Scientology in both fictional short stories and non-fictional essays. The topic was dealt with more directly in his book, Ali's Smile/Naked Scientology. The 2000 film Battlefield Earth was an adaptation of a novel by L. Ron Hubbard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Rathbun</span> American whistleblower

Mark C. "Marty" Rathbun is a former senior executive of the Church of Scientology who last held the post of Inspector General of the Religious Technology Center (RTC), the organization that is responsible for the protection and enforcement of all Dianetics and Scientology copyrights and trademarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Gibney</span> American film director and producer

Philip Alexander Gibney is an American documentary film director and producer. In 2010, Esquire magazine said Gibney "is becoming the most important documentarian of our time."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Rinder</span> Australian-American former Scientologist

Michael John Rinder is an Australian-American former senior executive of the Church of Scientology International (CSI) and the Sea Organization based in the United States. From 1982 to 2007, Rinder served on the board of directors of CSI and also held the post of executive director of its Office of Special Affairs, overseeing the corporate, legal and public relations matters of Scientology at the international level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Scientology</span>

This is a Timeline of Scientology, particularly its foundation and development by author L. Ron Hubbard as well as general publications, articles, books and other milestones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence Wright</span> American writer and journalist (born 1947)

Lawrence Wright is an American writer and journalist, who is a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine, and fellow at the Center for Law and Security at the New York University School of Law. Wright is best known as the author of the 2006 nonfiction book Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. Wright is also known for his work with documentarian Alex Gibney who directed film versions of Wright's one man show My Trip to Al-Qaeda and his book Going Clear. His 2020 novel, The End of October, a thriller about a pandemic, was released in April 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, to generally positive reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Beghe</span> American film and television actor (born 1960)

Jason Deneen Beghe is an American actor. Since 2014, he has starred in the NBC TV series Chicago P.D. as Sergeant Hank Voight. He is also known for starring in the 1988 George A. Romero film Monkey Shines, playing Demi Moore's love interest in G.I. Jane, appearing as a police officer in the film Thelma & Louise, starring opposite Moira Kelly in the television series To Have & to Hold, and having recurring roles on Picket Fences, Melrose Place, Chicago Hope, American Dreams, Cane, and Californication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Davis (Scientology)</span> American financial executive

Thomas William Davis is an American financial executive. From 2005 to 2011, Davis was head of external affairs and the chief spokesperson of the Church of Scientology International and Senior Vice President at the Church of Scientology Celebrity Centre International from the early 1990s. Between 2011 and 2013, Davis did not make any public appearances in the media. In June 2013, it was revealed that Davis and his wife had relocated from Gold Base in Riverside County, California, to Austin, Texas. He currently resides in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nazanin Boniadi</span> British actress and activist (born 1980)

Nazanin Boniadi is a British actress and activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liz Garbus</span> American film director and producer

Elizabeth Freya Garbus is an American documentary film director and producer. Notable documentaries Garbus has made are The Farm: Angola, USA,Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,Bobby Fischer Against the World,Love, Marilyn,What Happened, Miss Simone?, and Becoming Cousteau. She is co-founder and co-director of the New York City-based documentary film production company Story Syndicate.

<i>Going Clear</i> (book) 2013 non-fiction book about Scientology written by Lawrence Wright

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief is a 2013 non-fiction book about Scientology written by Lawrence Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Ortega</span> American author and journalist monitoring Scientology

Anthony "Tony" Ortega is an American journalist and editor who is best known for his coverage of the Church of Scientology and his blog The Underground Bunker. He was executive editor of Raw Story from 2013 until 2015. Previously, he had been a journalist at the New Times LA, the editor-in-chief of the Broward-Palm Beach New Times from 2005 to 2007, and the editor-in-chief of The Village Voice from 2007 to 2012. In 2015, he was executive editor of the YouTube channel TheLipTV. He is author of the non-fiction book The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, about journalist Paulette Cooper and the Church of Scientology's attempts to silence her after her own book was published.

<i>Prophets Prey</i> 2015 American documentary film

Prophet's Prey is a 2015 American documentary directed and written by Amy J. Berg. The film follows Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who is now running the religion from the confines of the Texas state prison, serving out a life sentence, for the rape of young girls. The film is an adaption of the 2011 book of the same name by Sam Brower, who also serves as a producer on the film. Ron Howard serves as an executive producer under his Imagine Entertainment banner.

