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The Story of a Father’s Love That Changed a Nation.
Desmond Doyle is devastated when his wife abandons their family on the day after Christmas. His unemployment, and the fact that there is no woman in the house to care for the children—Evelyn, Dermot and Maurice—make it clear to the authorities this is an untenable situation. The Catholic Church and the Irish courts decide to put the Doyle children into Church-run orphanages.
Peter McGinn
Aug 24, 2020 · via TMDB
I recently watched this after first seeing it maybe ten years ago. It wasn’t quite as good as I remembered. I mean, I like it okay, but without Pierce Brosnan in it, I am not sure I would have stayed through it. It is a harmless enough story, based on fact, about an Irishman who likes his drink (bordering on a stereotype maybe, says this Irish reviewer who rarely drinks) and whose wife gets fed up with her life when he loses his job. She takes off and, unlike what usually happens here in the good old USA, she leaves the kids behind, the children’s grandmother is so unimpressed with him she turns him in to the Society for the protection of children, who promptly take his children away. Again, in this country grandma probably would have tried for custody herself. Irish law says that if the mother isn’t dead, he needs her permission to get the children back. You can guess the rest. It is a tad sentimental and weirdly religious, highlighting both a mean nun but also showing a daughter absorbing the nun’s teachings which helps their case. But Julianna Marguiles is also very good, so turn a blind eye to the soppy story and Its predictability, and let the fine acting roll over you.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Pierce Brosnan
Desmond Doyle
Aidan Quinn
Nick Barron
Julianna Margulies
Bernadette Beattie
Stephen Rea
Michael Beattie
John Lynch
Senior Counsel Mr. Wolfe
Sophie Vavasseur
Evelyn Doyle
Alan Bates
Thomas Connolly
Frank Kelly
Henry Doyle
Andrea Irvine
Sister Brigid
Marian Quinn
Sister Theresa
Karen Ardiff
Sister Felicity
Bosco Hogan
Father O'Malley
Des Braiden
Fergal
Gail Fitzpatrick
Miss Gilhooly
Mark Lambert
Minister of Education
Brian McGrath
Hugh Canning
Luke Hayden
Irish Times Reporter
Stuart Clark
Children's Court Usher (uncredited)
Bruce Beresford
Director
John Hubbard
Casting
Ros Hubbard
Casting
Pierce Brosnan
Producer
Stephen Endelman
Original Music Composer
City of God
Saving Private Ryan
A Taxi Driver
Zmowa
Jean Moulin, une affaire française
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Born on the Fourth of July
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Flags of Our Fathers
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Sleepless in Seattle
My Friend Dahmer
Sanyasi Raja
Apollo 11: First Steps on the Moon
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Next Goal Wins
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Bush Christmas
12 Days with God
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Most Beautiful Island
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Glass Chin
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1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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