Into Temptation is a 2009 independent drama film written and directed by Patrick Coyle, and starring Jeremy Sisto, Kristin Chenoweth, Brian Baumgartner, Bruce A.

The film touches on themes of temptation, sin, good and evil, redemption and celibacy, as well as the boundaries between a priest providing counsel and getting personally involved with helping parishioners.

Although first publicly shown for Coyle's father in December 2008, Into Temptation officially premiered on April 26, 2009, at the Newport Beach Film Festival, where Sisto won the "Outstanding Achievement in Acting" award.

There, Father John and Lloyd find Zeke (Tony Papenfuss), a taxi driver who knows they are looking for Linda and agrees to take them to her apartment.

James entered seminary but dropped out before ordination after he was drafted into serving overseas in World War II and met Margaret Mary Quinlan, who would become his wife and Patrick Coyle's mother.

"[2] Coyle said when writing Into Temptation, he did not intend to make a religious film, and said of protagonist Father John Buerlein, "The character could have been a minister or a rabbi or a public defender.

"[9] Ann Luster, the film's producer, helped with the script from the earliest stages, and claimed she and Coyle had a deep understanding of how to handle the characters from the start.

[9] The Into Temptation script won the McKnight Screenwriting Fellowship from IFP Minnesota Center for Media Arts, and investors were sought through public readings.

"[10] Jeremy Sisto said he was drawn to the script and was excited to take on a different project than his regular role of Detective Cyrus Lupo on the NBC crime drama series Law & Order.

[8] In order to film Into Temptation, Chenoweth took a five-day hiatus from her supporting role on the ABC television series Pushing Daisies.

[14] While visiting New York City in May 2008 for an upfront presentation, shortly after having finished filming the fourth season of The Office, Baumgartner was offered the Into Temptation script by Coyle, who asked him to consider taking the role of Father Ralph O'Brien.

[17][18] In addition to his personal connections to the city, Coyle said filming took place in Minneapolis because it was relatively inexpensive to shoot there and hire local actors.

[17] Coyle approached Russell Holsapple, a Minneapolis – Saint Paul native and relatively inexperienced composer, to create the score for Into Temptation.

He said the final cuts provided to him already contained the actors' strongest performances, but he placed a greater focus on Father John's character in an effort to "help the audience get inside him and connect emotionally".

[7] Into Temptation was optioned by Hollywood, but Coyle was displeased when industry officials wanted him to change the ending and make the sex scenes more risque.

[4] Variety magazine writer Rob Nelson called it a well-photographed film of "occasionally irreverent wit", and that Coyle "strikes a near-perfect balance between humor and holiness".

[6] Colin Covert of the Star Tribune called it a "haunting, carefully crafted movie" with simple "matter-of-fact" direction, a "trim and efficient" screenplay, strong acting and solid characters.

"[14] OC Weekly writer Matt Coker said Into Temptation had a cohesive script which "strikes just the right chord of reverence for the Catholic faith".

[10] L. Kent Wolgamott of the Lincoln Journal Star called Into Temptation a well-made film that "gets the mood right from start to finish".

Townsend particularly praised Baumgartner's performance and described the scenes between Sisto and a young boy troubled by his homosexual feelings (John Skelley) as "exquisite".

Doyle praised the film's quiet tone and the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, but said it "occasionally gets a little sleepy in the middle", and that the subplot involving Father John's ex-girlfriend could have been cut altogether.

[27] Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy praised the performances of Sisto and Chenoweth, and complimented Coyle's understanding of the pastoral work of a parish priest.

[29] Andrea Gronvall of the Chicago Reader called it a "cheesy melodrama", and wrote, "Writer-director Patrick Coyle tackles such weighty issues as child abuse, alcoholism, hypocrisy, celibacy, and Catholic reforms, but the movie's spiritual agenda is belied by its voyeurism.

[30][31] Throughout the film, Father John is warned that his role as a priest comes with boundaries, and that he should not become personally involved with the congregants or try to solve their problems except through counseling.

[1][14] However, Father John begins to question those boundaries and reconsider whether the role as priest goes far enough in having a positive, substantive impact on the lives of those in his care, particularly Linda.

[14][32] While speaking to a prospective mother struggling over whether to raise her daughter within the strict confines of Catholicism, Father John gives her advice beyond the official dogma and encourages her to be flexible, telling her she should "take what works" from the church teachings.

[1] The negative responses Father John encounters from congregants and the church regarding his trips to the red-light district demonstrate the way sex and poverty are often stigmatized in society.

[19] As the title suggests, one of the major themes of the film involves the temptations Father John faces to sin and stray from his priestly calling.

As Father John goes deeper into the red-light district and the seedier aspects of Minneapolis, he appears to face temptations from the prostitution and overt sexuality surrounding him.

[32] The film demonstrates the power of compassion and individual kindness, particularly in the way that John's simple act of defending Linda during her childhood was such a profound moment in her life.