Angela's Ashes (1999)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers (WGA):

Frank McCourt (book)
Laura Jones (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 January 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The Hopes of a Mother. The Dreams of a Father. The Fate of a Child.

Plot:

Based on the best selling autobiography by Irish expat Frank McCourt, Angela's Ashes follows the experiences...

Plot Keywords:

Poverty | Brooklyn | Death | Prejudice | Religion

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Emily Watson	...	Angela McCourt
Robert Carlyle	...	Malachy (Dad)
Joe Breen	...	Young Frank
Ciaran Owens	...	Middle Frank
Michael Legge	...	Older Frank
Ronnie Masterson	...	Grandma Sheehan
Pauline McLynn	...	Aunt Aggie
Liam Carney	...	Uncle Pa Keating
Eanna MacLiam	...	Uncle Pat
Andrew Bennett	...	Narrator (voice)
Shane Murray-Corcoran	...	Young Malachy
Devon Murray	...	Middle Malachy
Peter Halpin	...	Older Malachy
Aaron Geraghty	...	New Born Michael
Sean Carney Daly	...	Baby Michael
Oisin Carney Daly	...	Baby Michael
Shane Smith	...	Middle Michael
Tim O'Brien	...	Older Michael
Blaithnaid Howe	...	Newborn Alphie
Klara O'Leary	...	Baby Alphie
Caroline O'Sullivan	...	Baby Alphie
Ryan Fielding	...	Older Alphie
Daire Lynam	...	Margaret Mary
Ben O'Gorman	...	Eugene
Sam O'Gorman	...	Oliver
Frank Laverty	...	Young Paddy Clohessy
James Mahon	...	Middle Paddy Clohessy
Laurence Kinlan	...	Older Paddy Clohessy
Lucas Neville	...	Willie Harold
Walter Mansfield	...	Fintan Slattery
Des McAleer	...	Mr. Benson
Sean Kearns	...	Dotty O'Neill
Les Doherty	...	Mr. O'Dea
Brendan Cauldwell	...	Mr. O'Halloran
Shay Gorman	...	Mr. Hannon
Johnny Murphy	...	Seamus
Jon Kenny	...	Lavatory Man
Susan Fitzgerald	...	Sister Rita
Brendan McNamara	...	Toby Mackey
Maria McDermottroe	...	Bridey Hannon
Oliver Maguire	...	Confession Priest
Daithi O'Suilleabhain	...	Young Priest
Eileen Pollock	...	Mrs. Finucane
Alvaro Lucchesi	...	Laman Griffin
Mark O'Regan	...	Dr. Troy
Moira Deady	...	Mrs. Purcell
Kerry Condon	...	Theresa
Gerard McSorley	...	Father Gregory
Garrett Keogh	...	Mr. Hegarty
Eamonn Owens	...	Quasimodo
John Anthony Murphy	...	Redemptionist Priest
Phelim Drew	...	Rent Man
Brendan O'Carroll	...	Funeral Carriage Driver
Maggie McCarthy	...	Miss Barry
Bairbre Ni Chaoimh	...	Mrs. O'Connell
Nuala Kelly	...	Dance Teacher
Brian Clifford	...	Telegram Boy
Edward Murphy	...	Young Mikey Molloy
Kieran Maher	...	Older Mikey Molloy
James McClatchie	...	Bishop
Patrick Bracken	...	Younger Question Quigley
Terry O'Donovan	...	Older Question Quigley
Danny O'Carroll	...	Clarke
David Ahern	...	Cyril Benson
Marcia DeBonis	...	Mrs. Leibowitz
Helen Norton	...	Delia
Eileen Colgan	...	Philomena
Alan Parker	...	Dr. Campbell
Stephen Marcus	...	English Agent
Pauline Shanahan	...	Eye Nurse
Gerry Walsh	...	Farmer
Brendan Morrissey	...	Brother Murray
Darragh Neill	...	Heffernan
Sarah Pilkington	...	Minnie MacAdorey
Donncha Crowley	...	Sacristan
Veronica O'Reilly	...	Mrs. Carmody
Anne O'Neill	...	Mrs. Dooley (as Ann O'Neill)
Phil Kelly	...	Father Gory
Jaz Pollock	...	Roden Lane Neighbour
Paddy Scully	...	St. Vincent Man #1
J.J. Murphy	...	St. Vincent Man #2
Frankie McCafferty	...	St. Vincent Man #3
Jack Lynch	...	St. Vincent Man #4
Patrick David Nolan	...	Travel Agent
Gerard Lee	...	Carmody Priest
Martin Benson	...	Christian Brother
Birdy Sweeney	...	Old Priest
Owen O'Gorman	...	Sleeping Sailor
Pat McGrath	...	Butcher
Ray McBride	...	Mill Foreman
John Sheedy	...	Coal Yard Foreman
Sam Ryan	...	Shaved Head Boy #1
Donnacha Gleeson	...	Shaved Head Boy #2
Jim McIntyre	...	Gravedigger #1
Richard Walker	...	Gravedigger #2
Mary Ann Spencer	...	Parent #1
Kathleen Lambe	...	Parent #2
Jer O'Leary	...	Parent #3
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Dennis Milholland	...	Man in the Pub (uncredited)
Stewart Stafford	...	Factory Worker (uncredited)
Viviana Verveen	...	Girl (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Parker

