Angela's Ashes (1999)

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers (WGA):

Frank McCourt (book)
Laura Jones (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences...

Plot Keywords:

Irish | Death | Prejudice | Poverty | Limerick

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

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
Oisin Carney Daly	...	Baby Michael
Shane Smith	...	Middle Michael
Tim O'Brien	...	Older Michael
Blaithnaid Howe	...	Newborn Alphie
Klara O'Leary	...	Baby Alphie
Caroline O'Sullivan	...	Baby Alphie
Ryan Fielding	...	Older Alphie
Daire Lynam	...	Margaret Mary
Ben O'Gorman	...	Eugene
Sam O'Gorman	...	Oliver
Frank Laverty	...	Young Paddy Clohessy
James Mahon	...	Middle Paddy Clohessy
Laurence Kinlan	...	Older Paddy Clohessy
Lucas Neville	...	Willie Harold
Walter Mansfield	...	Fintan Slattery
Des McAleer	...	Mr. Benson
Sean Kearns	...	Dotty O'Neill
Les Doherty	...	Mr. O'Dea
Brendan Cauldwell	...	Mr. O'Halloran
Shay Gorman	...	Mr. Hannon
Johnny Murphy	...	Seamus
Jon Kenny	...	Lavatory Man
Susan Fitzgerald	...	Sister Rita
Brendan McNamara	...	Toby Mackey
Maria McDermottroe	...	Bridey Hannon
Oliver Maguire	...	Confession Priest
Daithi O'Suilleabhain	...	Young Priest
Eileen Pollock	...	Mrs. Finucane
Alvaro Lucchesi	...	Laman Griffin
Mark O'Regan	...	Dr. Troy
Moira Deady	...	Mrs. Purcell
Kerry Condon	...	Theresa
Gerard McSorley	...	Father Gregory
Garrett Keogh	...	Mr. Hegarty
Eamonn Owens	...	Quasimodo
John Anthony Murphy	...	Redemptionist Priest
Phelim Drew	...	Rent Man
Brendan O'Carroll	...	Funeral Carriage Driver
Maggie McCarthy	...	Miss Barry
Bairbre Ni Chaoimh	...	Mrs. O'Connell
Nuala Kelly	...	Dance Teacher
Brian Clifford	...	Telegram Boy
Edward Murphy	...	Young Mikey Molloy
Kieran Maher	...	Older Mikey Molloy
James McClatchie	...	Bishop
Patrick Bracken	...	Younger Question Quigley
Terry O'Donovan	...	Older Question Quigley
Danny O'Carroll	...	Clarke
David Ahern	...	Cyril Benson
Marcia DeBonis	...	Mrs. Leibowitz
Helen Norton	...	Delia
Eileen Colgan	...	Philomena
Alan Parker	...	Dr. Campbell
Stephen Marcus	...	English Agent
Pauline Shanahan	...	Eye Nurse
Gerry Walsh	...	Farmer
Brendan Morrissey	...	Brother Murray
Darragh Neill	...	Heffernan
Sarah Pilkington	...	Minnie MacAdorey
Donncha Crowley	...	Sacristan
Veronica O'Reilly	...	Mrs. Carmody
Anne O'Neill	...	Mrs. Dooley (as Ann O'Neill)
Phil Kelly	...	Father Gory
Jaz Pollock	...	Roden Lane Neighbour
Paddy Scully	...	St. Vincent Man #1
J.J. Murphy	...	St. Vincent Man #2
Frankie McCafferty	...	St. Vincent Man #3
Jack Lynch	...	St. Vincent Man #4
Patrick David Nolan	...	Travel Agent
Gerard Lee	...	Carmody Priest
Martin Benson	...	Christian Brother
Birdy Sweeney	...	Old Priest
Owen O'Gorman	...	Sleeping Sailor
Pat McGrath	...	Butcher
Ray McBride	...	Mill Foreman
John Sheedy	...	Coal Yard Foreman
Sam Ryan	...	Shaved Head Boy #1
Donnacha Gleeson	...	Shaved Head Boy #2
Jim McIntyre	...	Gravedigger #1
Richard Walker	...	Gravedigger #2
Mary Ann Spencer	...	Parent #1
Kathleen Lambe	...	Parent #2
Jer O'Leary	...	Parent #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Milholland	...	Man in the Pub (uncredited)
Stewart Stafford	...	Factory Worker (uncredited)
Viviana Verveen	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Parker

