The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.

Director:

Peter Mullan

Writer:

Peter Mullan

Stars:

Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 16 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Geraldine McEwan	...	Sister Bridget
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Margaret
Nora-Jane Noone	...	Bernadette
Dorothy Duffy	...	Rose / Patricia
Eileen Walsh	...	Crispina
Mary Murray	...	Una
Britta Smith	...	Katy
Frances Healy	...	Sister Jude
Eithne McGuinness	...	Sister Clementine
Phyllis MacMahon	...	Sister Augusta (as Phyllis McMahon)
Rebecca Walsh	...	Josephine
Eamonn Owens	...	Eamonn
Chris Patrick-Simpson	...	Brendan (as Chris Simpson)
Sean Colgan	...	Seamus
Daniel Costello	...	Father Fitzroy

Storyline

A thoroughly mind provoking film about 3 young women whom, under tragic circumstances see themselves cast away to a Magdalene Asylum for young women t in 1964. One of many like institutions, the asylums are run like prisons and young girls are forced to do workhouse laundry and hard labor. The asylum, one of many that existed in Theocratic Catholic Ireland, is for supposedly 'fallen' women. Here, young girls are imprisoned indefinitely and endure agonizing punishments and a long, harsh working system which leaves them physically drained and mentally damaged. As the girls bond together, it soon becomes clear that the only way out of the Magdalene convent is to escape, but with twisted Sister Bridget running the wing, any chances seem limited...

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Plot Keywords:

laundry | punishment | irish | catholic | escape | 

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Taglines:

In a place that defied belief their only hope was each other.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence/cruelty, nudity, sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Miramax [us] Official site

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English Latin

Release Date:

25 October 2002 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Die unbarmherzigen Schwestern

Filming Locations:

Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$19,025 (Hong Kong) (10 October 2003)

Gross:

$4,890,878 (USA) (21 November 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Scottish Screen, Film Council, Bórd Scannán na hÉireann

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film that the nuns and penitents watch is The Bells of St. Mary's

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Goofs

The guitar the man plays at the beginning of the film is a Taylor acoustic guitar. Taylor Guitars was not established until 1974.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Margaret: Well, what is it you're wanting to show me? Come on, Kevin, what's the secret?

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Crazy Credits

Thanks to ... Andy and Marco at Edit-Hire Post Production Services ... all at the Glasgow Film Theatre ... Lee at Lynx ... all the gardeners ... the people of Dumfries ... and all at VFG.

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Connections

Version of Sex in a Cold Climate (1998)

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Soundtracks

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
(uncredited)
Traditional Christmas carol
Sung off-screen by an unidentified man (possibly Ford Kiernan) with chorus

User Reviews

powerful movie

I saw this movie two weeks ago. Like the Irish, here in Quebec, we were manipulated by catholic religion, before the revolution tranquille. This story of the laudries is similar here, with the story of les enfants de Duplessis. They putted young infants in mental institute and maltraited them.

The movie was pretty good. It show well the mentaly of the era and how hypocrite the society is. The dark, horrible atmosphear in this laundrie is well show and the actress were awesome. This is not an anti religious movie and they dont put too much to make us cry. Just show the brutal facts that happened. Its a good balanced critic of society.