Into the West (film)
Encyclopedia
Into the West is a 1992
Irish
fantasy film
about Irish Traveller
s, directed by Mike Newell
and written by Jim Sheridan
.
The film has received several awards for Best Film, Best European Film, and Outstanding Family Foreign Film.
(meaning "Land of Eternal Youth" in Irish), from the sea to Dublin, where the boys and their father now live, the boys are overwhelmed with joy and the dreams of becoming cowboys. The horse is stolen from them and they begin their adventure to get their mystical horse back. They escape the poverty of a north Dublin council estate, and "Into the West" where they find that Tír na nÓg is not just a horse.
, The Miracle
, The Commitments
, and The Crying Game
. Into the West a modern-day fairy tale
was written by Jim Sheridan and directed by Mike Newell.
Apart from it being a story about Travellers, and the relationship between a father and his two sons, it really was in a way about Ireland.
Ellen Barkin has said that from the first reading she thought it an extraordinary piece of film writing.
In an interview Ciarán Fitzgerald talked about this scene and noted that in America the film would have been given a higher rating and young children would not have been allowed to view it. This interview, in which the work "fuck" is mentioned, is featured on one of the DVD releases which was given a PG rating.
, the film holds a score of 70% and holds an audience share of 73, and at the Internet Movie Database
, it holds a rating of 6.7/10. Roger Ebert
of the Chicago Sun-Times
has said the "kids will probably love this movie, but adults will get a lot more out of it". Variety Staff has said that "Into the West is a likable but modest pic", and that "a major asset throughout is Patrick Doyle's rich, Gaelic-flavoured scoring that carries the movie's emotional line and fairy tale atmosphere. Desson Howe of The Washington Post
has said that the film is "a charming children's crusade - a rewarding journey for all ages". Rita Kempley of the Washington Post has said that "the movie is alternately grim and lyrical", and "though long on ambiance and short on story, it may appeal to the spiritually inclined - and to oater lovers.
and DVD
format. It was released in the US on 6 November, 2001 by Walt Disney Video. The DVD was released in the US on 4 February 2003 by Miramax Films
with an aspect ratio
of 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen
The VHS was released in the UK on 21 September 1993 by Entertainment in Video. It was released on DVD in the UK on 17 December 2001 by Entertainment in Video and again on 15 September 2003 by Cinema Club
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
fantasy film
Fantasy film
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap...
about Irish Traveller
Irish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
s, directed by Mike Newell
Mike Newell (director)
Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
and written by Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director. A six-time Academy Award nominee, Sheridan is perhaps best known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin and In America.-Life and career:...
.
The film has received several awards for Best Film, Best European Film, and Outstanding Family Foreign Film.
Synopsis
Into the West is a film about two young boys, Tito (Conroy) and Ossie (Fitzgerald), whose father (Byrne) was "King of the Travellers" until his wife, Mary, dies during the birth of their second son, Ossie. The boys' grandfather (David Kelly) is an old story-telling Traveller, who regales the children with Irish folk-tales and legends. When he is followed by a beautiful white horse called Tír na nÓgTír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
(meaning "Land of Eternal Youth" in Irish), from the sea to Dublin, where the boys and their father now live, the boys are overwhelmed with joy and the dreams of becoming cowboys. The horse is stolen from them and they begin their adventure to get their mystical horse back. They escape the poverty of a north Dublin council estate, and "Into the West" where they find that Tír na nÓg is not just a horse.
Cast
- Gabriel ByrneGabriel ByrneGabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
as Papa Riley - Ellen BarkinEllen BarkinEllen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
as Kathleen - Ciarán FitzgeraldCiarán FitzgeraldCiarán Fitzgerald is an Irish film and television actor.-Early life and career:Fitzgerald was born in a caravan in Dublin, Ireland to his Mammy. His lineage is not fully determined, but it has been noted that he bears a startling resemblance to his brother and Him Off The Telly...
as Ozzie - Rúaidhrí ConroyRuaidhri ConroyRúaidhrí Conroy is an Irish actor.Conroy was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of actor Brendan Conroy. One of his first castings was as 'Tito' in the film Into the West, for which he won a Young Artist Award in the Outstanding Youth Actors in a Family Foreign Film category.In 1998, Conroy received...
as Tito (Tayto) (credited as Ruaidhrí Conroy) - David KellyDavid Kelly (actor)David Kelly is an Irish actor, who has been in regular film and television work since the 1950s.-Acting career:Playing everything from Beckett to Shakespeare, he has appeared in Theatre, TV and film constantly since 1959...
as Grandfather - Johnny Murphy as Tracker
- Colm MeaneyColm MeaneyColm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
as Barreller - John Kavanagh as Hartnett
- Brendan GleesonBrendan GleesonBrendan Gleeson is an Irish actor. His best-known films include Braveheart, Gangs of New York, In Bruges, 28 Days Later, the Harry Potter films, The Guard and the role of Michael Collins in The Treaty...
as Inspector Bolger - Jim NortonJim Norton (actor)Jim Norton is an Irish character actor.-Performances:Jim Norton has been acting for over forty years in theatre, television, and movies, and frequently plays clergymen, most notably Bishop Brennan in the sitcom Father Ted, as well as in The Sweeney , Peak Practice , Sunset Heights , A Love Divided...
as Superintendent O'Mara - Anita Reeves as Mrs. Murphy
- Ray McBride as Mr. Murphy
- Dave Duffy as Morrissey
- Stuart Dannell-Foran as Conor Murphy (credited as Stuart Dannell)
- Becca Hollinshead as Birdy Murphy
Production
Into the West is one of many interesting films to come from Ireland; it follows the success of such films as My Left FootMy Left Foot (film)
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown is a 1989 drama film directed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Day-Lewis. It tells the true story of Christy Brown, an Irishman born with cerebral palsy, who could control only his left foot. Christy Brown grew up in a poor, working class family, and...
