Some Mother's Son (1996)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Terry George

Writers (WGA):

Terry George (written by) &
Jim Sheridan (written by)

Release Date:

25 December 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Between love and loyalty... Between life and death... Lies a choice no mother should have to make.

Plot:

Based on the true story of the 1981 hunger strike in a British prison, in which IRA prisoner Bobby Sands...

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Prisoner Of War | Hunger Strike | Beach | Dying Man

Awards:

4 wins

Cast

Helen Mirren	...	Kathleen Quigley
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Annie Higgins
Aidan Gillen	...	Gerard Quigley
David O'Hara	...	Frank Higgins
John Lynch	...	Bobby Sands
Tom Hollander	...	Farnsworth
Tim Woodward	...	Harrington
Ciarán Hinds	...	Danny Boyle
Geraldine O'Rawe	...	Alice Quigley
Gerard McSorley	...	Father Daly
Dan Gordon	...	Inspector McPeake
Grainne Delany	...	Theresa Higgins
Ciarán Fitzgerald	...	Liam Quigley
Robert Lang	...	Government Minister
Stephen Hogan	...	Young Turk
Peter Howitt	...	SAS Leader
Bosco Hogan	...	British Captain
Jimmy Keogh	...	Jimmy Higgins
John Kavanagh	...	Cardinal
Oliver Maguire	...	Frank Maguire
Doreen Keogh	...	Mother Superior
Anna Megan	...	Rosie Quigley
Hugh O'Donnell	...	Paddy
John Higgins	...	John Deegan
Joan Sheehy	...	Woman Searcher
Mal Whyte	...	Barrister
Alan Barry	...	Judge
Barry Cassin	...	Prosecutor
Brian Mallon	...	Jones, Frison Officer
Sean Lawlor	...	Platoon Leader
Michael Sherrie	...	Assistant governor
James Hickey	...	Young Son
Karen Carlisle	...	Prisoner's Girlfriend
Fiona Higgins	...	Prisoner's Sister
Jer O'Leary	...	Hunger Striker
Tim McDonnell	...	Hunger Striker
Tony Flynn	...	Cyclist
Liam Byrne	...	Prisoner Murphy
Pat Mulryan	...	IRA Man
Valerie Roe	...	Girl in Farnsworth's Office
Deirdre McAliskey	...	Woman in Court
Michael O'Sullivan	...	Davis, Prison Officer (as Michael F. O'Sullivan)
Jennifer Gibney	...	Woman Searcher
Robert Taylor	...	Election Agent
Kate Perry	...	Prison Officer's Widow
Anthony Brophy	...	Prisoners' Leader
Mickey McEneany	...	Merry Mac #1
Paddy McEneany	...	Merry Mac #2
Gene Berrills	...	Merry Mac #3
Ronan O'Donoghue	...	Radio Announcer
Richard Neilson	...	Radio Announcer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Margaret Thatcher	...	Herself (uncredited)

Directed by
Terry George

Writing credits (WGA)
Terry George		(written by) &
Jim Sheridan		(written by)

Produced by
Edward Burke	....	producer
Patrick Farrelly	....	co-producer: second unit, funeral
Arthur Lappin	....	producer
Helen Mirren	....	associate producer
Kate O'Callaghan	....	co-producer: second unit, funeral
Jim Sheridan	....	producer
Rod Stoneman	....	executive producer: Bórd Scannán na Éireann/Irish Film Board