Writing credits (WGA)
Frank McCourt		(book)
Laura Jones		(screenplay) and
Alan Parker		(screenplay)

Produced by
David Brown	....	producer
James Flynn	....	co-producer
Kit Golden	....	associate producer
Doochy Moult	....	associate producer
Morgan O'Sullivan	....	co-producer
Alan Parker	....	producer
Scott Rudin	....	producer
Adam Schroeder	....	executive producer
Eric Steel	....	executive producer
David Wimbury	....	line producer

Original Music by
John Williams

Cinematography by
Chris Connier
Michael Seresin

Film Editing by
Gerry Hambling

Casting by
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Geoffrey Kirkland

Art Direction by
Fiona Daly
Jonathan McKinstry
Malcolm Middleton

Set Decoration by
Jennifer Williams

Costume Design by
Consolata Boyle

Makeup Department
Roisin O'Reilly	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Nicolas Hippisley-Coxe	....	production supervisor: third unit
Des Martin	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Booker	....	second assistant director
Conor Gibbons	....	trainee assistant director
Tommy Gormley	....	assistant director
Richard Graysmark	....	second second assistant director
Sharon Harford	....	trainee assistant director
Dennis Maguire	....	assistant director
Brian 'Joker' Mulvey	....	second second assistant director
Brendan O'Sullivan	....	third assistant director
Amanda Webb	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Russ Bailey	....	construction coordinator
Darren Kearney	....	painter
Frank Matthews	....	supervising plasterer
Joe Monks	....	stand-by painter
Irene O'Brien	....	graphic designer
Graeme Bird	....	propmaker (uncredited)

Sound Department
Anna Behlmer	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Fitzgerald	....	adr mixer
Richard Fordham	....	assistant sound editor
Sarah Gaines	....	adr recordist
Sarah Gaines	....	dailies transfer operator
Micki Joanni	....	synchron editor
Eddy Joseph	....	supervising sound editor
Nick Lowe	....	dialogue editor
Andy Nelson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alastair Sirkett	....	assistant foley editor
Stephen Slattery	....	sound trainee
Dave Sloss	....	adr mixer
Ken Weston	....	production sound mixer

Special Effects by
Conor Coughlan	....	special effects technician
Yves De Bono	....	special effects supervisor
Mark Griffin	....	SFX buyer

Visual Effects by
Martin Body	....	optical cameraman
John Paul Docherty	....	digital effects supervisor
Kent Houston	....	visual effects supervisor
Susi Roper	....	visual effects producer
John Swinnerton	....	compositor
Pat Wong	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Bloor	....	gaffer
Alan Butler	....	focus puller
Darryl Byrne	....	clapper loader: "b" camera
Hugh-Thomas Cavanagh	....	electrician
P.J. Dillon	....	focus puller: "b" camera
David Grennan	....	clapper loader
Bill Kaye	....	still photographer
Keith Manning	....	grip
Ray Meehan	....	best boy
Philip Murphy	....	grip
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Sarah Allentuch	....	casting assistant
Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maria Phelan	....	trainee wardrobe assistant
Magdalen Rubalcava	....	assistant costume designer
Sue Wain	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Carolyne Chauncey	....	first assistant editor
David Feldman	....	assistant editor
Mike Gaffey	....	post-production runner
Robert Ireland	....	assistant editor
Mairead McIvor	....	assistant editor
Anna Maria O'Flanagan	....	editor trainee
Ben Renton	....	editor trainee

Music Department
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Peter Myles	....	assistant music editor
John Neufeld	....	orchestrator
Sinéad O'Connor	....	composer: song "Three Babies"
Simon Rhodes	....	music scoring mixer
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Mark Graham	....	music copyist (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Cate Arbeid	....	production coordinator
Paul Beard	....	production assistant
John A. Cohen	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Matt Dalton	....	first assistant accountant
Eben Davidson	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
R.H. Davies	....	marine coordinator
Sarah Feinberg	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Martin Gentles	....	production assistant
Marisa Grandi	....	production secretary
Sally Jones	....	script supervisor
Nick Kilcoyne	....	production assistant
Robert F. Kocourek	....	production controller
Niall Martin	....	assistant location manager
Paddy McCarney	....	location manager
Dorothy McDonnell	....	production assistant
Sean Montague	....	stand-in: Robert Carlyle
Angelique Palozzi	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Edmund Sampson	....	location assistant
J.J. Shea	....	production assistant
Derek Skaletsky	....	assistant: Scott Rudin
Will Sweeney	....	production intern
Andrew Wilson	....	assistant location manager
Eoin Holohan	....	assistant extras coordinator (uncredited)
Ray Kenny	....	trainee crowd coordinator (uncredited)
Seamus Porter	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• David Brown Productions
• Dirty Hands Productions
• Scott Rudin Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1999-2000) (USA) (all media) (North America)
• Universal Pictures (2000) (non-USA) (all media)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (non-USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2000) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment
• Filmes Lusomundo (Portugal)
• Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2000) (Finland) (all media)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• 2020 Casting  extras casting
• Blowup  stills processing
• Joe Dunton & Company  camera equipment provided by
• Lee Lighting  lighting
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services

