Angela's Ashes (1999)

Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the ... See full summary »

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers:

Frank McCourt (book), Laura Jones (screenplay),

Stars:

Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Emily Watson	...	Angela McCourt
Robert Carlyle	...	Malachy (Dad)
Joe Breen	...	Young Frank
Ciaran Owens	...	Middle Frank
Michael Legge	...	Older Frank
Ronnie Masterson	...	Grandma Sheehan
Pauline McLynn	...	Aunt Aggie
Liam Carney	...	Uncle Pa Keating
Eanna MacLiam	...	Uncle Pat
Andrew Bennett	...	Narrator (voice)
Shane Murray-Corcoran	...	Young Malachy (as Shane Murray Corcoran)
Devon Murray	...	Middle Malachy
Peter Halpin	...	Older Malachy
Aaron Geraghty	...	New Born Michael
Sean Carney Daly	...	Baby Michael

Storyline

Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie's siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie's Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the IRA, and when he does find money, he spends the money on drink.

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Plot Keywords:

irish | death | prejudice | poverty | limerick | 

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Taglines:

The Hopes of a Mother. The Dreams of a Father. The Fate of a Child.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and some language

Details

Country:

USA Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 January 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Las cenizas de Ángela

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,351,095 (UK) (14 January 2000)

Gross:

$13,038,660 (USA) (19 May 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

David Brown Productions, Dirty Hands Productions, Scott Rudin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

145 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Harris strongly condemned both the film and Frank McCourt in a series of interviews in 2000.

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Goofs

The newsreel shows German troops reoccupying the Rhineland in 1936. When middle Frank was watching the newsreel, he was 10 years old and therefore the year would be 1940, when Germany were occupying most of Europe and WWII was a year underway.

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Quotes

Young Frank: In the name of the father, the son and the holy toast.

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Connections

Referenced in Gilmore Girls: The Perfect Dress (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Stampede"
Music by R.H. Bassett

User Reviews

It's Not A Comedy

There's a famous sketch with several men gathered round a table and one ejaculates :

" When I were a lad we didn't get anything to eat six years and we were grateful to get nothing "

Put out by this type of inverted snobbery another exclaims

" You had things easy , when I were a lad I worked twenty seven hours down a pit every single day "

The impromptu urinating contest continues with other members claiming

" You had things soft , when I were a lad my dad would make us drink sulphuric acid then he'd chop our heads off and stick them on a pole "

You do find yourself reminded of this sketch while watching Alan Parker's ANGELA ASHE'S the film version of Frank McCourt's autobiography . The story starts in a crowded hovel in New York where an ex-pat Irish family called McCourt live . I'm probably misleading you if I use the word " live " because if that's living I sure don't want to find out what dying must be like . things are so bad that they move back to County Limerick in Ireland . You know that phrase " out of the frying pan into the fire " ? well this happens to the McCourt family , just when you think things can't get any worse they get worse

• This happens in every single scene . Some people have criticised Alan

Parker's interpretation of THE WALL as being so depressing as to be unwatchable , but compared to this Pink Floyd's rock opera is a musical comedy

This doesn't mean that ANGELA'S ASHES should be viewed as being a bad film . Far from it since it's the best movie Parker had made for many years and much of it is down to casting two of Britain's most consistent thespians from that era namely Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle . Carlyle especially gives a great and understated performance as Malachy McCourt one of the most hateful and despicable characters he's ever played . He's by no means the raving psychopath that he played in TRAINSPOTTING but you will hate him none the less . But despite the talent behind and in front of the camera and the attempts at humour which the Celtic race are renowned for you'll probably only want to watch this movie once due to the depressing subject matter .