Cinematography by
Geoffrey Simpson

Film Editing by
Craig McKay

Casting by
Nuala Moiselle

Production Design by
David Wilson

Art Direction by
Conor Devlin

Set Decoration by
Carolyn Scott

Costume Design by
Joan Bergin

Makeup Department
Michèle Burke	....	special makeup designer
Michèle Burke	....	special makeup supervisor
Orla Carrol	....	key assistant hair stylist (as Orla Carroll)
Carole Dunne	....	key assistant hair stylist
Lorraine Glynn	....	hair stylist trainee
Pat Hay	....	makeup designer: London
Helen Johnson	....	assistant makeup designer: London unit
Tara McHugh	....	trainee makeup artist
Susan McKenna	....	hair stylist trainee
James Mooney	....	hair stylist trainee
Maire O'Sullivan	....	key assistant makeup artist
Karen Pelrine	....	hair stylist trainee
Stephen Rose	....	chief hair designer: London
Nicola Scott	....	trainee makeup artist
Val Sharlock	....	hair stylist trainee
Margot Wilson	....	trainee makeup artist
Danny Bellens	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Cass McClure	....	foam latex technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Reggie Blain	....	unit manager
Gemma Fallon	....	unit production manager
Angus More Gordon	....	production manager: London

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mary Jo Andrews	....	trainee assistant director
Catherine Dunne	....	third assistant director: second unit
Ben Gibney	....	first assistant director: Funeral second unit
Mary Gough	....	third assistant director
Marcus Lynch	....	trainee assistant director
Michael Murray	....	first assistant director
Hannah Quinn	....	third assistant director: second unit
Kevin Westley	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John Addison	....	carpenter: London
Alex Bassett	....	carpenter
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager
James Butler	....	carpenter
Paul Clayton	....	stagehand trainee
Triona Coen	....	dressing props
Danny Devenny	....	muralist
Rich Devine	....	stagehand
Gerry Drew	....	chargehand carpenter
Gill Ducker	....	prop buyer: London
Gill Ducker	....	set dresser: London
Alan Dunne	....	dressing props
Tommy Dunne	....	props: funeral second unit
Andy Evans	....	construction manager: London
John Fenner	....	supervising art director: London
John Fitzgerald	....	stagehand
Eric Fleming	....	carpenter
Shane Guthrie	....	stagehand trainee
Paul Hedges	....	dressing props
Peter Hedges	....	property master
Kevin Hudson	....	props
Jimmy Irwin	....	plasterer (as James Irwin)
Maurice Jones	....	prop buyer
Michael Jones	....	painter: London
James Kavanagh	....	drapes
Rene Knol	....	stand-by props
Clare Langan	....	assistant art director
Noel Long	....	carpenter
Mark Lowry	....	assistant art director
Tom Lundy	....	painter (as Tom Lundy Jr.)
Marty Lyons	....	muralist
Tony Mooney	....	props
David Morris	....	carpenter
Philip Murphy	....	stand-by props trainee
John Neligan	....	props buyer trainee
Ed Norton	....	carpenter (as Edward Norton)
Vivion O'Brien	....	carpenter
Gary O'Donnell	....	stand-by painter
Colan O'Neill	....	plasterer
Des O'Neill	....	plasterer
Liam O'Riain	....	carpenter
Larry O'Toole	....	carpenter
Larry O'Toole	....	stand-by carpenter
Gary Pledger	....	carpenter: London
Gerry Quigley	....	stand-by stagehand
Jason Riley	....	painter: London
Julia Roddy	....	art director trainee
Bobby Scott	....	chargehand painter
Sean Scott	....	painter
Colin Smith	....	stagehand: London
P.J. Smith	....	dressing props: funeral second unit
Maurice Thompson	....	construction runaround
David Wallace	....	dressing props
Derek Wallace	....	chargehand stand-by props
Olwen Weekes	....	prop buyer
Joan Winters	....	graphic designer: London

