The Butcher Boy (1997)

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writers:

Pat McCabe (novel)
Neil Jordan (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

This little piggy laughed all the way home!

Plot:

Francie and Joe live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent...

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Virgin Mary | Asylum | Murder | Vision

Awards:

10 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Eamonn Owens	...	Francie Brady
Sean McGinley	...	Sergeant
Peter Gowen	...	Leddy
Alan Boyle	...	Joe Purcell
Andrew Fullerton	...	Phillip Nugent
Fiona Shaw	...	Mrs. Nugent
Aisling O'Sullivan	...	Ma Brady
Stephen Rea	...	Da Brady
John Kavanagh	...	Dr. Boyd
Rosaleen Linehan	...	Mrs. Canning
Anita Reeves	...	Mrs. Coyle
Gina Moxley	...	Mary
Niall Buggy	...	Father Dom
Ian Hart	...	Uncle Alo
Anne O'Neill	...	Mrs. McGlone
Joe Pilkington	...	Charlie McGlone
Pat McGrath	...	Farmer on Tractor
Jer O'Leary	...	Dublin Man
Pat Leavy	...	Dublin Cafe Woman
Janet Moran	...	Dublin Shopkeeper
Paraic Breathnach	...	Man on Truck (as Páraic Breathnach)
John Olohan	...	Mr. Nugent
Ardal O'Hanlon	...	Mr. Purcell
Mikel Murfi	...	Buttsy
Brendan Conroy	...	Devlin
Tom Hickey	...	Gardener
Brendan Gleeson	...	Father Bubbles
Gregg Fitzgerald	...	Bogman #1
John Finegan	...	Bogman #2
Gavin Kelty	...	Bogman #3
Eoin Chaney	...	Bogman #4
Milo O'Shea	...	Father Sullivan
Sinéad O'Connor	...	Our Lady / Colleen
Ciaran Owens	...	Boy at Fountain (as Ciáran Owens)
Shane O'Connor	...	Boy at Fountain
Paolo Tullio	...	Mr. Caffolla
Siobhan McElvaney	...	Girl in Shooting Gallery
Áine McEneaney	...	Girl in Shooting Gallery
Pat McCabe	...	Jimmy The Skite (as Patrick McCabe)
Sean Hughes	...	Psychiatrist #1
Tony Rohr	...	Bogman in Mental Hospital
Birdy Sweeney	...	Man in Well
Marie Mullen	...	Mrs. Thompson
Stuart Graham	...	Priest at College
Macdara Ó Fatharta	...	Alien Priest (as Macdara Ó Fathárta)
Ronan Wilmot	...	Policeman
Vinnie McCabe	...	Detective
Dermot Healy	...	Bogman in Hospital
Gerard McSorley	...	Psychiatrist #2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Purcell	...	Boy in Monaghan (uncredited)

Directed by
Neil Jordan

Writing credits
Pat McCabe		(novel) (as Patrick McCabe)
Neil Jordan		(screenplay) and
Pat McCabe		(screenplay) (as Patrick McCabe)

Produced by
Neil Jordan	....	executive producer
Redmond Morris	....	producer
Stephen Woolley	....	producer

Original Music by
Elliot Goldenthal

Cinematography by
Adrian Biddle		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Tony Lawson

Casting by
Susie Figgis

Production Design by
Anthony Pratt

Art Direction by
Anna Rackard

Set Decoration by
Josie MacAvin

Costume Design by
Sandy Powell

Makeup Department
Eileen Buggy	....	assistant hair stylist
Fiona Connon	....	assistant makeup artist
Dee Corcoran	....	hair stylist
Sandra Kelly	....	assistant hair stylist
Morag Ross	....	makeup artist
Denise Watson	....	makeup trainee
Matthew Smith	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Mary Alleguen	....	production manager
Des Martin	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sarah Jordan	....	trainee assistant director
Hugh Lane-Spollen	....	trainee assistant director
Suzanne McAuley	....	trainee assistant director
Barbara Mulcahy	....	third assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	first assistant director (as Chris Newman)
Suzanne Nicell	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David Balfour	....	supervising property master
Alex Bassett	....	stand-by carpenter
Brian Bassett	....	chief stagehand
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager
Mick Brownfield	....	illustrator
Lisa Canty	....	trainee art director
Triona Coen	....	stand-by props
Colman Corish	....	draughtsperson
Susie Cullen	....	assistant art director
Gerry Drew	....	master carpenter
Tommy Dunne	....	dressing prop
Neil Featherstone	....	stand-by painter (as Neil Fetherson)
Alan Gilmore	....	draughtsperson
Martin Goulding	....	draughtsperson
Paul Hedges	....	chargehand dressing prop
Seamus Kelly	....	dressing prop
Sunny Mulligan	....	property buyer
John Neligan	....	trainee property buyer
Rory Neville	....	dressing prop
Tony Nicholson	....	dressing prop (as Anthony Nicholson)
Jimmy O'Meara	....	stand-by stagehand (as James O'Meara)
Des O'Neill	....	chief plasterer
Laurence O'Toole	....	graphic artist
Lesley Oakley	....	stand-by art director
Bobby Scott	....	chief painter
Noel Walsh	....	stand-by props
John Wells	....	prop storeman

