If you were suddenly face-to-face with an individual who had caused you great pain for over 50 years, would you be able to forgive him or her? Philomena challenges viewers with that question by taking them on a touching journey for answers and closure.

The movie Philomena is based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith, a journalist and former adviser in the British government. The film follows Martin and Philomena Lee, an elderly, devout Irish Catholic woman, on their journey to find her son, Anthony, whom she birthed at the age of 15. Unable to deal with a pregnant teen, Philomena’s father had sent her to the Sean Ross Abbey to deliver her baby and pay off her debt to the nuns for the subsequent four years.

One day, Philomena learns that Anthony has been adopted and has been taken away without her consent or knowledge. Eventually, Philomena leaves the convent, keeps her past a secret, and builds a family. Finally, after 50 years, Philomena breaks her silence and tells her daughter about Anthony and her time at the convent. Philomena’s daughter pitches the story to Martin, who is looking for a way to bounce back from the nadir of his career, at a cocktail party.

What follows is an excellent portrayal of a truly fascinating human interest story. The duo travels around the world, following leads and piecing together Anthony’s life. In the end, Philomena’s search comes full circle and she finds herself back at the Abbey for a few final questions.

While the story on its own is interesting and heartfelt, what gave the plot even more depth was the juxtaposition of the characters Martin and Philomena. For all intents and purposes, Philomena and Martin are complete opposites.

Martin, played by Steve Coogan (who also co-wrote the screenplay and produced the film), is an academic with a penchant for sarcasm who doesn’t have a simple answer for if God exists. He is generally distrusting of most people and is often angry with everyone surrounding him.

Philomena, portrayed by Dame Judi Dench, is a simple woman with amazing faith in God. While not a member of the intellectual elite, she is still wise in her own way and manner, having worked as a nurse for most of her adult life. She wants to treat everyone kindly and seems to have a knack for making friends wherever she goes. Rather than be angry and dissatisfied with the world, she chooses to be happy and make the best of any situation.

Putting these two unlikely mates in a car and on a transcontinental flight makes for some unexpectedly funny moments in light of the seriousness of their mission. The moment that made me laugh out loud was seeing Philomena describe the plot of Big Momma’s House: “It’s about a little black man pretending to be a big black lady. It looked hilarious, Martin!”

I’m not sure it needs to be mentioned, but Dench’s portrayal of Philomena was extremely heartfelt and moving. While I personally connected more to the character of Martin, Dench’s Philomena was everything a protagonist should be: relatable, friendly, compassionate, and an all-around good person. She impresses on the viewer that she finds no comfort in indignation and would rather move on with her life than wallow in the sorrows of the past. Instead of choosing to be angry, she chooses to forgive.

Near the end of the film, Philomena and Martin confront one of the surviving nuns who had contributed so much pain to the woman over half a century. In this scene, I would have certainly taken the path of Martin. When Martin presses the nun for an explanation, she states that losing her son was Philomena’s punishment to bear for her sins of the flesh. She then snaps at Martin about how Jesus is the only one who can judge her for her actions.

If I were in Philomena’s shoes, I would have then chastised the nun for her self-anointed role as God, judge, and jury. Upon reflection, Philomena’s reaction of forgiveness probably puts the nun in her place more so than any passionate lecture I would have given. Sometimes it is the simplest words and phrases that have the deepest impact. Those three little words, “I forgive you,” can take the wind out of sails of the righteous and bring peace and calm to those who desperately need it.

While Philomena was a solid choice for a Best Picture nominee, I highly doubt the Academy will be awarding it the highest honor. Even though the film had it all in terms of emotion, it lacked a certain punch that the Best Picture films have had over the past few years. I’m not sure the Catholic Church’s sins in this movie will resonate with voters as resoundingly as those of the Texas bull riders in Dallas Buyers Club or the American slave owners in 12 Years a Slave. However, missing out on this nominee would be a mistake for any fan of cinema.