Agnes Browne
Encyclopedia
Agnes Browne is a 1999 American/Irish romantic
comedy-drama film directed and produced by, and starring Anjelica Huston
, based on the book The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll
.
) and her seven children, aged between 2 and 14, into emotional turmoil and financial crisis in 1967 Dublin. She is forced to borrow money from a ruthless loan shark
to make ends meet. She faces her dismal existence by selling fruits and vegetables at an open air market based in Dublin's Moore Street
where she spends time with her best friend Marion, who proves to be a great source of encouragement during her difficulties. Wishing to escape her existence, if only for a short time, she dreams of finding enough money to attend an upcoming Tom Jones
concert. Agnes's dream is realised when Marion secretly buys two tickets and gives them to her. She also accepts the offer of a date with a French
baker. Her kids pool their money and buy her a new dress to wear on her first date. Of course, eventually the family has to face the loan shark.
. Franz Lidz, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated
, called it a flimsy whimsy and chided Roger Ebert
for liking it. William Arnold felt that the ending trivialized the story, leaving the audience with the uncomfortable feeling that we've just viewed some episode of a TV sitcom of the era. New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden found it nothing more than a series of homey skits loosely woven into a portrait of a working-class saint.
The film had a better reception in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe, winning the Youth Jury Award at the 1999 San Sebastián International Film Festival
. It also received a Grand Prix nomination at the Ghent International Film Festival the same year.
Brendan O'Carroll has had phenomenal success with the Browne family in Mrs. Brown's Boys both in the theatre and on television.
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
comedy-drama film directed and produced by, and starring Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
, based on the book The Mammy by Brendan O'Carroll
Brendan O'Carroll
Brendan O'Carroll is an Irish comedian, writer, actor and director. Best known for portraying the foul-mouthed Irish matriarch Mrs. Brown, O'Carroll has been a popular comedian in Ireland since the early 1990s.-Early life:...
.
Plot
The unexpected death of her husband sends Agnes Browne (Anjelica HustonAnjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
) and her seven children, aged between 2 and 14, into emotional turmoil and financial crisis in 1967 Dublin. She is forced to borrow money from a ruthless loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
to make ends meet. She faces her dismal existence by selling fruits and vegetables at an open air market based in Dublin's Moore Street
Moore Street
Moore Street is a street in central Dublin, Ireland, off Henry Street, one of Ireland's main shopping streets. The famous Moore Street open air fruit and vegetable market is Dublin's oldest food market....
where she spends time with her best friend Marion, who proves to be a great source of encouragement during her difficulties. Wishing to escape her existence, if only for a short time, she dreams of finding enough money to attend an upcoming Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
concert. Agnes's dream is realised when Marion secretly buys two tickets and gives them to her. She also accepts the offer of a date with a French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
baker. Her kids pool their money and buy her a new dress to wear on her first date. Of course, eventually the family has to face the loan shark.
Cast
- Anjelica HustonAnjelica HustonAnjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
as Agnes Browne - Marion O'Dwyer as Marion Monks
- Ray WinstoneRay WinstoneRaymond Andrew "Ray" Winstone is an English film and television actor. He is mostly known for his "tough guy" roles, beginning with that of Carlin in the 1979 film Scum and as Will Scarlet in the cult television adventure series Robin of Sherwood. He has also become well known as a voice over...
as Mr. Billy - Niall O'SheaNiall O'SheaNiall O'Shea is a London born Gaelic football player who plays inter-county football with Dublin and his club football for St Judes. He won the 2007 O'Byrne Cup for Dublin against Laois at O'Connor Park in Offaly. The game finished on a scoreline of 1-18 to 2-13 against Laois...
as Mark Browne - Ciaran Owens as Frankie Browne
- Roxanna Williams as Cathy Browne
- Carl Power as Simon Browne
- Mark PowerMark PowerMark Power is an English photographer, born in Harpenden, England. He studied Fine Art at Brighton Polytechnic , and then traveled extensively, discovering a love for photography along the way...
as Dermot Browne - Gareth O'Connor as Rory Browne
- James Lappin as Trevor Browne
- Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
as Himself (stunt double Will Anderson) - Steve Blount as Tommo Monks
- Kate O'TooleKate O'Toole (actress)Kate E. O'Toole is an Irish actress. She is the daughter of actors Peter O'Toole and Siân Phillips and was named after Katharine Hepburn....
as Senior Sister Magdalen - Keith Donnelly as a non-speaking extra
Reception
Agnes Browne was not well received in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Franz Lidz, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, called it a flimsy whimsy and chided Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
for liking it. William Arnold felt that the ending trivialized the story, leaving the audience with the uncomfortable feeling that we've just viewed some episode of a TV sitcom of the era. New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden found it nothing more than a series of homey skits loosely woven into a portrait of a working-class saint.
The film had a better reception in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Europe, winning the Youth Jury Award at the 1999 San Sebastián International Film Festival
San Sebastián International Film Festival
The San Sebastián International Film Festival is an annual FIAPF A category film festival held in the Spanish city of San Sebastián .-History:The festival was founded in 1953...
. It also received a Grand Prix nomination at the Ghent International Film Festival the same year.
Author
There were also two more books which followed The Mammy: The Chiselers and The Granny. However, these were not made into films.Brendan O'Carroll has had phenomenal success with the Browne family in Mrs. Brown's Boys both in the theatre and on television.