The Magdalene Sisters (2002)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Peter Mullan

Writer:

Peter Mullan (written by)

Release Date:

25 October 2002 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Punishment | Laundry | Nun | Escape | Forced Sexual Contact

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 13 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

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 Simpson	...	Brendan
Sean Colgan	...	Seamus
Daniel Costello	...	Father Fitzroy
Kate Christie	...	Dormitory Girl
Alison Goldie	...	Dormitory Girl
Jemma Heath	...	Dormitory Girl
Anita Hyslop	...	Dormitory Girl
Marianne McGill	...	Dormitory Girl
Leonna McGilligan	...	Dormitory Girl
Claire McKenzie	...	Dormitory Girl
Claire Murray	...	Dormitory Girl
Lynsey Robson	...	Dormitory Girl
Mariann Taylor	...	Dormitory Girl
Julie Austin	...	Theresa
Deirdre Davis	...	Margaret's Mother
Ian Hanmore	...	Margaret's Father
Pol McAdam	...	Band Member at Wedding
Sean McDonagh	...	Kevin
Sean Mackin	...	Priest at Wedding
David Muldrew	...	Band Member at Wedding
Ciaran Owens	...	Young Eamonn
Kevin Shields	...	Band Member at Wedding
Ashley Conroy	...	Sonia
Pauline Goldsmith	...	Mrs. Barton
Leanne Henderson	...	Amy
Stephen Mallon	...	Orphanage Boy 1
Jim Murray	...	Orphanage Boy 2
Christopher Sheridan	...	Orphanage Boy 3
Maureen Allan	...	Rose's Mother
Laurie Ventry	...	Father Doonigan
Jim Walsh	...	Rose's Father
Fran Brennan	...	Garda Sergeant
Gemma Burns	...	Ruby
Daniel Emerson	...	Crispina's Son - 2
Tracy Kearney	...	Crispina's Sister
Stephen McCole	...	Young Man in Car
Gareth Milne	...	Psychiatric Nurse
Peter Mullan	...	Mr. O'Connor
Julie Wilson Nimmo	...	Girl with Baby (as Julie Nimmo)
Nick Powell	...	Psychiatric Nurse
Allan Sharpe	...	Archbishop
Callum Smith	...	Crispina's Son - 1
Flynn Turner	...	Crispina's Son - 3

Directed by
Peter Mullan

Writing credits
Peter Mullan		(written by)

Produced by
Ed Guiney	....	executive producer
Frances Higson	....	producer
Paddy Higson	....	line producer
Andrea Occhipinti	....	executive producer: Eyescreen
Rod Stoneman	....	executive producer: The Irish Film Board
Paul Trijbits	....	executive producer
Alan J. Wands	....	co-producer (as Alan J. 'Willy' Wands)

Original Music by
Craig Armstrong

Cinematography by
Nigel Willoughby		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Colin Monie