Writing credits (WGA)
Frank McCourt		(book)
Laura Jones		(screenplay) and
Alan Parker		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Brown	....	producer
James Flynn	....	co-producer
Kit Golden	....	associate producer
Doochy Moult	....	associate producer
Morgan O'Sullivan	....	co-producer
Alan Parker	....	producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Adam Schroeder	....	executive producer
Eric Steel	....	executive producer
David Wimbury	....	line producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Chris Connier
Michael Seresin

Film Editing by
Gerry Hambling

Casting by
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Geoffrey Kirkland

Art Direction by
Fiona Daly
Jonathan McKinstry
Malcolm Middleton

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Williams

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Audrey Doyle	....	makeup artist
Richard Glass	....	contact lens optician
Uxue Laguardia	....	makeup artist
Clare Lambe	....	assistant makeup artist
Roisin O'Reilly	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Nicolas Hippisley-Coxe	....	production supervisor: third unit
Des Martin	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Booker	....	second assistant director
Conor Gibbons	....	trainee assistant director
Tommy Gormley	....	assistant director
Richard Graysmark	....	second second assistant director
Sharon Harford	....	trainee assistant director
Dennis Maguire	....	assistant director
Brian 'Joker' Mulvey	....	second second assistant director
Brendan O'Sullivan	....	third assistant director
Amanda Webb	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Eoin Bailey	....	stagehand
Russ Bailey	....	construction coordinator
Temple Clark	....	storyboard artist
Darren Kearney	....	painter
Frank Matthews	....	supervising plasterer
Owen Monaghan	....	props
Joe Monks	....	stand-by painter
Irene O'Brien	....	graphic designer
Graeme Bird	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Anna Behlmer	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Fitzgerald	....	adr mixer
Richard Fordham	....	assistant sound editor
Sarah Gaines	....	adr recordist
Sarah Gaines	....	dailies transfer operator
Micki Joanni	....	synchron editor
Eddy Joseph	....	supervising sound editor
Nick Lowe	....	dialogue editor
Andy Nelson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alastair Sirkett	....	assistant foley editor
Stephen Slattery	....	sound trainee
Dave Sloss	....	adr mixer
Ken Weston	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Conor Coughlan	....	special effects technician
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Mark Griffin	....	special effects buyer

Visual Effects by
Kent Houston	....	visual effects supervisor
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman (uncredited)
John Paul Docherty	....	digital effects supervisor (uncredited)
Susi Roper	....	visual effects producer (uncredited)
David Smith	....	optical cameraman: Peerless Camera (uncredited)
John Swinnerton	....	compositor (uncredited)
Pat Wong	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Bloor	....	gaffer
Alan Butler	....	focus puller
Darryl Byrne	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Hugh-Thomas Cavanagh	....	electrician
P.J. Dillon	....	focus puller: "b" camera
David Grennan	....	clapper loader
Bill Kaye	....	still photographer
Keith Manning	....	grip
Ray Meehan	....	best boy
Philip Murphy	....	grip
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Sarah Allentuch	....	casting assistant
Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maria Phelan	....	trainee wardrobe assistant
Magdalen Rubalcava	....	assistant costume designer
Sue Wain	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Carolyne Chauncey	....	first assistant editor
David Feldman	....	assistant editor
Michael J. Gaffey	....	post-production runner (as Mike Gaffey)
Robert Ireland	....	assistant editor
Mairead McIvor	....	assistant editor
Anna Maria O'Flanagan	....	editor trainee
Ben Renton	....	editor trainee

