Luck of the Irish

"Angela's Ashes"
Overall Rating: ***½

In "Angela's Ashes," Frank McCourt, while describing all the offenses for which he can get lashed in school, mentions that one teacher would punish him for not knowing Michael Collins was the greatest man in the world, while another would punish him for not knowing that Eamon De Valera was the greatest man in the world. In a way, that line summarizes the whole film: it illustrates some of the inconsistencies of Frank McCourt's young life and how he coped, and shows the dominance that the Irish setting and its culture plays in the film itself.

Upon the death of their daughter, Angela and Malachy McCourt (Emily Watson and Robert Carlyle) return to Limerick from New York with their four surviving children, Frank, Malachy Jr., Eugene, and Oliver. Despite the fact that Ireland is, to quote Frank, a place "...where there was no work and people were dying of the starvation and the damp," the family hopes that the old country will provide the stability they need to recover. Malachy's northern, Protestant, roots and his alcoholism, however, not only leave him unemployable, but bring scorn from Angela's family. Things get even worse when young Oliver dies.

"Angela's Ashes" is confusing in places. For instance, there is a sequence where Malachy leaves home, apparently abandoning Angela and the children for good; however, he returns to Ireland with the family. There's also another scene where a coffin is in a pub--with no explanation of why. Some of the points I misunderstood may have been my own ignorance of Irish culture--you need some knowledge about Ireland, or you will be left scratching your head in many places. I also suspect that many of these confusing points are the result of the transition from McCourt's book to the screen. For instance, the film never explains the title. To be completely fair, everywhere I've seen McCourt quoted, he gave the adaptation glowing praise, and I haven't read his book, so I can't really comment on the adaptation.

The pace of the film is also extremely slow. This is a two-edge sword: the film is supposed to be slow-paced, presenting a somber, nostalgic coming of age story that takes place over many years. While a fast pace would be inappropriate, "Angela's Ashes," felt drawn out in a number of places.

There is no question about the cinematography. "Angela's Ashes" is beautifully photographed--it is simply magnificent to look at. This is not surprising, since director Alan Parker's previous effort, "Evita," also had stunning photography--"Angela's Ashes," however, is even better.

And despite the few confusing points, "Angela's Ashes," is well written. There are many nice touches, such as the scene where Frank's mother sends him to the pub after his father that tugs at your heart. Granted, the film is based on McCourt's life, but the presentation manages to evoke sympathy for the McCourt children and succeeds in tying Frank's diverse experiences together into a coherent whole.

The cast is also excellent. Emily Watson is very good. Angela is very nearly insane after the death of her daughter; Watson manages to walk the tightrope of acting nearly, but not completely, mad. Also, all of the younger members of the cast are astonishingly good. In particular, Joe Breen, who plays Frank in his early years, is excellent. Breen, who is eight-years-old, delivers a performance in one of the leading roles that puts many adult actors' efforts to shame.

Don't be fooled by the cute kid on the poster, "Angela's Ashes" is not intended for children. There is some violence (a couple of scenes where people hit each other), several nude scenes, some significant sexual content, and frequent strong language. The biggest concern would be the strong thematic content--the very graphic depiction of the damage alcoholism and poverty do to the McCourt family will probably be extremely disturbing to young children.

"Angela's Ashes" presents an interesting problem for me as a critic. The film is very well made, painting a vivid picture of Ireland in the '30s and '40s. While I'm sure it will be immensely enjoyable to some of my readers, it wasn't my taste in movies.

Title: "Angela's Ashes"
Release date: 12/25/99 (limited) / 1/21/00 (nationwide)
MPAA rating: R
Overall rating: ***½
Aprox. run time: 146 min.
Director: Alan Parker
Writers: Frank McCourt (book), Laura Jones, Alan Parker (screenplay)
Stars: Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens (Adolescent Frank), Michael Legge (Adult Frank)

Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Ang_Ash.htm
Added to blog site: 7/26/09