Casting by
Lenny Mullan

Production Design by
Mark Leese

Art Direction by
Caroline Grebbell
Jean Kerr

Costume Design by
Trisha Biggar

Makeup Department
Candice Banks	....	additional makeup artist
Carol Chambers	....	additional makeup artist
Kate Elliot-Muir	....	additional makeup artist (as Kate Elliot Muir)
Sindy Hely	....	additional makeup artist
Dianne Jamieson	....	makeup designer
Sylvie Francoise Kurz	....	additional makeup artist
Fiona Maynard	....	makeup artist
Catherine Muir	....	additional makeup artist
Carole Reid	....	makeup work experience
Karen Scott	....	makeup trainee
Catherine Shirley	....	additional makeup artist
Meg Speirs	....	additional makeup artist
Stephanie Wedge	....	makeup artist
Tracey Wells	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Janet Riddoch	....	production manager (as Janet S. Riddoch)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jill Dempsey	....	second second assistant director: crowd
David Gilchrist	....	first assistant director
Tommy Gormley	....	additional first assistant director
Elaine MacKenzie	....	third assistant director
Michael Queen	....	second assistant director
Susan Radcliffe	....	trainee assistant director
Katie Rennie	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Evelyn Barbour	....	additional cash buyer
Mat Bergel	....	stand-by props
Sandy Borthwick	....	chargehand
Sandy Borthwick	....	painter
Phil Bowen	....	construction manager
Duncan Burns	....	stagehand
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	stand-by props
Paul Cowan	....	laborer
Stewart Cunningham	....	dressing props
Sam Curren	....	additional painter
Laura Donnelly	....	assistant art director
Bobby Gee	....	stand-by painter
Angus Gentleman	....	additional props
Ewan Gillespie	....	additional carpenter
Alec Graham	....	additional carpenter
Jane Harvie	....	apprentice painter
Emma Henderson	....	cash buyer
Christopher Higson	....	supervising carpenter (as Chris Higson)
John Hughes	....	painter
Piero Jamieson	....	additional props
Scott Keery	....	props master
William Maxwell	....	carpenter
Duncan McDevitt	....	dressing props
Elaine McLenachan	....	production buyer
Dennis Murphy	....	carpenter
Alan Reid	....	storyboard artist
Alex Robertson	....	stand-by carpenter
David Weatherstone	....	additional props
Rhona Wilson	....	dressing props
Dawn Youll	....	apprentice plasterer

Sound Department
Tony Cook	....	boom operator
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist
Debbie Dingwall	....	additional boom operator
David Donaldson	....	sound engineer
David Donaldson	....	sound programming
Robert Farr	....	adr re-recordist
Robert Farr	....	foley re-recordist
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kahl Henderson	....	dialogue editor
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gayle Learmonth	....	sound trainee
Douglas MacDougall	....	supervising sound editor
Sandy Miller	....	additional boom operator
Colin Nicolson	....	sound recordist
Chris Sinclair	....	foley editor
Ruth Sullivan	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Steve Breheney	....	special effects supervisor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Giles Livesey	....	digital film colorist (uncredited)

Stunts
Gareth Milne	....	stunt performer
Nick Powell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
David Bourke	....	best boy
James Bourke	....	rigging electricians mate
Charlie Crawford	....	unit photographer
Bonnie Dempsey	....	clapper loader
Andrew Ford	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Alick Fraser	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Tom Gates	....	gaffer
Chris Gilbertson	....	additional electrician
Katharine Higgs	....	camera trainee
Alan Maxwell	....	focus puller: "b" camera
Mickey May	....	electrician
Drew Meldon	....	key grip
Paul Murphy	....	additional electrician
Sam Osborne	....	focus puller
Ross Pearson	....	stand-by rigger
Tim Proctor	....	grip: "b" camera
Glenda Rome	....	clapper loader: "b" camera
Jamie Summers	....	electrician
Tony Wilcock	....	rigging gaffer (as Tony Wilcocks)
Lorna Will	....	camera operator: "b" camera

Casting Department
Victoria Beattie	....	additional casting assistant (as Vicky Beattie)
Kara Johnston	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lee Dickson	....	costume junior
Frank Gallagher	....	additional costume assistant
Irene Godfrey	....	costume assistant
Arnalie Harper Gow	....	additional costume assistant (as Amalie Harper Gow)
Anne Matheson	....	additional costume assistant
Tracy McGregor	....	additional costume assistant
Michael Mooney	....	costume supervisor
Marnie Ormiston	....	key costumer
Claire Pettifer	....	costume assistant
Ailsa Rendell	....	additional costume junior
Alex Watherston	....	additional costume assistant

Editorial Department
Giles Burgess	....	first assistant film editor
Yvonne McDonald	....	negative checker
Sonya Scott	....	post-production secretary

Music Department
Craig Armstrong	....	conductor
Craig Armstrong	....	music arranger
Matt Dunkley	....	additional orchestrator
Matt Dunkley	....	conductor: Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Emma Ford	....	music supervisor
Geoff Foster	....	orchestra recordist
Geoff Foster	....	score recordist
Royal Scottish National Orchestra	....	orchestra

