Die Journalistin (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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Certificate:

12

Did You Know?

Trivia

A daily Irish newspaper recently reported that Portlaoise prison (where John Gilligan and Brian Meehan are incarcerated) screens the movie at least once a month in the prison common hall at the request of the prisoners.

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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: You think I want to do this, do ya? I don't want to do it, I have to do it!

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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

Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: Ebert & Roeper Redux (2003)

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Soundtracks

Everlasting Love
Written by Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden
Published by Peter Maurice Ltd Co Ltd
Performed by U2
Courtesy of Universal-Island Records Limited
Licensed by kind permission from the Film & TV Licensing Division, Part of the Universal Music Group

User Reviews

Cate Blanchett Exposes Hollywood

Just as Veronica Guerin exposed Ireland's underworld drug dealers, Cate Blanchett's marvelous portrayal of Irish journalist-turned-anti-drug-crusader Veronica Guerin seemed to have the actress on a mission to prove that you don't have to look like a pop diva or act like a porn star to be a compelling female lead in a film.

Like many films with an ethnic flavor, we get a supporting cast of ethnic actors in slightly elevated roles from the norm. Most notable from that category are Gerard McSorley as the evil drug-lord, John Gilligan, and Ciaran Hands as street thug John Traynor, who plays both sides of the fence throughout the film.

The story is painful, not only because of what happens to Guerin, but in our knowing that her courage is a direct reaction to our general apathy towards wrongdoing, with so many of us looking the other way that the Veronica Guerins of the world are encouraged to fight evil after the fact, but left as sitting ducks or thrown to the wolves while they are still alive and making noise.

If there's one lesson every viewer of this film should exit with, it is that those of us who are not part of the solution, are part of the problem.

Details

Country:

Ireland UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 September 2003 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Die Journalistin

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

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1