<i>My Scientology Movie</i> 2015 film

My Scientology Movie is a 2015 British documentary film about Scientology directed by John Dower, and written by and starring Louis Theroux. The film takes an unconventional approach to the subject matter, featuring young actors "auditioning" for parts playing high-profile Scientologists in scenes recreating accounts from ex-members about incidents involving senior church management. The Church of Scientology responded by putting the filmmakers under surveillance and denouncing the film.

<i>Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath</i> American documentary series

Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath is an American documentary series that investigates the Church of Scientology through the experiences of American actress Leah Remini and other former members. She was a follower of Scientology between 1979, when she joined at the age of nine alongside her parents, and 2013, when she left under acrimonious circumstances. She subsequently became an outspoken critic of Scientology and published a bestselling memoir, Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology, in 2015.

Marina Zenovich is an American filmmaker known for her biographical documentaries. Her films include LANCE, Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic and Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, which won two Emmy awards.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fritz, Ben (January 26, 2015). "Sundance Festival: Alex Gibney's Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' Is a Hit". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Cieply, Michael (January 15, 2015). "Documentary Draws Ire From the Church of Scientology". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Pritchard, Tiffany (January 28, 2015). "Alex Gibney, Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief". Screendaily.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Moylan, Brian (January 26, 2015). "Sundance 2015 review: Going Clear – Scientology film preaches to converted". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Buckley, Cara (January 26, 2015). "Sundance 2015: Scientology Documentary Draws Crush of Festgoers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Foundas, Scott (January 26, 2015). "Sundance Film Review: 'Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  7. 1 2 Cohen, Sandy (January 26, 2015). "Sundance First Look: Oscar winner Alex Gibney pulls back curtain on Scientology". Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  8. ↑ Stern, Marlow (January 26, 2015). "Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Claims the Church Split Up Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  9. ↑ Puig, Claudia (January 26, 2015). "Scientology doc 'Going Clear' shocks Sundance filmgoers". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  10. 1 2 Puente, Maria (December 1, 2014). "HBO's Pending Scientology Documentary Investigates Church's Hold On Hollywood Stars". USA Today. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ Horn, John (January 30, 2015). "Alex Gibney on Going Clear, His Scientology Documentary That's the Talk of Sundance". Vulture.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 Trinh, Jean (March 13, 2015). "The Challenges Of Making A Scientology Documentary, According To 'Going Clear' Director". LAist. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  13. ↑ Moyer, Justin (January 28, 2015). "The horrible things a new documentary says about Tom Cruise and Scientology". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Gibney, Alex (April 11, 2015). "'Going Clear' filmmaker: Scientology abuses its tax-exempt status". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Scientology movie 'Going Clear' creates buzz at Sundance Film Festival". Tampa Bay Times. January 26, 2015. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Lee, Ashley (March 4, 2015). "'Going Clear' Filmmakers on How Scientology Sees Tom Cruise as "Useless," Uses John Travolta's Plane". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 6, 2015. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  17. ↑ Cox, Jamieson (July 15, 2015). "HBO is putting their smash Scientology doc Going Clear back in theaters". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  18. ↑ Zerbib, Kathy (July 15, 2015). "HBO to Re-release Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear' in Theaters". The Wrap. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
  19. ↑ O'Connell, Michael (March 31, 2015). "Scientology Exposé 'Going Clear' Is HBO's Biggest Doc Premiere in Almost a Decade". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 5, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  20. ↑ Maas, Jenniver (April 13, 2015). "Going Clear on pace to be HBO's second-most-watched documentary". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  21. 1 2 Siegemund-Broka, Austin (July 3, 2015). "'Going Clear' Director Alex Gibney Says "Every Distributor, Every Festival" Threatened as Doc Opens Internationally". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 4, 2015. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  22. ↑ Bodey, Michael (July 1, 2015). "Scientologists pressured Sydney Film Festival to ban film". The Australian. Retrieved July 5, 2015.
  23. ↑ Kontroversiel film om Scientology i 'DR2 Dokumania' Archived September 29, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , DR
  24. ↑ Fångade av scientologin Archived August 3, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , SVT
  25. ↑ going clear: scientology & the prison of belief Archived September 28, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , VPRO