Transportation Department
Darren Bell	....	facilities driver: Aeroshoot
Colin Crosbie	....	unit driver
Gary Forsyth	....	driver: camera truck
Graham Gordon	....	driver: props
Graham Harrison	....	facilities driver: Aeroshoot
David Love	....	facilities driver: Aeroshoot
Gareth Reeve	....	unit driver
Gordon Shillinglaw	....	unit driver
Charlie Simpson	....	facilities driver: Aeroshoot
Philip Twinberrow	....	unit driver

Other crew
Helle Absalonsen	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab
Vicci Allen	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab (as Vicci Allan)
Beth Armstrong	....	unit nurse
Mike Bolam	....	location scout
Laurence Byrne	....	trainee accountant
Susan Cairney	....	unit nurse
Sarah Carswell	....	production trainee
Gillian Clyde	....	business affairs: Film Council's New Cinema Fund
John Cooney	....	security: Atlas Security (as John Cooney)
Mark Devlin	....	production coordinator
Brendan Diver	....	caterer: Thistle Catering
Eric D'Souza	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab (as Eric d'Souza)
Larry Eydmann	....	health and safety advisor
Emma Ford	....	assistant: Craig Armstrong
Helen Game	....	chaperone
Cara Gavigan	....	location scout (as Kara Gavigan)
David Havard	....	insurance: AON
Carol-Anne Henderson	....	pre-production assistant
Michael Higson	....	location scout
John Hinchliffe	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab (as John Hinschliffe)
Vinnie Holden	....	production finance: Film Council's New Cinema Fund
Steve Humphries	....	director: "Sex in a Cold Climate" which inspired this movie
Steve Humphries	....	producer: "Sex in a Cold Climate" which inspired this movie
Christine Hunter	....	unit nurse
Jacqueline Hurt	....	lawyer: Olswang
Stephen Kane	....	religious advisor
Jim Kerr	....	developed with the financial assistance of
John Kirkham	....	unit nurse
Robbie Kirkpatrick	....	location assistant
Kris Kolodziejski	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab
Susie Liggat	....	physical production executive: Film Council's New Cinema Fund
Giles Livesey	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab
Andrew Lowe	....	business affairs: Temple Films
Barbara Lynch	....	production secretary
Phyllis MacMahon	....	religious advisor (as Phyllis McMahon)
Lucy Marr	....	assistant accountant
Mark McBride	....	production runner
Jill McCullough	....	voice coach: Geraldine McEwan
Kenny McGhee	....	unit nurse (as Kenny McGee)
Margaret McGowan	....	chaperone
John McKain	....	production accountant
Bronagh Murphy	....	trainee script supervisor
Jim O'Donnell	....	unit nurse
Michael Osborne	....	additional runner
Frederico Piacentini	....	caterer: Thistle Catering
Pat Rambaut	....	script supervisor
Les Reilly	....	caterer: Thistle Catering
Malcolm Ritchie	....	financial executive: PFP Films
Andreas Rostock	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab
Jessica Rundle	....	pre-production assistant
Scott Russell	....	caterer: Thistle Catering
Sam Smith	....	working crew: Digital Film Lab
Richard Starkey	....	unit nurse
Beverley Syme	....	location manager
Alex Usborne	....	production executive: Film Council's New Cinema Fund
Susan Waddell	....	lawyer: Olswang
Jenny Williams	....	pre-production assistant

