Evelyn (2002)

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writer:

Paul Pender (written by)

Release Date:

21 March 2003 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment...

Plot Keywords:

Loss Of Father | Loss Of Grandfather | Trespassing | Child Abuse | Christmas Eve

Awards:

1 win & 7 nominations

Cast

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

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic material and language.

Runtime:

94 min | USA:95 min (TV version)

Country:

USA | UK | Germany | Netherlands | Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

South Korea:All | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Spain:7 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

CineEvelyn

Goofs:

When Doyle and his legal team walk through Christchurch in Dublin, a block of modern late 1990's apartments are clearly visible in the background through the trees.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Evelyn: The Story Behind the Story (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

On the Banks of the Roses

An emotional mess..not the movie, ME!

Possibly you're a cynic and think the blarney is laid on too abundantly in this movie. Or you might be calling it "O'Kramer vs. O'Kramer" and this isn't too sappy and predictable to be taken seriously. Well, guess what, it is, and I loved every minute.

Pierce Brosnan, who I used to consider a cardboard cut-out of an actor, plays Desmond Doyle. He's fantastic as a father whose daughter and two sons are removed from their home by the government after their Mother ( in this case, the term can be used in the biological sense only) abandons the family. This being Ireland in the 1950s, there was a law that stated the government can intervene when one parent is found to be insufficient. Desmond has to quit drinking, deal with the death of his father, find a lawyer and rarely see his kids.

Its all okay at the end, and I have to mention that I hope the children's Mother and a certain Sister Bridget have the thankless job of eating ---- in hell for all eternity.

Worth mentioning from the cast is Alan Bates, a hard-drinking consultant to Doyle's case, and his wishes to hear (or not hear) a 'however' from the judges were hilarious.

I had a small problem with the fact that the Mother was not on trial, literally, because it was her abandonment of her family that led to them being separated.

Anyway, its a terrific movie. 8/10.