  26. ↑ Santoni, Simona (June 24, 2015). "Going Clear, il documentario sui segreti di Scientology - Video". Panorama (in Italian). Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  27. ↑ Helmore, Edward (April 18, 2015). "TV 'exposure' of Scientonlogy halted by UK & Irish libel law split". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  28. ↑ Szalai, Georg (September 22, 2015). "Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Draws 88,000 Overnight Viewers on U.K.'s Sky". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  29. ↑ Jackson, Jasper (October 2, 2015). "Scientology film Going Clear is Sky's most-watched documentary since 2012". Archived from the original on October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  30. ↑ "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 15, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief". Metacritic. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  32. ↑ Felperin, Leslie (January 26, 2015). "'Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief': Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  33. ↑ Shetty, Sharan (January 26, 2015). "What Sundance Favorite Going Clear Tells Us About Scientology". Slate. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  34. ↑ Kaufman, Anthony (January 26, 2015). "Going Clear: Scientology And The Prison Of Belief". Screendaily.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  35. ↑ Bronner, Sasha (January 27, 2015). "Sundance So Far: More On The Juicy Scientology Doc Everyone Is Talking About". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  36. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (March 20, 2015). "Going Clear is a 'must-see' Scientology documentary". BBC Worldwide. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  37. ↑ Shetty, Sharon (April 5, 2015). "SNL Finally Sends Up Scientology in the Sing-Along "Neurotology" Music Video". Slate. Archived from the original on April 15, 2015. Retrieved April 15, 2015.
  38. ↑ Brown, Tracy (July 16, 2015). "Emmy nominations 2015: Complete list of nominees". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Creative Arts Emmys 2015: Full Winners List". Variety. September 12, 2015. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  40. ↑ de Moraes, Lisa (September 12, 2015). "'Going Clear' Director On Tom Cruise & Sequel To Scientology Docu - Creative Arts Emmys". Deadline. Archived from the original on September 13, 2015. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  41. ↑ "15 DOCUMENTARY FEATURES ADVANCE IN 2015 OSCAR® RACE". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. December 1, 2015. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  42. ↑ "2016 Writers Guild Awards Winners Announced". Writers Guild of America. February 13, 2016. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
  43. ↑ "Going Clear: Scientology and The Prison of Belief (HBO)". Archived from the original on February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2020.
  44. 1 2 Labrecque, Jeff (January 28, 2015). "Church of Scientology sets up online response to 'Going Clear' doc". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  45. 1 2 Guerassio, Jason (June 18, 2015). "Here's the moment HBO knew its Scientology doc 'Going Clear' would be a huge hit". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  46. 1 2 3 O'Connell, Max (February 2, 2015). "Church of Scientology Representatives Now Bullying Film Critics". Indiewire. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  47. 1 2 Patch, Nick (August 16, 2015). "Canadian ex-Scientologist Paul Haggis hopes 'Going Clear' is opening eyes". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  48. ↑ Lang, Brent (January 27, 2015). "Sundance: 'Going Clear' Creators Say Tom Cruise Should Speak Out Against Scientology's Abuses". Variety. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  49. ↑ Collins, Sean T. (March 19, 2015). "'Clear' and Present Danger: Alex Gibney on His Bold Scientology Doc". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 21, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2015.
  50. ↑ Goldstein, Matthew (March 6, 2015). "Investigator Admits Guilt in Hiring of a Hacker". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 25, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  51. 1 2 Goldstein, Matthew (August 8, 2015). "Hired Hacker Who Named Clients Now Fears Retaliation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  52. ↑ Goldstein, Matthew (June 25, 2015). "Prison Term Sought for Private Eye Who Hacked Email". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  53. ↑ Gallagher, Sean (June 26, 2015). "Private investigator snooped on e-mail of Scientology critics [Updated]". Ars Technica. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  54. ↑ Silman, Anna (April 17, 2015). "Report: Scientology spy pretending to be a Time reporter tries to interview Paul Haggis". Salon. Archived from the original on April 18, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  55. ↑ Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (February 3, 2015). "Church of Scientology targets film critics over Going Clear documentary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  56. ↑ Ford, Rebecca; Johnson, Scott (October 7, 2015). "Oscar voters tell THR they have been targeted by the church as screenings prompt fights and police probe the mysterious apparent suicide of Jim Carrey's girlfriend". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved October 10, 2015.
  57. ↑ Siegel, Tatiana (January 14, 2016). "Oscar Nominations: Scientology Doc 'Going Clear' Shut Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 8, 2020. Retrieved January 14, 2016.

Video interviews

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.