The Crying Game (1992)

A British soldier kidnapped by IRA terrorists soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world.

Director:

Neil Jordan

Writer:

Neil Jordan

Stars:

Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker

Won 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 46 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Forest Whitaker	...	Jody
Miranda Richardson	...	Jude
Stephen Rea	...	Fergus
Adrian Dunbar	...	Maguire
Breffni McKenna	...	Tinker (as Breffini McKenna)
Joe Savino	...	Eddie
Birdy Sweeney	...	Tommy (as Birdie Sweeney)
Jaye Davidson	...	Dil
Andrée Bernard	...	Jane (as Andree Bernard)
Jim Broadbent	...	Col
Ralph Brown	...	Dave
Tony Slattery	...	Deveroux
Jack Carr	...	Franknum
Josephine White	...	Bar Performer 1
Shar Campbell	...	Bar Performer 2

Storyline

An unlikely kind of friendship develops between Fergus (Stephen Rea), an Irish Republican Army volunteer, and Jody (Forest Whitaker), a kidnapped British soldier lured into an IRA trap by Jude (Miranda Richardson), another IRA member. When the hostage-taking ends up going horribly wrong, Fergus escapes and heads to London, where he seeks out Jody's lover, a hairdresser named Dil (Jaye Davidson). Fergus adopts the name "Jimmy" and gets a job as a day laborer. He also starts seeing Dil, who knows nothing about Fergus' IRA background. But there is something about Dil that Fergus doesn't know, either.

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Plot Keywords:

interracial romance | tragic love | psychological drama | northern ireland | kidnapping | 

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Taglines:

Play At Your Own Risk.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexuality, strong violence and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This is one of the rare films with a plot twist that becomes a completely different film genre after the first viewing.

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Goofs

In Balbriggan County, Dublin, a Northern Ireland Railways GM locomotive 113 passes in the background, pulling a passenger train. It makes the sound of a British Rail HST railcar set, which is quite different. The sound effect is also too short; most of the train passes silently.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Jody: [playing ring toss at a carnival] Right.
[tosses a ring]
Jody: That.
[tosses a ring]
Jody: And that. And that is cricket, hon.
Jody: [wins a large teddy bear] Do you want it?
Jude: Sure!
Jody: [hands her the teddy bear] Doesn't matter if you don't. You know I won't be offended. Jody's never offended. What'd you say your name was?
Jude: Jude.
[...]

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Connections

Spoofed in Roundhouse: New Baby (1993)

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Soundtracks

Second Coming
Composed and Performed by Simon Boswell
Published by Sunfun Ltd.

User Reviews

So much more than the "secret"

Truly fantastic movie. Neil Jordan's apparent tale of an IRA terrorist who becomes involved in the life of one of his captives explores so much beyond the plot – issues of identity, belief, and yes, even love. The performances are brilliant from every cast member, especially so for Miranda Richardson, Stephen Rea, and the incomparable Jaye Davidson. Even if you know the secret, you'll still probably be captivated by this film. A triumph for Jordan one of the best movies of the 1990s.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

UK Japan USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 February 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Soldier's Wife

Filming Locations:

100 Eaton Place, Belgravia, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP2,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$101,107, 29 November 1992

Gross USA:

$62,548,947

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$62,548,947

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palace Pictures, Channel Four Films, Eurotrustees

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1