Thanks
Neil Ballantyne	....	thanks: Summerlee Heritage Centre
John Booth	....	thanks
David Brown	....	thanks
Sonia Butterworth	....	thanks
Leonard Crooks	....	special thanks: Glasgow Film Office (as Lenny Crooks)
Belle Doyle	....	thanks
Andrew Eaton	....	thanks
Mike Fagan	....	thanks
Jim Guthrie	....	thanks
Graham Hawkins	....	thanks
Jeffrey Honneiker	....	thanks
Margaret Horspool	....	thanks (as Mags Horsepool)
Matt Hume	....	thanks: Summerlee Heritage Centre
Mary Keane	....	thanks
Darren Longthorne	....	thanks
Ray Marston	....	thanks (as Ray Marsden)
Eddie McGee	....	thanks
Tracey McGee	....	thanks
Celine McHugh	....	thanks
Robert McNeilly	....	thanks
Alexander Murray	....	thanks
Irene Napier	....	thanks
Claire Paterson	....	thanks
Eddie Robinson	....	thanks
Bob Robison	....	thanks
Jane Roche	....	thanks
Carole Sheridan	....	thanks
Ian Somerville	....	thanks
Bill Summers	....	thanks
Ann Swan	....	thanks
Katrin Swan	....	thanks
Mairi Swan	....	thanks
Paddy Swan	....	thanks
Claire Wiles	....	thanks: VFG

Production Companies

• Scottish Screen
• Film Council (as The Film Council)
• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann
• Momentum Pictures (in association with)
• PFP Films (as PFP Films)
• Temple Films (in association with)
• Element Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• Concorde Filmverleih (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Frenetic Films (2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lucky Red (Italy) (theatrical)
• Mars Distribution (2003) (France) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• CDI Films (Argentina)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD) (retail)
• EuroVideo (2003) (Germany) (DVD) (rental)
• FS Film Oy (2003) (Finland) (video)
• Momentum Pictures (2002) (UK) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (all media)
• Toshiba Entertainment (Japan)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• With Cinema (Korea)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Emergency House Special Effects (as Emergency House)

Other Companies

• AON  insurance
• Aberdour Hotel  thanks
• Aeroshoot Film Services  facilities vehicles (as Aeroshoot)
• An Grianan Theatre, Donegal  thanks
• Annan Road Laundry  thanks
• Ardmore Sound  dubbing studios (as Ardmore Sound)
• Ardmore Sound  sound re-recording
• Atlas Security  security
• Barend Holiday Park  thanks
• Big Fish Films  thanks
• British Red Cross  thanks (as The Red Cross)
• Burns Street Activity Centre  thanks
• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann  made with the support of (as The Irish Film Board/Bord Scannán na hÉireann)
• Cairndale Hotel  thanks
• City Arts Centre, Dublin  thanks
• City Arts Theatre, Cork  thanks
• Classic Car Hire  action vehicles
• Cork Corcadorca  thanks
• Creature Feature  animal agency
• Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast  thanks
• Digital Film Lab London  digital laboratory
• Dinks  thanks
• Dumfries & Galloway Council  made with the support of
• Edit Hire Post Production Services  thanks (as Edit-Hire Post Production Services)
• Emma Chapman Publicity  publicity
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film Council Development Fund  made with the support of
• Film Finance  completion guarantee
• Galway Arts College  thanks
• Glasgow Film Office  special thanks
• Glasgow Film Theatre  thanks
• Goldcrest Post Production London  adr and foley facilities
• Hullabaloo Studios  thanks (as Hullabaloo)
• ISO  titles
• International Committee of the Red Cross  thanks (as The Red Cross)
• Irish Film Archive  thanks
• Knightswood Laundry  thanks
• Lakeside Casting  thanks
• National Lottery  supported by
• New Cinema Fund  made with the support of
• North Lanarkshire Council  thanks
• Olswang  lawyers
• Parmount Pictures Corp.  film clips "The Bells of St. Mary's" courtesy of (as Paramount Pictures)
• Robert Burns Centre  thanks
• Royal Scottish National Orchestra  orchestra
• Sandbar  thanks
• Savalas Audio Post-Production  sound post-production
• Scottish Enterprise Dumfries & Galloway  made with the support of
• Scottish Screen  supported by
• Shortridge Laundries  thanks
• Soho Computamatch  negative cutting
• Soho Images  film laboratory
• South West Scotland Screen Commission  made with the support of
• Sprockets and Bytes  thanks
• Summerlee Heritage Centre  thanks
• The Globe Inn  thanks
• Thistle Catering  catering
• V.F.G.  camera and lighting equipment (as VFG)

