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:

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

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

A few lines of dialogue allude to Dil as being significantly older than Fergus (more specifically, a remark Dil makes about preferring younger men). Jaye Davidson, who plays Dil, is actually twenty-one years younger than Stephen Rea, who plays Fergus.

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Goofs

During the scene shot at Balbriggan County, Dublin, a Northern Ireland Railways GM locomotive 113 passes in the background, with a passenger train. The sound dubbed in is 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 Tranny Surprise: The Prying Game (2004)

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Soundtracks

Baby Jump
Composed by Ray Dorset
Published by Our Music Ltd.
Performed by Mungo Jerry
Recording Courtesy of Castle Communications PLC.

User Reviews

One of the best films of the '90s

The first part of The Crying Game is based on a great short story by Frank O'Connor, "Guests of the Nation." The balance of this provocative, brilliantly made film takes you on a journey fueled by guilt, romance, terrorist intrigue, and a plot twist that ranks as one of the most startling in all cinema. The acting, by Forest Whitaker, Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, and others, is all first-rate; the cinematography and score are stellar; and Neil Jordan directs with vigor and empathy.

How can anyone give this movie less than a 10? I can't.