, The Miracle
The Miracle (1991 film)
The Miracle is a 1991 drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. It stars Beverly D'Angelo, Donal McCann, and Niall Byrne. It was entered into the 41st Berlin International Film Festival.-Plot:...
, The Commitments
The Commitments (film)
The Commitments , the soundtrack for the film, was released on 13 Aug 1991. "Mustang Sally" was released as a single. Most of the songs on the album are performed by the cast band, but two are by Irish singer Niamh Kavanagh.-Track listing:-Chart positions:-The Commitments, Vol...
, and The Crying Game
The Crying Game
The Crying Game is a 1992 psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Neil Jordan. The film explores themes of race, gender, nationality, and sexuality against the backdrop of the Irish Troubles...
. Into the West a modern-day fairy tale
was written by Jim Sheridan and directed by Mike Newell.
Writing
The script was written by Jim Sheridan, who did not intend to write simply for children, although the film mainly follows two young children on the run with their beautiful, magical white horse. Other themes, targeted to adults, are present: dealing with grief, the clash of cultures with differing values, and the use of the police by the rich and powerful to enforce property rights in their favor. Sheridan wrote the script five years before he directed My Left Foot. Gabriel Byrne has said it was one of the best scripts he ever read, and described it at the time as Jim Sheridan's best work to date. Byrne was committed to the work, he said:Apart from it being a story about Travellers, and the relationship between a father and his two sons, it really was in a way about Ireland.
Ellen Barkin has said that from the first reading she thought it an extraordinary piece of film writing.
Editing
The film avoided a 15 rating by the BBFC, when in one scene the word "fuck" was replaced with the word "flip", in order to keep the film suitable for family viewing before its release.In an interview Ciarán Fitzgerald talked about this scene and noted that in America the film would have been given a higher rating and young children would not have been allowed to view it. This interview, in which the work "fuck" is mentioned, is featured on one of the DVD releases which was given a PG rating.
Reception
The film has received a mostly positive critical reception. On Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, the film holds a score of 70% and holds an audience share of 73, and at the Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database
Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
, it holds a rating of 6.7/10. 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...
of the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
has said the "kids will probably love this movie, but adults will get a lot more out of it". Variety Staff has said that "Into the West is a likable but modest pic", and that "a major asset throughout is Patrick Doyle's rich, Gaelic-flavoured scoring that carries the movie's emotional line and fairy tale atmosphere. Desson Howe of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
has said that the film is "a charming children's crusade - a rewarding journey for all ages". Rita Kempley of the Washington Post has said that "the movie is alternately grim and lyrical", and "though long on ambiance and short on story, it may appeal to the spiritually inclined - and to oater lovers.
VHS and DVD
Into the West has been released on VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
and DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
format. It was released in the US on 6 November, 2001 by Walt Disney Video. The DVD was released in the US on 4 February 2003 by Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
with an aspect ratio
Aspect ratio (image)
The aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon. That is, for an x:y aspect ratio, no matter how big or small the image is, if the width is divided into x units of equal length and the height is measured using this...
of 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen
The VHS was released in the UK on 21 September 1993 by Entertainment in Video. It was released on DVD in the UK on 17 December 2001 by Entertainment in Video and again on 15 September 2003 by Cinema Club
Awards
- 1993: Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film at the Cleveland International Film FestivalCleveland International Film FestivalThe Cleveland International Film Festival, first held in 1977, is the largest film festival in Ohio. The 2010 festival featured over 300 films. Since 1991 the festival has been held at Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland.-Roxanne T...
- Mike NewellMike Newell (director)Michael Cormac "Mike" Newell is an English director and producer of motion pictures for the screen and for television. After the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in 2005, Newell became the third most commercially successful British director in recent years, behind Christopher Nolan...
. - 1993: Starboy Award at the Oulu International Children's Film Festival - Mike Newell.
- 1994: Golden CalfGolden Calf (award)The Golden Calf is the award of the Netherlands Film Festival, which is held annually in Utrecht. The award has been presented since 1981, originally in six categories: Best actor, Best actress, Best film, Best Short film, Culture Prize and Honourable mention...
for Best European Film at the Netherlands Film FestivalNetherlands Film FestivalThe Netherlands Film Festival is an annual film festival, held in September and October of each year in the city of Utrecht.During the ten-day festival, all Dutch film productions of the previous year are exhibited. Besides feature films, the program also consists of short subjects, documentary...
- Mike Newell. - 1994: Young Artist AwardYoung Artist AwardThe Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
for Outstanding Family Foreign Film at the Young Artist Awards - Mike Newell. - 1994: Young Artist Award for Outstanding Youth Actor in a Family Film at the Young Artist Awards - Rúaidhrí ConroyRuaidhri ConroyRúaidhrí Conroy is an Irish actor.Conroy was born in Dublin, Ireland, the son of actor Brendan Conroy. One of his first castings was as 'Tito' in the film Into the West, for which he won a Young Artist Award in the Outstanding Youth Actors in a Family Foreign Film category.In 1998, Conroy received...
& Ciarán Fitzgerald.