Song for a Raggy Boy (2003)

"Song for a Raggy Boy" is based on the true story of a single teacher's courage to stand up against an untouchable prefect's sadistic disciplinary regime and other abuse in a Catholic Reformatory and Industrial School in 1939 Ireland.

Director:

Aisling Walsh

Writers:

Aisling Walsh, Kevin Byron Murphy,

Stars:

Aidan Quinn, Iain Glen, Marc Warren

14 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aidan Quinn	...	William Franklin
Iain Glen	...	Brother John
Marc Warren	...	Brother Mac
Dudley Sutton	...	Brother Tom
Alan Devlin	...	Father Damian
Stuart Graham	...	Brother Whelan
John Travers	...	Liam Mercier 636
Chris Newman	...	Patrick Delaney 743
Andrew Simpson	...	Gerard Peters 458
Mark Butler	...	Downey 913
Bernard Manning	...	Rogers 855
Samuel Bright	...	Ryan 126
Robert Sheehan	...	O Reilly 58
Caoimhin 'Tojo' Barra Doherty	...	Murphy 338 (as Caoimhin 'Tojo' Barry Doherty)
Michael McGee	...	Lynch 76

Storyline

In 1939 William Franklin, an anti-Franco veteran of the bloody Spanish Civil War, arrives as first-ever lay teacher in a strict Catholic Reformatory and Industrial School for wayward boys. He soon learns the academic challenge is formidable, many boys being still illiterate, but gradually earns their trust, respect, in time almost devotion, with 'paternal' kindness, making the layman the opposite of the cruel prefect, brother John, who frequently administers painful and humiliating punishments, even the gentle, old superior Father Damian has no authority against his disciplinary mandate from the grim bishop Conlon. Slowly even class rebel Liam Mercier is turned around, trough his gift for literature. After Franklin dares stop the sadist's penny-weighted strap severely striking 'sinful scum' for a futility, the whole dorm is treated to an icy night outdoors, arms outstretched wearing only shorts. Brother Mac's mind may mean to educate well, his flesh is too weak for celibacy, so the ...

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Plot Keywords:

reformatory | teacher | abuse | strap | child abuse | 

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Taglines:

Baseret på en sand historie[Denmark]

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Ireland UK Denmark Spain

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 2003 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Angeli ribelli

Filming Locations:

County Cork, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

£88,324 (UK) (17 October 2003)

Gross:

£216,528 (UK) (24 October 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fantastic Films, Lolafilms, Moviefan Scandinavia A/S

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

User Reviews

A very powerful, moving film that sees the humanity in all of us.

Saw this at Tribeca Film Festival and was genuinely moved by the power and passion of the story, the acting and above all the directing. The filmmakers took care to show each person as a combination of good and bad.The casting of the kids was outright fabulous. Aidan Quinn was born to play this part and brings to his acting a deepfelt conviction of righting certain wrongs with tremendous power and feeling.