Angela's Ashes Review

Director: Alan Parker (Midnight Express)

Screenplay: Laura Jones
Starring: Emily Watson (Red Dragon, Punch-Drunk Love), Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty, Stargate Universe), and Michael Legge.
Gross Revenue: $13,042,112
Rotten Tomatoes TomatoMeter: 52%
IMDB Rating: 7/10
       As I grow older and become more mature, I try to expand my film horizons.  By watching foreign flicks, films in a different language, and films from many years ago, there is much that can be learned about the nature of cinema.  When I first sat down to watch Angela’s Ashes, I was a little bit skeptical of it.  However, as the movie progressed, I was really impressed by the film and found myself thoroughly enjoyed.  Not only was it a thoughtful coming-of-age story, it was also an honest and often brutal look at poor Ireland in the 1930’s.

 Angela’s Ashes is a coming-of-age story about a young boy named Frank McCourt, who grows up in a working class Irish Catholic community, a harsh and restrictive environment.  His father is an alcoholic who can’t hold down a job, and when he is able to hold a job down for more than a week, he spends all the money on whiskey.  His mother has lost several children before the age of 5, and it has made her desperate for love and affection, which she goes looking for in strange and disgusting places.  Frank is the oldest child in his large family and has to be the male role model in his family from an early age.

            The movie’s setting is unique to most Hollywood major motion pictures: working class Ireland.  The movie is a time capsule to that time period, and it is very authentic.  It captures the look of the period perfectly, and it never looks “fake” or “cheap”.  The cinematography greatly adds to the mood of the picture, making it seem bleak and depressing.  The physical aspects of the production greatly add to the feel of the picture, and give the movie a radiance of despair

            The acting all around is quite memorable.  Robert Carlyle turns in an excellent performance as the alcoholic father.  He is able to simultaneously a loving and tender caretaker, as well as a violent and absent parent, without making the two qualities seem unnatural together.  The main character is portrayed by three different actors of varying ages, and each performance seems like an extension of the same characters, not three different performances.  This is an especially arduous task, considering some of the cast members are under the age of nine.  The rest of the cast rounds out satisfactory performances and the acting is often the highlight of the film.

            As someone who is around the same age as Frank McCourt was at the end of the picture, I can relate greatly to the themes of the movie. Growing is hard enough in the real world, but growing up in the harsh environment of the Irish Catholic community is even tougher.  Restrictive of thoughts, feelings, and ideas, it is a nearly impossible learning environment.  Not only that, but he has no male role model in his life to guide him and show him the ways of life.  I think the movie portrays the idea of adolescent angst very well, and my heart weeps for the main character’s troubles. Despite growing up in a dirt poor environment where he is told that he will never succeed because of where he comes from, it ends on an inspiring journey to New York City, making the two and one half hours of misery and despair worth it.  That’s why it is important to show all the obstacles in Frank McCourt’s life throughout the movie, it makes the emotional pay-off at the end that much greater.

            The coming-of-age tale has been told a thousand times over, and it is often hard to differentiate one from the other.  However, Angela’s Ashes is able to put a fresh spin on the familiar concept.  It portrays adolescent angst in poor Ireland with finesse and authenticity, and is relatable to anyone who has to grow up.  Though a little too long and very bleak, it is a film that will tug on your heart that you won’t forget one you stop watching. Angela’s Ashes is a fresh take on the traditional coming-of-age story, featuring memorable leading performances by its young cast, and is ultimately an entertaining and thoughtful biopic of one man’s triumph over adversity.  4/5
"You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace."