Evelyn (2002)

1953. Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment, and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children... See full summary »

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writer:

Paul Pender

Stars:

Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies, Aidan Quinn

2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophie Vavasseur	...	Evelyn Doyle
Niall Beagan	...	Dermot Doyle
Hugh McDonagh	...	Maurice Doyle (as Hugh Macdonagh)
Pierce Brosnan	...	Desmond Doyle
Mairead Devlin	...	Charlotte Doyle
Frank Kelly	...	Henry Doyle
Claire Mullan	...	Mrs. Daisley
Alvaro Lucchesi	...	Inspector Logan
Garrett Keogh	...	District Judge
Daithi O'Suilleabhain	...	Brother Eustace (as Daithi O'Suillebhain)
Andrea Irvine	...	Sister Brigid
Marian Quinn	...	Sister Theresa
Karen Ardiff	...	Sister Felicity
Julianna Margulies	...	Bernadette Beattie
Bosco Hogan	...	Father O'Malley

Storyline

1953. Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment, and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children, Evelyn, Dermot, and Maurice, make it clear to the authorities that his is an untenable situation. The Irish courts put the Doyle children into Church-run orphanages. Although a sympathetic judge assures Desmond that he'll get his children back after he gets a job, he learns there's another barrier. During that time, Evelyn suffers abuse, while Desmond goes to court to get his children back. A barmaid, her brother, her suitor, and a tippling footballer become Desmond's team.

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Plot Keywords:

children | court | judge | irish | orphanage | 

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Taglines:

The story of a father's love that changed a nation

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for thematic material and language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

Germany Ireland USA UK Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Disputa

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$65,344, 15 December 2002, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,483,975, 4 May 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Look International, Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG, Irish DreamTime

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 95 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several decades later, widespread shocking revelations and allegations about the extent of the abuse of children in the care of the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland, during this time in the 1950s, among other decades, and religious organizations, have since given this film a much darker undercurrent than originally intended.

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Goofs

When the camera pans on to the accordionist it shows the accordionist playing a Saltarelle accordion which were only produced from 1984 onwards.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Dermot Doyle: Evelyn, did Jesus have a big sister?
Evelyn Doyle: No Dermot, he wasn't as lucky as you.

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Crazy Credits

Slippery Sam is the greyhound who wins the race.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Pierce Brosnan/Tavi Gevinson/The Madden Brothers (2014)

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Soundtracks

Sitting on Top of the World
Written by Van Morrison (as Morrison)
Performed by Van Morrison
Courtesy of Exile Productions Ltd.

User Reviews

Pierce Brosnan can act!

I have to admit, I was skeptical and anxious to see Pierce Brosnan in a serious dramatic role. His characters are usually very debonair and have an air of superiority about them that makes him seem to be better than the rest of us. I was pleasantly surprised seeing his true to life performance as Desmond Doyle an unemployed father of two boys and a girl named Evelyn. Evelyn is the eldest of the three children and has a special bond with her father which is the basis of the whole movie. Pierce Brosnan plays his character with a delicacy and dedication in which you the viewer completely forget him as Pierce Brosnan and start to really believe that this is a documentary type movie and not a Hollywood production. As Pierce Brosnan is Irish by birth it is not surprising how well he can pull off a moderate Irish accent but it is still a bit shocking considering how English he usually seems when he is seen on-screen. Stephen Rea, Alan Bates, Aidan Quinn and Juliana Margulies round out the rest of the adult cast and all put in performances that are worthy of their talents. Juliana Margulies being an American born actress is able to portray an Irish woman with accent very convincingly. This movie is without a doubt one of the better films of 2002, it is unfortunate that it was not widely known as a potential Oscar favorite.