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Peter Myles	....	assistant music editor
John Neufeld	....	orchestrator
Simon Rhodes	....	music scoring mixer
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
Mark Graham	....	music copyist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Cate Arbeid	....	production coordinator
Paul Beard	....	production assistant
John A. Cohen	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Matt Dalton	....	first assistant accountant
Eben Davidson	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
R.H. Davies	....	marine coordinator
Sarah Feinberg-Galan	....	assistant: Scott Rudin (as Sarah Feinberg)
Martin Gentles	....	production assistant
Marisa Grandi	....	production secretary
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Nick Kilcoyne	....	production assistant
Robert F. Kocourek	....	production controller
Niall Martin	....	assistant location manager
Paddy McCarney	....	location manager
Dorothy McDonnell	....	production assistant
Sean Montague	....	stand-in: Robert Carlyle
Angelique Palozzi	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Edmund Sampson	....	location assistant
J.J. Shea	....	production assistant
Derek Skaletsky	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Will Sweeney	....	production intern
Andrew Wilson	....	assistant location manager
Eoin Holohan	....	assistant extras coordinator (uncredited)
Ray Kenny	....	trainee crowd coordinator (uncredited)
Seamus Porter	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David Brown Productions
• Dirty Hands Productions
• Scott Rudin Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1999-2000) (USA) (all media) (North America)
• Universal Pictures (2000) (non-USA) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2000) (Finland) (theatrical) (VHS)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2000) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Peerless Camera Company (visual effects) (as Peerless Camera Company, London)
• ReelEye Company (special effects contact lenses) (uncredited)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Blowup  stills processing
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and some language

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Denmark:A | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | South Korea:15 | USA:R (Certificate #36720) | Peru:14 | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

David Brown Productions

Trivia:

Last Cinema film of Martin Benson.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Frankie gets the beginnings of conjunctivitis, and he rolls his eyes back, you can see the edges of the full-eye contacts used to simulate the ailment.

Quotes:

Narrator:[First lines] When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how my brothers and I managed to survive at all. It was, of course, a miserable childhood. The happy childhood is hardly worth telling. Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood. And worse still is the miserable Irish Catholic childhood.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: In the Name of the Grandfather (#20.14)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Stampede

Good adaptation of a great book

Alan Parker has made many films which adapt material from other media. I have been less than thrilled with most of these, but I've enjoyed one or two. Angela's Ashes is one of his better works, but it adapts a book which< I would argue, can not be properly adapted.

This is a very pure, almost sterile, adaptation of the original memoir "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt. It chronicles vignettes in the family history of the McCourt's, a poor Irish Catholic family struggling to survive in early 20th century Ireland. The film, like the book, is stark, painful, hopeful, powerful, and deftly accurate. More than a period piece, this film works as a dramatic rendering of social history.

Unlike the book, this film depicts Frank's childhood from a disembodied third person perspective, though it is liberally complemented by an effective voice-over narrative drawn almost directly from McCourt's own prose. Frank is the oldest of several siblings (many of whom never reach adulthood), in a family suffering from poverty, alcoholism, and persecution. Although the film has many positive messages, like the lives of the McCourt's, it's not an easy road. Those who wish to be simply entertained should probably not bother.

The performances are all exquisite. Kudos to the cast and the director for making them all look so great. Visually, the film is stunning for its starkness and powerful use of contrast. The pace is a little breathless at times, but, given the richness of the original work, this is appropriate.

All considered, this is a very worthy representation of the book. The only quibble I have stems from the very act of translating what was a very intensely personal, first-person memoir into a third-person medium like film, not from anything the production team did, or from the script and cast. It would likely have been impossible in a mainstream film to depict the texture and poetics of McCourt's prose to the extent that viewers would really feel that they had grown up with him and knew him like a member of their own family. This is how the book made me feel, and seeing the movie after the book I was reminded of the feeling, but not quite so powerfully affected. I would agree that reading the book first will help you enjoy this film, however, I also believe that this stands well on its own.