Brooklyn (2015)

An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

Director:

John Crowley

Writers:

Nick Hornby (screenplay), Colm Tóibín (novel) (as Colm Toibin)

Stars:

Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 30 wins & 139 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Saoirse Ronan	...	Eilis
Hugh Gormley	...	Priest (as Father Matt Glynn)
Brid Brennan	...	Miss Kelly
Maeve McGrath	...	Mary
Emma Lowe	...	Mrs Brady
Barbara Drennan	...	Shabby Woman
Gillian McCarthy	...	Timid Woman
Fiona Glascott	...	Rose Lacey
Jane Brennan	...	Mary Lacey
Eileen O'Higgins	...	Nancy
Peter Campion	...	George Sheridan
Eva Birthistle	...	Georgina
James Corscadden	...	Ship Waiter
Julie Walters	...	Mrs. Kehoe
Emily Bett Rickards	...	Patty

Storyline

In late 1951, Eilis Lacey, a young Irish girl, emigrates to Brooklyn. Sponsored by Father Flood, a priest from her native town Enniscorthy, she is assured to find a full-time job there. But the early days are tough, seasickness being soon replaced by loneliness and homesickness, two feelings all the more acutely felt by Eilis for having had to leave behind her widowed mother and her dear sister Rose. She nevertheless little by little manages to find her footing by adapting to her job as a salesgirl, by studying bookkeeping at Brooklyn College as well as with a little help from both Father Flood and Mrs. Kehoe, the owner of the boarding school she now lives in. And not only does graduation follow but love shows its face in Tony, an Italian-American plumber, full of adoration and respect for her. They end up marrying, although keeping the thing secret. It is at that point that tragedy strikes inciting Eilis to return to Enniscorthy to support her mother morally. And there a strange ...

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Plot Keywords:

1950s | irish accent | torn between two worlds | irish | immigrant | 

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Taglines:

Two countries, two loves, one heart.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG - 13 for a scene of sexuality and brief strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Canada Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 November 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brooklyn - Eine Liebe zwischen zwei Welten

Filming Locations:

Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$187,281 (USA) (6 November 2015)

Gross:

$38,317,535 (USA) (20 May 2016)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wildgaze Films, Parallel Film Productions, BAI

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Irish author Colm Tóibín's idea for the novel came from a child memory, in which he overheard a woman talk about her young daughter's move from Enniscorthy to Brooklyn. In 2000 he wrote a short story about this memory, but expanded it to a novel years later, after living in United States himself, as well as teaching literary courses, where he said he was inspired by Jane Austen's "method of examining a single psychology, using an introspective, sensitive heroine, some comic characters and some romance."

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Goofs

Eilish received a letter from her sister dated Nov '51, after the girls had been to see The Quiet Man. As has been mentioned, the film was not released till late '52.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Eilis: Miss Kelly wants to talk to you later.
Mary Lacey: Not if what you're going to say will cause trouble for me in some way or another.
Eilis: [sighs]

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Connections

Featured in Half in the Bag: The 2016 Oscars (2016)

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Soundtracks

What's It To You, Jack?
Written by A Jacquest and J Carter
Used by kind permission of Carlin Music Corp. and Lark Music Ltd.
Performed by Linda Hayes
Courtesy of Ace Records Ltd.

User Reviews

Ronan owns this films, terrific performance

I was lucky enough to get tickets to a preview of Brooklyn last week, and in a rare change from the normal routine, I went into a film knowing absolutely nothing about it.

It was such a full house, that I ended up staring up at the screen from well outside my usual comfort zone at an awkward angle, too close to the screen, and away from my girlfriend which wasn't a great start, but once the film started I was quickly caught up in the magnificence of Saoirse Ronan's performance and forgot about any of those minor gripes.

Ronan owned this film, from first to last. The storyline itself is a somewhat thin and a follows a well-trodden path but Ronan gives it such heft, and brings the intensity of her character's experience and development full force such that any deficiencies of the story seem inconsequential. It was only after leaving the screening that I really looked back at some of the plot points and realised how contrived it had been in places, but for the time I was watching it, I was simply living it through the potency of the acting. Ronan was brilliant in this, and I struggle to think of any recent performances that can match this for the confidence and sure-footedness that she showed. I think she's in with a good shout for an award or two for this role.

It's worth mentioning Julie Waters as well, who reliably entertains and impresses in all she does. Between her and Saoirse Ronan, they made sure that Brooklyn passed the 6 laugh test – and also the 6 cry test. I laughed, and cried, and laughed as I was crying, and cried as I was laughing pretty much throughout the whole film. A thoroughly enjoyable film, where the central performance takes the audience on an engrossing and emotional trip through an otherwise somewhat slight storyline.