Sound Department
Gina Alfano	....	dialogue editor
Keith Batten	....	boom operator
Ron Bochar	....	sound effects editor
Christian Castellano	....	sound re-recordist
Kam Chan	....	foley editor
Benjamin Cheah	....	assistant sound editor (as Ben Cheah)
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Steven Farrell	....	sound trainee
Philippe Faujas	....	sound mixer: second unit
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
Tom Fleischman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lewis Goldstein	....	sound effects editor
Bradford L. Hohle	....	sound stereo consultant: Dolby
Terrance Laudermilch	....	sound re-recordist
Julie Lindner	....	assistant sound editor
Marissa Littlefield	....	adr editor
Shem Lwanga	....	sound editing intern
George Papagyris	....	apprentice sound editor
John Pitt	....	sound mixer: London
Bruce Pross	....	foley supervisor
Brian Simmons	....	sound mixer
Stuart Stanley	....	foley editor
Philip Stockton	....	supervising sound editor
Steven Visscher	....	foley editor (as Steve Visscher)
Tim J. Carroll	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby Stereo (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Simon Baker	....	special effects technician
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Mark Griffin	....	special effects technician
Martin Neill	....	special effects technician
Terry Schubert	....	special effects
Trevor Williams	....	special effects technician
Andrew Wilson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
John Alagna	....	visual effects optical supervisor
Martin Body	....	digital artist: Peerles Camera Company
Steve Cutmore	....	digital artist: Peerles Camera Company
Kent Houston	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Graeme Crowther	....	stunt coordinator
Dominick Hewitt	....	stunts
Gary Powell	....	stunts
Alan Walsh	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Paul Borg	....	generator operator: London
Darryl Byrne	....	clapper loader trainee
Ken Byrne	....	second camera operator: funeral second unit
John Conroy	....	focus puller
Paddy Corcoran	....	rigger
David Crann	....	video assist operator
Con Dempsey	....	gaffer
Kieran Dempsey	....	best boy
Adrienne Dollard	....	second clapper loader: funeral second unit
Bill Dowling	....	video playback: funeral second unit
William Doyle	....	electrician
Terry Edland	....	gaffer: London
David Fitzgerald	....	second focus puller: funeral second unit (as Dave Fitzgerald)
Tim Fleming	....	second clapper loader: funeral second unit
Edward Hayes	....	electrician: London
Simon Hume	....	focus puller: London
Malcolm Huse	....	grip: funeral second unit
Pascal Jones	....	rigger
Ciaran Kavanagh	....	second focus puller: funeral second unit
Wayne Leach	....	electrician: London
Bill Levins	....	electrician
Dochy J. Lowe	....	clapper loader trainee (as Dochy Lowe)
Niall Mannion	....	electrician
Don Maton	....	generator operator: London
Jimmy Merrigan	....	stand-by rigger (as James Merrigan)
Denis Morel	....	still photographer
Spencer Murray	....	clapper loader: London
Joe O'Byrne	....	video camera: funeral second unit
Ron Osman	....	video assist operator: London
Mickey O'Toole	....	rigger
Vic Purcell	....	second camera operator
Luke Quigley	....	grip
Barry Read	....	grip: London
Danny Reilly	....	rigger
Brian Sheridan	....	electrician
Matt Skinner	....	second focus puller
Terry Stone	....	electrician: London
Des Whelan	....	camera operator
George Whelan	....	electrician
Stewart Whelan	....	clapper loader (as Stewart A. Whelan)

Casting Department
Naomi Sheridan	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Clodagh Deegan	....	wardrobe trainee
Gabriel O'Brien	....	assistant wardrobe
Susan Scott	....	costume designer trainee
Ger Scully	....	wardrobe mistress
Judith Williams	....	wardrobe trainee

Editorial Department
Marjorie Connelly	....	post-production coordinator
Dermot Diskin	....	first assistant editor
Naomi Geraghty	....	first assistant editor
May Kuckro	....	first assistant editor
Hilary Peabody	....	apprentice editor
Mark Siung	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Nat Ayer	....	composer: song "Oh, You Beautiful Doll" (as Nat D. Ayer)
Johann Sebastian Bach	....	composer: song "Endlich, endlich wird mein Joch"
Borney Bergantine	....	composer: song "My Happiness"
Andrew Boland	....	music mixer
Andrew Boland	....	score recordist
Thomas S. Drescher	....	music editor
Arlene Fishbach	....	music supervisor
César Franck	....	composer: song "Panis Angelicus"
Georg Friedrich Händel	....	composer: song "Messiah: All We Like Sheep"
Patrick Heeny	....	composer: song "Soldier's Song"
Betty Peterson	....	composer: song "My Happiness"
Darcy Proper	....	assistant music editor
Rick Rhodes	....	composer: song "Survival"
Bill Whelan	....	composer: song "The Seabird"
Bill Whelan	....	conductor
Bill Whelan	....	orchestrator
Brian Wooldridge	....	composer: song "Star of Desire"
Scott Wooldridge	....	composer: song "Star of Desire"

