Parents' Guide to The Letters

While offering a decent chronology of important events in Mother Teresa's ministry for the poor, this drama is ultimately too bland and unremarkable to be as memorable as its legendary subject. Stevenson, although a capable actress, is unconvincing playing Mother Teresa over a 40-year-span (her appearance barely changes), and she doesn't have much more to do than look empathetically at suffering souls and give them a hand -- both literally and figuratively. The screenplay glosses over some significant historical events (like the Indian Partition) and often tells rather than shows how Mother Teresa struggled to make peace with her spiritual doubts.

Watching the film, audiences may begin to wonder whether there are documentaries that depict the legendary nun's story without getting bogged down in stilted dialogue, oversimplified historical events, or the question of her canonization (which is rumored to be slated, although the Vatican has yet to announce a specific date). There are only a couple of scenes in which Mother Teresa seems more human than saint -- once being when she cries that she hasn't seen her mother or sister in years. For a film that's titled for the letters that explore Mother Teresa's doubts and worries, it's a shame there isn't more about her inner life -- and legacy.