Also Known As:

The Magdalene Sisters (UK)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich) | Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 (original rating) | Ireland:18 (video rating) | Japan:R-15 | Mexico:B15 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:11 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK

Company:

Scottish Screen

Trivia:

Peter Mullan has remarked that the film was initially made because victims of Magdalene Asylums had no closure. They had not received any recognition, compensation, or apology, and many remained lifelong devout Catholics.

Goofs:

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

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Version of Sex in a Cold Climate (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

The other, other kind of terrorism.

I inadvertently found myself watching a whole string of movies the other day about people being tortured or torturing themselves, without even looking for movies like that. I saw The Magdalene Sisters, Osama, and that IMAX film Everest, all in the same day, and was surprised at their similarities, particularly between the first two. The Magdalene Sisters and Osama are strikingly similar in that they are both about religious terrorism, specifically centered around women. Osama was a look at how the Taliban keeps women under tight control, not allowing them even the tiniest freedom (indeed, women could be arrested and severely punished for such crimes as walking alone in public or speaking to a man, even for such dangerous statements as, 'My father is sick.'), while The Magdalene Sisters is about the Catholic Church in Ireland in disturbingly recent times, severely punishing women as a result of what appears to be the Church's frothing and highly irrational fear of sex.

The film focuses on the plights of three women in particular, who have all committed 'crimes' of varying nature but who are all punished by being sent to the Magdalene laundry for an indefinite period of time. One girl, Rose, commits the greatest crime having a child out of wedlock, which neither of her parents will even look at. Interestingly, she had the child because an abortion would have been a sin. Bernadette makes the mortal mistake of flirting with boys outside the orphanage she lived in, and Margaret is raped at a family gathering by a cousin, only to be shipped off herself when she reports it to family members.

At the Magdalene laundry, the girls are subjected to psychological abuse and endless physical toil, all under the old theory that it will cleanse their souls. Some of the women that the three girls in question encounter as they enter the laundry have been there for decades, and they eventually figure out that the only way that they are ever going to get out of there is to escape. Bernadette is especially aware of this, and makes increasing efforts to escape, for which she is brutally punished.

I am genuinely curious to know what path of logic leads people to believe that such practices in the name of religion can have any beneficial value. The Taliban has taken religious torture to its extreme, debasing themselves and their religion by performing unbelievably inhuman acts in the name of their God, and it appears that, while certainly not on the same level of cruelty, the Catholic Church has performed similar crimes against humanity. That the Catholic Church in Ireland promptly condemned the film is not surprising, but if such things are being committed under its name (and indeed continued being committed well into the late 1990s), I should think that the Church would at least allow the film to be shown so that people would be aware of such abuses, which tarnish the reputation of the Church. I believe that it would have been possible for the Church to defend its own validity while at the same time acknowledging abuses committed in its name, especially if the accusations of cruelty were untrue, although in this case they were not. Running, however, only makes you look guilty.

The Magdalene laundry is presided over by a nun who is simply evil. She is an elderly lady and generally soft-spoken, but this woman makes the wicked witch of the west look like a prancing schoolgirl. The viciousness of the rest of the Sisters of Mercy radiates off of this woman like some kind of sinister force, delicately but successfully walking the line between illustrating the harshness of a brutal religious regime and creating a movie monster. Her character is human, but she's not far from being a monster.

It's disheartening to see the things that people do in the name of religion, especially when the crimes are something as little as behaving like a normal person. There are natural and perfectly healthy behaviors that unfortunately are violations of arbitrary religious laws, which are subsequently punished with outlandish punishments like those seen in this movie. Religion is thrown into reverse, causing pain and suffering rather than offering an escape from it, shown in a modern setting that is so backwards that it could just as easily have taken place in the 1600s.