Veronica Guerin (2003)

An Irish journalist writes a series of stories about drug dealers.

Director:

Joel Schumacher

Writers:

Carol Doyle (story), Carol Doyle (screenplay)

Stars:

Cate Blanchett, Colin Farrell, Brenda Fricker

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 13 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cate Blanchett	...	Veronica Guerin
Gerard McSorley	...	John Gilligan
Ciarán Hinds	...	John Traynor
Brenda Fricker	...	Bernie Guerin
Don Wycherley	...	Chris Mulligan
Barry Barnes	...	Graham Turley
Simon O'Driscoll	...	Cathal Turley
Emmet Bergin	...	Aengus Fanning
Charlotte Bradley	...	Anne Harris
Mark Lambert	...	Willie Kealy
Garrett Keogh	...	Tony Gregory
Maria McDermottroe	...	Geraldine Gilligan
Paudge Behan	...	Brian Meehan
Joe Hanley	...	Eugene 'Dutchie' Holland
David Murray	...	Charles Bowden

Storyline

Based on a true story, this is about the Irish journalist Veronica Guerin (Cate Blanchett), a reporter for The Sunday Independent, who exposed some of Dublin's most powerful crime barons and drug lords in 1996. But later that year she was gunned down by assasins hired by the same criminal drug lords she exposed.

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Plot Keywords:

strong female lead | strong female character | tough woman | murder of a journalist | shooting a woman | 

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Taglines:

Why would anyone want to kill Veronica Guerin?

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Genres:

Biography | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some drug content

Details

Country:

Ireland UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 October 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chasing the Dragon: The Veronica Guerin Story

Filming Locations:

Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$17,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$611,276, 19 October 2003

Gross USA:

$1,571,504

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,439,660

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Persevere Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Irish Film Censor, who passed the film with a 15PG (now defunct, but equal to 15A) certificate, acknowledged on the official Film Censor website, that had this film been fiction, or of any other plot source than it was, it would probably have received an 18 certificate.

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Goofs

All the telephones have the American 'Single' ringing tone, rather than the correct 'double' ringing tone.

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Quotes

Veronica Guerin: It'll be worse for me, and it'll be worse for journalism or any journalist if I was to be intimidated. Then that means they've won, and they're not going to win.

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Crazy Credits

Disclaimer in closing credits: "Chris Mulligan is a fictional composite character based in part on several different people, and certain events in which the character is depicted have been fictionalised for dramatic effect."

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Connections

Referenced in The Making of 'The Phantom of the Opera' (2005)

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Soundtracks

Fields of Athenry
Written by Pete St. John
Used by kind permission of Celtic Songs
Performed by Brian O'Donnell

User Reviews

Good Joel Schumacher effort

I've been revaluing Joel Schumacher as a director for some years. I was used to think he was just a typical Hollywood movie maker. But I understood this man does commercial features whenever he needs money ("Batman forever", "Batman & Robin", "The client", "A time to kill"), as he gets it he manages to do good and more personal films.

In fact his mainstream movies are quite boring and mannered. Fortunately Schumacher is much better with more alternative or low-budget films ("Falling down", "Tigerland", "Phone booth"). "Veronica Guerin" belongs to this category.

I'm also happy, in this case, that a blockbuster producer like Jerry Bruckheimer manages not to spoil the movie with artificial tricks.

Veronica Guerin seems to me a symbol of Irish tragicalness. I mean, the tragicalness you can find in works of James Joyce and Oscar Wilde, in stories and legends of Ireland as well. Sadly, her story is true.

The film has the right speed in presenting all the facts, it is simple and well acted -Cate Blanchett's performance is outstanding.

Maybe Joel Schumacher, in the final part, looses a little the sense of rhythm because he wants us to be moved and touched (and we are, indeed. Because it's a shame that a woman and a brave journalist as well had to pay that price). But it's a true story, as I said. The film is valid because it denounces the "conspiracy of silence" and inaction from authorities.