The Divine Ryans: Catholics, Humour, and Sexuality

Kovačič, Jasmina (author), Krevel, Mojca (mentor)

This thesis analyses the cinematic portrayal of Catholics, humour, and sexuality in the 1999 film The Divine Ryans, adapted from Wayne Johnston’s novel of the same title. These topics had been heavily censored and avoided in film projects throughout the better half of the twentieth century; however, by the turn of the century, the film industry had already enjoyed the liberty to portray them with little to no legal constraints. The thesis examines how these topics have been portrayed in films in the past and how The Divine Ryans both challenges and upholds the complex portrayal of Catholics, their problematic relationship with sexuality, more specifically homosexuality, and avoidant attitude towards humour. It also offers a new perspective on the filmmakers’ choice to largely eliminate the novel’s humour and focus on Catholics and sexuality instead.

• Language: English
• Keywords: The Divine Ryans, Catholics, humour, sexuality, homosexuality, cinematic portrayal, complex relationship
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-135130
• ISBN: 98719235
• COBISS.SI-ID: 98719235
• Publication date in RUL: 23.02.2022

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: The Divine Ryans: katoliki, humor in seksualnost

Abstract

Naloga analizira filmsko upodobitev katolikov, humorja in seksualnosti v filmu The Divine Ryans, ki je izšel leta 1999, in je posnet po romanu z istim imenom avtorja Wayna Johnstona. Te teme so bile večji del dvajsetega stoletja strogo cenzurirane, prav tako pa se jih je filmska industrija v svojih projektih izogibala. Vendar pa je na prelomu stoletja že uživala svobodo ustvarjanja filmskih projektov, ki vsebinsko niso bili več tako zakonsko omejeni. Naloga preučuje, kako so bile te teme predstavljene v preteklih filmih in na kakšen način film The Divine Ryans hkrati izziva in ohranja zapleteno upodobitev katolikov, njihov problematičen odnos do seksualnosti, predvsem homoseksualnosti, in izogibljiv odnos do humorja. Prav tako ponuja nov pogled na odločitev filmskih ustvarjalcev, da izpustijo večji del humorja, ki je prisoten v romanu, in namesto tega večjo pozornost namenijo katolikom in seksualnosti.

• Keywords: The Divine Ryans, katoliki, humor, seksualnost, homoseksualnost, filmska upodobitev, zapleten odnos