Runtime:

145 min

Country:

USA | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:15 | USA:R (Certificate #36720) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Denmark:A | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

David Brown Productions

Trivia:

Poster and book cover by Bill Kaye.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): Young Frank does not have a cleft chin, teenage Frank does, and in real life Frank McCourt has no cleft chin.

Quotes:

Theresa: Lord, you might be scrawny, but that's a fine boyo you have there.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Boy Meets World: Angela's Ashes (#7.21)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

The Dipsy Doodle

Moving drama

In the very opening scene of Alan Parker's `Angela's Ashes,' we are informed by the narrator and main character, Frankie McCourt, in a phrase that turns out to be a masterpiece of understatement, that he had a `miserable childhood' – but just how miserable we may not be quite adequately prepared to see. Based on the author's Pulitzer Prize winning autobiographical memoir, this compelling film plunges us directly into the wretchedness and squalor of life in Depression-ridden Ireland, a setting overflowing with disease, starvation, joblessness and despair. Indeed, by the time the film has hit the 25-minute mark, we have already witnessed the deaths of no fewer than three of Frankie's little siblings. The film, like the novel on which it is based, never flinches from portraying the brutal reality of the life the people of this dreary town must endure.

Yet, the film is also, at times, rich in humor and a sense of that unquenchable optimism that somehow exists in even the most hopeless of circumstances. Frankie, despite the harsh conditions of his life, remains a boy focused on the good things that come his way, enduring even a loving but utterly irresponsible ne'er-do-well father (beautifully played by `The Full Monty's Robert Carlyle) with an indulgence and tolerance borne of filial devotion. As Frankie grows from young boy, dutifully fulfilling the parental role for his younger brothers, to a man verging on the edge of adulthood, he feeds on his dreams of moving to America to start a new life full of hope and promise. The people and situations he encounters on this road create a stunning tapestry of life, teeming with bitterness and coldness it is true, but also with occasional, albeit momentary, displays of warmth, kindness and compassion – whether they be from a seemingly bitter aunt who, much to his astonishment, buys Frankie a brand new set of clothes in which to start his new job, a teacher who inspires him to see life beyond the circumscribed limits of this dreary Irish town or a compassionate priest who counsels Frankie in a moment of dark despair. These help to counterbalance the deadening effects of his father's thoughtlessness and drunkenness, the death of his first love by consumption, the often brutal treatment he receives at the hands of both his teachers and fellow classmates. And all the while there stands his mother, the anchor that holds him firmly in place, a woman beaten down by poverty, the untimely deaths of her children, the fecklessness of her otherwise loving husband - yet a woman so full of the quality of stoic self-sacrifice that it is from she that Frankie draws the strength he needs to move on in his life.

Emily Watson provides a luminous portrait of this woman, triumphantly conveying the longsuffering reserve that helps shield her from the ugliness and dreariness of her life and provides her with the strength to carry on and build into her children a sense of moral rectitude. And the three boys who portray Frankie at various stages of the drama are utterly perfect in their wide-eyed naturalism, as they look upon a world often incomprehensible in its drabness and cruelty.

It seems to be becoming a truism lately that, if you want to see the bleakest portrayal of life imaginable, go to see a film set in Ireland. Nowhere does the sun shine less frequently, nowhere do the drab colors of gray and brown so heavily predominate, nowhere does poverty seem so all encompassing and inescapable. The Ireland of `Angela's Ashes' is surely no exception. The filmmakers, moreover, cast a scathing eye on the mindless superstition, bigotry and hypocrisy to be found in much of the blindly pro-Southern Ireland, anti-Protestant, anti-British, anti-Northern Ireland attitude perpetuated by the Catholic Church there in the 1930's. Thus, in the depths of McCourt's autobiographical story, lies a diatribe with its roots planted deep in political and social protest. Yet, because of our fascination with the boy at the center of the narrative, these qualities filter through subtly, never dominating the proceedings. `Angela's Ashes' is rather, from beginning to end, a moving story about goodhearted, ordinary people learning to cope with the immense hardships life throws their way. In the long run, it certainly makes one happier with one's own lot in life. `Angela's Ashes,' for those who can take its uncompromising view of reality, is a richly rewarding experience.