Transportation Department
Eddie Blain	....	action vehicle supervisor
Victor Blain	....	driver: wardrobe truck
Dan Breen	....	transportation captain
Dan Breen Jr.	....	unit driver
Alan Crozier	....	driver: honeywagon
Pat Dowling	....	driver: camera truck
Roy Hyatt	....	unit driver: London
Donald Hynes	....	unit driver
Ray Keats	....	unit driver: London
David Kemple	....	driver: dressing props car
David Lloyd	....	unit driver: London
David Modol	....	driver: hair and makeup bus
Tony Mullally	....	driver: minibus
Brian Sheridan	....	driver: generator
Hugh Wasson	....	driver: 4 way

Other crew
Mary Jo Andrews	....	stand-in
Barbara Berkery	....	dialogue coach
Louise Conroy	....	production trainee
Alison Crosbie	....	assistant to director
Joe Dapello	....	legal service (as Joseph Dapello)
Jill Dempsey	....	crowd coordinator
Emma Donnelly	....	accountant trainee
Emma Donnelly	....	production runner: London
Raul Dourado	....	stand-in
Kay Dunne	....	stand-in
Anthony Furlong	....	production dailies
Louise Gaffney	....	script supervisor trainee
Marilyn Goldsworthy	....	assistant accountant
Phil Guy	....	unit nurse
James Hickey	....	legal service
John Higgins	....	consultant
Harry Hill	....	stand-by construction truck
Paddy Hiney	....	stand-by property truck
William Jones	....	machinist
Vivien Jordan	....	production coordinator: London
David Kennaway	....	unit location manager: London
Liz Kenny	....	assistant location manager
Joe Landauer	....	assistant to director
Joe Landauer	....	intern
Susanna Lenton	....	script supervisor: London
Gerry Lundberg	....	unit publicist
Judy Lunny	....	script supervisor trainee
Marcus Lynch	....	stand-in
Angus More Gordon	....	location manager
Catherine Morris	....	script supervisor
Jane Nolan	....	location trainee
Niamh Nolan	....	production coordinator
Hugh O'Donnell	....	location assistant
Hilary Pym	....	location trainee
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Ira Schreck	....	legal service
Clare Scully	....	assistant to producer
Yvonne Shaw	....	assistant accountant
Gerard Sheridan	....	location trainee
Mick Tohill	....	assistant to director (as Micky Tohill)
Fiona Traynor	....	assistant to producers
Lizzie Turvey	....	floor runner
Sue Wall	....	production accountant
Angela Wharton	....	script supervisor: London (as Angela Noakes)
Pamala Yates	....	coordinating producer
John McKenna	....	armorer (uncredited)

