From Ireland to the Screen
Touching Memoir Comes to Life

One of the first thing that Frank McCourt states in his memoir of his childhood is that "a happy childhood is not worth your while." That said, it comes as no surprise that McCourt's story of growing up in Ireland is not a pleasant one. Yet, within Angela's Ashes there is hope.

Beginning with the death of his baby sister in Brooklyn, New York, in 1935, Angela's Ashes follows the McCourt family as they move back to Ireland in hope of a better life. It is ironic, as the narrator points out, that they seemed to be the only Irish immigrants saying goodbye to the Statue of Liberty.

Once back in Ireland, though, the McCourt family's problems continue. While Angela's (Emily Watson) family is willing to help out, they clearly dislike her North Ireland husband, Malachy (Robert Carlyle), who "has an odd manner and the look of a Protestant." Soon the adverse weather affects the two littlest boys, the twins, and death once again visits the McCourt family. To top things off, Malachy remains unemployed most of the time and drinks his pay on the rare occasion when he does find work.

Director Alan Parker has done a wonderful job of adapting McCourt's Pulitzer Prize winning biography. The dark, rainy Limerick setting sets a somber mood, appropriate for the misfortunes of the Irish people during the 1930s. With a drunken, unemployed father, and with death and disease all around, it is remarkable that Angela's Ashes comes across as a powerful story of hope rather than a miserable tale of self-pity.

Yet, there is something missing, something vital. While the film does a wonderful job of accurately depicting the misery and suffering in McCourt's childhood, it fails to capture the humor that permeates his memoir and makes the suffering bearable. Most of the more amusing tales are left out, and those that remain are told with a poignancy that borders on melancholy. Also missing is the childlike narrative voice that allows us to ignore some of the worst horrors. The narrator (Andrew Bennett) in Angela's Ashes is a mature, reflective voice that understands too much of what he sees and feels.

As Angela, Watson brings sadness and tenderness to the role. She never appears happy, for even in moments when pain is momentarily forgotten, she seems to be crying beneath her smile. To watch her sadness is at once both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and Watson deserves recognition for her great performance. She is only matched by Carlyle in his wonderful performance as Malachy. In him, we see not an Irish drunk, but a man who is incapable of understanding the suffering he causes his family. When he drinks, we pity him just as Frank does. Carlyle's Malachy is moving.

Cinematically, Angela's Ashes is an overwhelming movie. The settings, costumes, and cinematography all culminate in a picture that becomes life in 1930s Ireland. The audience likewise is transported there. Unfortunately, it becomes difficult to distance oneself from the horrible living conditions caused by poverty, disease, and the endless rain. Such scenes are sometimes difficult to stomach.

Through it all, however, Angela's Ashes draws a story of courage and hope under tremendous adversity. Frank, despite -- perhaps because of -- his moments of human weakness, is ultimately a hero.

MY RATING: 8 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 145 min.