Angela's Ashes (film)

Infobox Film | name = Angela’s Ashes


caption = "Angela's Ashes" DVD cover
director = Alan Parker
producer = David Brown
writer = Frank McCourt (book)
Laura Jones
starring = Emily Watson
Robert Carlyle
Michael Legge
Ciaran Owens
Joe Breen
music = John Williams
cinematography = Michael Seresin
editing = Gerry Hambling
distributor = Paramount Pictures (USA)
Universal Pictures (non-USA)
released = December 25, 1999 (USA)
runtime = 145 min.
language =
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
imdb_id = 0145653

"Angela's Ashes" is a 1999 film based on the memoir of the same title by Frank McCourt. It was directed by Alan Parker and starred Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens and Michael Legge (the latter three playing the Young, Middle and Older Frank McCourt respectively).

ynopsis

This film is an adaption of the memoir by the same name. It tells the story of Frank McCourt and his childhood after his family is forced to move back to Ireland because of financial difficulties and family problems derived from his father's alcoholism. The film chronicles his life in Limerick, (Republic of Ireland) during the 1930s and '40s, the difficulties that ensued, and finally Frank's way of earning enough money to return to the land of his dreams: America. Michael Legge was praised for his portrayal of the adolescent Frank McCourt. In particular, he was said to acquiese his role as an innocent teenager trying to balance poverty with "normal" teenage problems such as sexuality, maturity and peer pressure. The film itself was praised by many critics for its stark interpretation of the novel. Examples include the scene where the teenage Frank and his friends masturbate together against a wall while looking at a field of sheep. This scene was not in the novel but was included in the film in allusion to the many sexual references of the text which were ommitted from the film such as Frankie masturbating at various times alone and his sexual encounter with a woman when he arrives in the USA at the end of the novel. A minority of critics have slammed the references made to teenage males masturbating "en masse", stating that this is delusional is not "normal" behaviour for young men. This critisism has been widely disputed with many retaliating that young males, particularly during a period where sexuality was "taboo", expressed semi-homosexual/homo-erotic tendencies because they had no other way of venting their sexual energy. Films such as Flashbacks of a Fool also include a scene where two teenage males masturbate together while hiding at a Theme Park.

Main Cast

*Emily Watson as Angela McCourt
*Robert Carlyle as Malachy McCourt
*Joe Breen as Young Frank
*Ciaran Owens as Middle Frank
*Michael Legge as Older Frank
*Ronnie Masterson as Grandma Sheehan
*Pauline McLynn as Aunt Aggie
*Liam Carney as Uncle Pa Keating
*Eanna MacLiam as Uncle Pat
*Andrew Bennett as Narrator (voice)

oundtrack

The soundtrack of the film was composed and conducted by John Williams, and features songs by Billie Holiday and Sinéad O'Connor.

Trivia

The two releasing studios, Paramount Pictures and Universal Pictures, co-own United International Pictures, which in fact is what Universal released the film through internationally.

External links

*imdb title|id=0145653|title=Angela's Ashes