Sound Department
Brendan Deasy	....	sound recordist
Leonard Green	....	assistant sound editor (as Lenny Green)
Pauline Griffiths	....	foley artist
Nina Hartstone	....	assistant sound editor
Peter Holt	....	foley editor
Kieran Horgan	....	sound recordist
Andrea Isaac	....	assistant sound editor
Eddy Joseph	....	supervising sound editor
Jenny Lee Wright	....	foley artist (as Jenny Lee-Wright)
Dominic Lester	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Nigel Mills	....	dialogue editor
Robin O'Donoghue	....	sound re-recording mixer
Conor O'Toole	....	sound trainee
Lauren Potter	....	foley artist
Noel Quinn	....	boom operator
Nick Lowe	....	dialogue editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Gerry Johnston	....	senior special effects technician
Michael Kearns	....	special effects assistant
Stephen Lloyd	....	senior special effects technician (as Steve Lloyd)
Kevin Nolan	....	special effects assistant
Robbie Scott	....	senior special effects technician
Joss Williams	....	special effects supervisor
Michael Dawson	....	special effects administrator (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Kent Houston	....	visual effects supervisor
Susi Roper	....	visual effects producer
Andrea Adams	....	CG animator: Peerless (uncredited)
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman (uncredited)
Ditch Doy	....	CG animator: Peerless (uncredited)
Clare Norman	....	scanning and recording editorial coordinator (uncredited)
David Smith	....	optical cameraman (uncredited)
John Swinnerton	....	motion control cameraman (uncredited)
Kitty Veevers	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Dean Yurke	....	digital artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Patrick Condren	....	stunt coordinator
Dominick Hewitt	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Anthony Condren	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Butler	....	focus puller
Albert Cassells	....	electrician
Charles J. Connon	....	grip trainee
Neil Crawford	....	stand-by rigger
Kevin Day	....	gaffer
Gary Donague	....	best boy (as Gary Donoghue)
Noel Donnellon	....	video assist operator
Philip Fitzsimons	....	rigging gaffer
David Grennan	....	clapper loader
Sorcha Hyland	....	camera trainee
Pascal Jones	....	chief rigger (as Paschal Jones)
Bill Levins	....	electrician
Colin Manning	....	camera grip
Liam Moran	....	electrician
Peter O'Toole	....	electrician
Patrick Redmond	....	still photographer
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator
Pat Ryder	....	electrician

Casting Department
Jill Dempsey	....	crowd casting
Maureen Hughes	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lian Callaghan	....	lead costumer
Louise Keating	....	lead costumer
Eimer Ni Mhaoldomhnaigh	....	assistant costume designer (as Eimer Ní Mhaoldomhnaigh)
John Scott	....	wardrobe supervisor
Judith Williams	....	wardrobe trainee
Emer Ó'Laoghaire	....	wardrobe trainee
Lee Clayton	....	tailor (uncredited)
John Cowell	....	costume painter (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Jens Baylis	....	second assistant film editor
Grainne Gavigan	....	lightworks assistant (as Gráinne Gavigan)
Gaye Lynch	....	second assistant film editor
Nuala Roche	....	assistant film editor
Bill Daly	....	post-production executive (uncredited)
Paul Ensby	....	color timer (uncredited)
Tricia Perrott	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)

