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, an Irish Republican Army volunteer, and Jody, a kidnapped British soldier lured into an IRA trap by Jude, 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. 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 are some things about Dil that Fergus doesn't know, either...

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Plot Keywords:

interracial romance | tragic love | psychological drama | kidnapping | irish republican army | 

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Taglines:

'Desire is a Danger Zone' (used on UK Posters)

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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

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:

£2,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$101,107, 29 November 1992, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$62,549,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Palace Pictures, Channel Four Films, Eurotrustees

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The fable that Jody (Forest Whitaker) tells Fergus (Stephen Rea) about the Scorpion and the Frog was also told by Orson Welles in his low-budget film noir thriller, Mr. Arkadin (1955).

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Goofs

Dil's hair during the first scene taking place in the Metro.

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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

The Crying Game
Composed by Geoff Stephens
Published by Peermusic (UK) Ltd.
Performed by Boy George
Produced by Pet Shop Boys
Recording Courtesy of Spaghetti Recordings Ltd.

User Reviews

Forever fighting....

This is a great movie. While "the scene" achieved great notoriety and some think that's all the movie is about, it's really about so much more. The desperation of the Irish to achieve freedom from England is very much on display here. Like other ancient feuds around the globe, the passion on both sides is evident in their willingness to do just about anything to advance their cause(s). It's also a powerful, if strange, story of human love. Complicated, deeply felt, real love. The kind that would make you sacrifice virtually everything to prevent the one you love from suffering pain. Excellent acting makes this a worthwhile investment of time. A film to remember and cherish.