Ash Wednesday (2002)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Edward Burns

Writer (WGA):

Edward Burns (written by)

Release Date:

19 March 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Ash Wednesday is set in the Manhattan of the early 1980's and is about a pair of Irish-American brothers (Burns and Wood) who become embroiled in a conflict with the Irish Mob.

Plot Keywords:

Ash Wednesday | Irish Mob | Irish American | Priest | Hell's Kitchen

Cast

Brian Burns	...	Cousin Mike Moran
Vincent Rubino	...	Vinny Boombata
Jimmy Cummings	...	J.C. (as James Cummings)
Elijah Wood	...	Sean Sullivan
Pat McNamara	...	Murph
John DiResta	...	Pete at the Bar
Edward Burns	...	Francis Sullivan
Malachy McCourt	...	Whitey
Chris McGovern	...	Whitey's Driver (as Christopher McGovern)
Peter Gerety	...	Uncle Handy
Jimmy Burke	...	Red Kelly (as James Burke)
Stephen Murphy	...	Whitey's Man
Brian Delate	...	Crazy George Cullen
Teresa Yenque	...	Mrs. Diaz
Julie Hale	...	Maggie Shea

MPAA:

Rated R for pervasive language and some violence.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) | Canada:14A | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Greenpoint, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

IFC Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: During conversation, the police detective reminds the priest about the murder "three years ago" and the priest concurs, saying it was three years ago to the day. Both dates in the film are supposed to be Ash Wednesday however, which falls on a different date each year -namely 46 days before Easter - and can occur anywhere from the first week of February until mid March. In 1983 (being the date that the murders took place in the film) Ash Wednesday fell on February 16th and in 1986, it was celebrated on the 12th of February.

Quotes:

Francis: They thought you were the smart one? I must've looked like a friggin' retard!

Movie Connections:

References Black and White (1999/I)

Soundtrack:

Be Thou My Vision

Frodo? Oh no!

This must have been the movie that taught Eddie Burns the lesson that casting is the most important part of getting a good performance out of your actors and making your story believable. Elijah Wood: Totally wrong for the Sean part. Ed Burns owns the Francis part and watching Elijah Wood play his younger brother is like watching a kid off the monkey bars trying to stand up to a high school bully. They are not even on the same playing field. And we are to believe that this same kid is married to Rosario Dawson. The prospect of this matchup is like watching Dudley Moore and J-Lo dating.

All of the other good stuff that is going on: Period piece of Hell's Kitchen, etc., is overshadowed by the bad casting decision of having Elijah Wood be Burn's brother. Whatayagonnado? Lessons learned.