Evelyn

EVELYN (2002) *** Pierce Brosnan, Stephen Rea, Julianna Margulies, Aidan Quinn, Alan Bates, John Lynch, Sophie Vavasseur, Niall Beagan, Hugh McDonagh, Mairead Devlin, Frank Kelly. Heart-tugging melodrama based on a true story about a working class Irishman named Desmond Doyle circa 1950s attempted to regain full custody of his three beloved children (including the cute-as-pie Vavasseur as the titular daughter) after their mother abandons them making them wards of the state with stints in a Catholic institution. Brosnan acts up a storm with brio and has able support from Rea, Bates and Quinn as his legal brothers in arms and Margulies as the local barmaid/love interest. Warm-hearted and predictable but none-the-less crowd pleasing. (Dir: Bruce Beresford)

I have to admit, I was skeptical and anxious to see Pierce Brosnan in a serious dramatic role. His characters are usually very debonair and have an air of superiority about them that makes him seem to be better than the rest of us. I was pleasantly surprised seeing his true to life performance as Desmond Doyle an unemployed father of two boys and a girl named Evelyn. Evelyn is the eldest of the three children and has a special bond with her father which is the basis of the whole movie. Pierce Brosnan plays his character with a delicacy and dedication in which you the viewer completely forget him as Pierce Brosnan and start to really believe that this is a documentary type movie and not a Hollywood production. As Pierce Brosnan is Irish by birth it is not surprising how well he can pull off a moderate Irish accent but it is still a bit shocking considering how English he usually seems when he is seen on-screen. Stephen Rea, Alan Bates, Aidan Quinn and Juliana Margulies round out the rest of the adult cast and all put in performances that are worthy of their talents. Juliana Margulies being an American born actress is able to portray an Irish woman with accent very convincingly. This movie is without a doubt one of the better films of 2002, it is unfortunate that it was not widely known as a potential Oscar favorite.

Something totally different for actor Pierce Brosnan, and he makes the best of it in a terrific performance.

Desmond Doyle (Brosnan) is a poor Irish father, married with 3 children. His wife deserts him and as he has no finances, the state takes his loving children away and places the boys in one school and his daughter, Evelyn, in a convent.

His lovely daughter meets up with one kind nun but one so vicious played by a lady whose last name is Irvine. I haven't seen such cruelty displayed by a nun since Gladys Cooper in "The Song of Bernadette."

Brosnan, a house painter and part-time singer, shows tremendous depth in this role of a hard-drinking, heavy smoking individual whose love for his children transcends all.

He engages two attorneys played by Stephen Rea and Aidan Quinn to help him. In turn, they pursue another retired attorney, the late Alan Bates, who provides comic relief with his performance.

The picture focuses on the attempts of the attorneys to change Irish law that would allow one parent in such a situation to decide what's right for his child.

Irish eyes are certainly smiling on Doyle, he immediately touches the hearts of the people in his plain, sympathetic style. Heart-wrenching and a joy to view. Don't miss it.

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.

I just watched this movie on pay per view, and I thought it was delightful. Pierce Brosnan does a fine job. So nice to see him really get a chance to act. And the supporting cast, including Alan Bates and Stephen Rea, is exceptional. The story is very believable and touching, probably because it is based on a true story. I just wonder why this film, directed by the talented Bruce Beresford, did not make any significant splash when it was released. It may have played in Austin, but I don't remember it. Just shows how marketing, or lack of it, can make a movie disappear. It's a shame it didn't get more attention. I heartily recommend it.