Thanks
Geoff Blythe	....	special thanks
Bob Bookman	....	special thanks (as Robert Bookman)
Graham Boynton	....	special thanks
Chris Bryne	....	special thanks
Alan Burns	....	special thanks
Simon Carmody	....	special thanks
Charlie Clinton	....	special thanks
Barbara Cone	....	special thanks
Bob Crowdey	....	special thanks
Brenda D'Arcy	....	special thanks
Jonathan Demme	....	special thanks
Patty Detroit	....	special thanks
Bernadette Devlin	....	special thanks (as Bernardette McAliskey)
Christy Dimmig	....	special thanks
James Flynn	....	special thanks
Bill Friedrich	....	special thanks
Barbara Galawan	....	special thanks
Marie George	....	special thanks
Michael George	....	special thanks
Oorlagh George	....	special thanks
Seamus George	....	special thanks
Patricia Glenholmes	....	special thanks
Liz Glotzer	....	special thanks
Tony Gregory	....	special thanks
Bill Griffin	....	special thanks
Taylor Hackford	....	special thanks
Pete Hamill	....	special thanks
Richard Harvey	....	special thanks
Edward Higgins	....	special thanks
Rita Higgins	....	special thanks
Lynn Holst	....	special thanks
Eileen Ivers	....	special thanks
Larry Kirwan	....	special thanks
Richard Klubeck	....	special thanks
Ida Landauer	....	special thanks
Lindsay Law	....	special thanks
Kate Lennon	....	special thanks (as Kathryn Lennon)
Anne Lepore	....	special thanks
Jim Lyndon	....	special thanks
Philomena Mackin	....	special thanks
Sean Mackin	....	special thanks
Ian Mausner	....	special thanks
Theresa McCombe	....	special thanks
Pat McKay	....	special thanks
Seamus McSwiney	....	special thanks
Michael Moore	....	special thanks
Kevin Moriarty	....	special thanks
Don Moroney	....	special thanks
Paul Murphy	....	special thanks
Liam Neeson	....	special thanks
Bill Nisselson	....	special thanks
Brendan O'Brien	....	special thanks (as Brendan J. O'Brien)
Linda Perney	....	special thanks
Mick Rafferty	....	special thanks
Edward Saxon	....	special thanks
Sandra Schulberg	....	special thanks
Jeff Seal	....	special thanks
Martin Shafer	....	special thanks
Frankie Sheridan	....	special thanks
Peter Sheridan Sr.	....	special thanks (as Peter Sheridan)
Jeffrey Stott	....	special thanks (as Jeff Stott)
Paul Swann	....	special thanks
Valerie Thomas	....	special thanks
Jess Wittenberg	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Castle Rock Entertainment
• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Hell's Kitchen Films

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1996-1997) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Organization (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1997) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (video)
• Filmayer-Castle Rock-Turner S.A. (Spain)

Also Known As:

Sons and Warriors (video catalogue title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some political violence and suffering.

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

Ireland | USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:15 | Germany:12 (bw) | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Ireland:15 (re-rating on appeal) | Ireland:18 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Skerries, Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

Castle Rock Entertainment

Trivia:

First full length feature film of Tom Hollander.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Outside the prison you can clearly see an Austin Metro Mk2 which was not released till late 1984. This film is based in 1981.

Quotes:

Farnsworth: We want to make the prisons an asset, not a liability. It is in the prisons that we will break the backs of the IRA.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Rising of the Moon (2002)

Blunt but effective

I must admit up front, being Irish-American and Catholic, I am biased towards these types of stories. That said, I would like to think I can dismiss message movies which are bad even if I agree with the message(for example, I am anti-nuclear, and I dislike the anti-nuclear movie FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY). I remember the Bobby Sands hunger strike quite vividly, as I was 13 at the time, and taking an interest in the world around me. Of course, I was naive as well, thinking the IRA was wholly good here, not yet knowing there were many shades of grey here.

Terry George co-wrote with Jim Sheridan both IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER and THE BOXER, both of which Sheridan also directed. Rather than doing a by the book approach, Sheridan used a poetic approach, which helped make the movies more provocative. George, on the other hand, is more blunt(to be fair, it's hard to make a poetic film about hunger strikes), which is limiting, but the power of the story does come through.

What does lift this are the performances. Finnoula Flanagan I only knew from a guest spot on "Beauty and the Beast," but she's quite good here as the hardline mother. And she does bring some dimension to it; watch the dinner scene right before her son is captured, where she shows pride in her son without overdoing it, and her first scene with Mirren, where she states her case simply, without histrionics. The best performance, however, and the best reason to see this, is Mirren. She's more well-known for playing strong-willed characters("Prime Suspect," THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE), so it's a bit of a shock to see her as a confused woman, but she shows us every step of the way her emotional journey without slipping into pathos.