Music Department
Michael Connell	....	music editor
Robert Elhai	....	orchestrator
Matthias Gohl	....	music producer
Elliot Goldenthal	....	orchestrator
Bob Last	....	music supervisor
Richard Martinez	....	electronic music producer
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music mixer (as Steve McLaughlin)
Stephen McLaughlin	....	music recordist (as Steve McLaughlin)
James Nichols	....	additional music recordist
Ed Shearmur	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Richard Douglas	....	transport department (as Richie Douglas)
Jimmy Doyle	....	transport department
Peter Doyle	....	transport department
Eamon Dunne	....	action vehicle coordinator (as Eamonn Dunne)
Jack Flood	....	transport department
Tony Hopkins	....	transport department
Jimmy Hughes	....	transport department
John Kavanagh	....	transportation coordinator
Matt Kelly	....	transport department
Tommy Kingston	....	transport department
Philip Malone	....	transport department
Shane Munnelly	....	transport department
Tony Nolan	....	transport department
Dave O'Connor	....	transport department
Liam O'Loughlin	....	transport department
Liam Scully	....	transport department
Colie Sharkey	....	transport department (as Coley Sharkey)
John J. Thompson	....	transport department (as Johnny Thompson)

Other crew
Peter Byrne	....	assistant location manager
Maria Collins	....	assistant production coordinator
Mary Crotty	....	unit publicist
Geraldine Daly	....	location manager (as Ger Daly)
Diana Dill	....	script supervisor
Lisa Drayne	....	production trainee
Cara Gavigan	....	assistant location manager
Gerry Grennell	....	dialogue coach
Charmian Hoare	....	dialogue coach
Gary Jones	....	financial controller
Ruth McMahon	....	unit nurse
Johnny Mulligan	....	assistant accountant (as John Mulligan)
Gary Nixon	....	production accountant
Niamh O'Dea	....	researcher
Tricia Perrott	....	assistant: Mr. Morris
Brenda Rawn	....	executive assistant: Mr. Jordan
Mairead Sandford	....	production secretary
Yvonne Shaw	....	assistant accountant
Yvonne Thunder	....	assistant: Mr. Jordan
Breda Walsh	....	production coordinator
Philippa Wood	....	assistant: Mr. Woolley
Brendan Gunn	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Roger Phillips	....	title designer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Geffen Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Galway Film Fleadh (1997) (Ireland) (theatrical)
• Geffen Pictures (1998) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. Entertainment (1998) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros (1998) (USA) (all media) (as Warner Bros., A Time Warner Entertainment Company)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Bros. (????) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Animated Extras (prosthetics)
• Peerless Camera Company (visual effects)

Other Companies

• AON Insurers  insurance
• Ardmore Sound  sound post-production
• BBC Archives  courtesy of: President J.F. Kennedy speech extracts
• British Pathé  courtesy of: Atomic Bomb footage
• Cine Electric Ltd.  lighting supplied by (as Cine Electric)
• Editline, Dublin  editing and lightwork facilities
• Fitzers Catering  catering
• Fox Movietone News  courtesy of: "Atomic Café" (as Fox Movietonews, Inc.)
• Frameline Productions  title design (as Frameline)
• Government of Ireland, The  provided by: The Irish Film Industory
• Irish Film Industry  produced with the support and investment incentives for (as The Irish Film Industry)
• JD & C Ltd.  cameras supplied by (as JD&C and Camera Rentals, Ireland)
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Movietech  camera equipment provided by
• Twickenham Studios  sound post-production (as Twickenham Film Studios)
• Wade Williams Productions  courtesy of: "The Brain from Planet Arous"
• Worldvision Enterprises  courtesy of: "The Fugitive"

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and violence

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital (5.1 surround) | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16

Filming Locations:

Monaghan, County Monaghan, Ireland

Company:

Geffen Pictures

Trivia:

Stephen Rea is credited as only playing Pa in the film but also plays the adult Francie uncredited.

Quotes:

Francie Brady:[to Jimmy the Skite] Feck off, you round tub of Guinness!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Book That Wrote Itself (1999)

Soundtrack:

NEVER DO A TANGO WITH AN ESKIMO

Watch a boy go insane

I found "Butcher Boy" at a mom & pop video store, had never heard of it before, but it is by Neil Jordan, the director of "The Crying Game." Found it hilarious that Sinead O'Connor was playing the Virgin Mary in the hallucinations of Francie Brady, the young Irish rogue who plays the lead role, especially after she must be hated by many Roman Catholics -- so I rented it. It's a great movie! You find yourself sympathizing with a boy who likely has insanity running in his family -- as his mother is mad (and his father is the town drunk). The movie takes place during the communist scare and cheesy sci-fi movie late 1950s, and Francie blends the two into his imaginary world. A wonderfully made film with a humorous edge that works as Francie gets madder and madder, and to himself, (as he narrates) goes about as if he is the only sane person in town. The only shortcoming is that it takes a while to understand the thick Irish accents of the characters. I put this up there with "City of Lost Children" and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" as my favorites.