Philomena: Book and Film
Our youngest son, knowing I had enjoyed the movie, bought me the book for Christmas.
If you plan to see/read either . .. look away now.
First the book by Martin Sixsmith.
Other than the prologue, the early chapters deal with the birth of Philomena's son in a home for 'fallen women' in the Irish Midlands. Mothers and babies are kept there for up to three years so the mothers can work-off their debt to the nuns, atone for their sins and bring in a small but regular sum of money by way of State Benefits which the Abbey collects.
At some point the mothers sign away their rights to their babies, so they become the property of the Mother Superior who then offers them up for adoption.
Philomena's son is adopted/sold to a US couple who are looking for a daughter but also take a boy who is very attached to a little girl.
The 'story' moves to the US and concentrates on the upbringing and life of 'Michael Hess'.
In a nutshell. Clever, eager to please, excels at school, becomes a DC lawyer for Rep. Party. Double-life. Troubled with self-doubt, being gay, mixes in a sado-masochistic under-world. Contracts AIDS, little treatment available, dies.
In between this sad story, badly written in 'cod' American, in the style of a woman's magazine we are told how Sixsmith became involved with Philomena and their problems trying to find her son, while Michael is doing the same from the US.
He travels to Ireland, the nuns claim his mother gave him up at birth and wont help him. Much the same happens to Sixsmith. The nuns tell him everything was burnt in a fire (they forgot to add 'bonfire')
Though it would be unfair to blame the Church, the Irish Govt or the nuns for the way Michael's life/character turned out, for me one of the saddest and most telling parts of the book was when Michael, knowing he has little time to live, visits lreland again and asks the nuns if he can be buried at the Abbey in some hope that his mother might see his grave.
He is told that the graveyard is very full but that on payment of a 'large donation' they probably will find room for him.
The film, based on the book but much more concise 'tells' the story of Philomena, portrayed by Judi Dench, and although some of the facts have been slightly altered for a smooth-running story-line we get a interesting contrast between the world-weary reporter and the 'simple' but honest woman who was still suffering after 50 years.
It is unusual for me to enjoy a film rather than the book . . .but there is always a first time. ;-)
Vee, I have seen the previews for the movie. I think Judi Dench is such a good actress she can turn any script into a 'must see' film. The actual book sounds quite depressing to me! I hope to see the film someday.
Pat
I haven't read this thread - am going to see the film tonight! I will read it afterwards.
Siobhan, did you enjoy the film?
Vee, I want to see the film but I probably won't read the book, so I went ahead and read your review of Sixsmith's effort. It just strengthened my inclination to avoid a sad story, badly written in 'cod' American, in the style of a woman's magazine.... Thanks for starting this thread because interest in the film is of wider interest, no doubt, I think.
Sorry, I couldn't post before because of the gnomes, but all seems well now.
I loved the film - really loved it, although for some reason it is billed as a 'comedy.' Yes, I laughed at some bits that were quite humorous. But knowing nothing about it, much of the last half was like being hit with a metaphorical sledgehammer. Dench continues to astonish me with her performances, which seem to grow in nuance, subtlety, and skill with each decade. I am not so familiar with Coogan, although I know he is very well-known in the U.K. as a comedian, actor, and filmmaker.
I highly recommend the film to anyone, in fact I would go so far as to say don't miss it. I have not read the book and don't plan to, although I hope to see the film again.
I love anything with Judi Dench in it. I saw somewhere that she has macular degeneration and can no longer read her scripts. Someone reads them to her, and she memorizes them. Knowing that, I find her acting even more incredible.
I watched the PBS series As Time Goes By until I almost knew the dialogue. Did you see Skyfall?
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I have seen Skyfall probably ten times, and I fast-forward to get her scenes; also those of Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes. And I feel like the characters from As Time Goes By are my own neighbors, they have taken on that quality of feeling like they are actual people that I know.
Siobhan, I saw Lionel play a bad guy on a Masterpiece Theater production once, and I was totally outraged. Also saw the actress who plays Judy being interviewed during a PBS pledge week program. She said she would get so fascinated in watching Judi Dench perform that she would have to be reminded it was her turn to speak.
I don't remember the name of the show, but I saw him play a child molester. I couldn't believe it!
I finally was able to see this film. I liked it so much that I watched it twice. I was, I admit, shocked by certain aspects of the story, as the "cover up" done by the Irish Catholic nuns deliberately. Such a lack of compassion on their part. I found it hard to believe these children were sold to be adopted out in America as late as the 1950's. Judy Dench's performance was amazing, as always. She seems ageless, much in the way Kate Hepburn was.
Mary, these 'problems' went on much longer than the '50's. I think the last of the Magdalene laundries and similar institutions didn't close 'til the late 70's. I'm sure the babies who were sold to Americans were the lucky ones.
In June of this year an old septic tank in the small town of Tuam, Galway, was found to contain the skeletal remains of about 800 babies and small children presumed to have come from the next door Convent 'home'. The woman who initially carried out the research could find no burial records for these children and wanted to erect some sort of 'memorial' to them. The matter has gone much further and questions have been asked in the Dail (Irish parliament) as it seemed strange that so many children died and whether poor care, under-nourishment and/or ill-treatment was to blame, let alone the disrespectful way their bodies were 'disposed' of. These deaths don't go back to the days of Dickens and Victorian poverty they were comparatively recent.
Here is a link that might be useful: Tuam mass grave.
I watched the film first, and then read the book. Regarding the film - I agree with everyone here - I loved it - thought it was excellent. I'm not sure that I quite accept Veer's description of the book as "cod American", or "in the style of a women's magazine" - though I can see what she means. I enjoyed the book a lot - it gave a lot more of the story about the son in America. The film really concentrated on Philomena and Martin Sixsmith. I found it interesting to see how they'd changed to story in the film to make it flow better - but the fundamentals were the same. I have to say that I think Philomena's ability to forgive the Church for what they did to her and her child is quite remarkable.
Martin, I don't know if you caught the documentary on BBC TV last week where Martin Sixsmith tried to help a few of the many women and some men who had contacted him since the release of Philomena.
The prog travelled between Ireland and the US interviewing the unhappy victims of this child trafficking. It appears that upward of 2000 children were 'sold' to US parents. The only criteria was that the couples should be Catholic and wealthy. Many prospective parents didn't visit Ireland and either used an intermediary or just chose a child from a mail-order catalogue. One woman described how a photographer arrived, toys were produced, best clothes were put on and nuns posed with kiddies sitting on their laps; everyone smiling.
Unfortunately an important 'middle-man' was a very high-ranking LA priest later found to be a serial paedophile who arranged for boys to go to the homes of his like-minded friends. One woman was chosen to act as a companion to a slightly older girl. After a happy few years the 'real' daughter left home for college and the adopted one was told to leave the house. Now in her 60's her life became wild.
All the victims had similar stories to that of Philomena, so when they tried to find out about their real Mothers, or Mothers tried to find their children, they were stone-walled by the different groups of nuns who lied and lied again.
An interesting piece which I heard on RTE (Irish radio which I somehow can pick up while I do the ironing!) explained that the nuns in these institutions were often from very poor, ill educated families glad to give a daughter to the 'Church', who in some contradictory way were jealous of these 'fallen' girls and therefore glad to give them a really bad time and to continually point out to them how worthless they were in the sight of God.
Everyone in that radio prog and writer John Banville in the Sixsmith piece said it had been fine for Irish men to carry-on with girls, but not the other way round . . .twas ever thus.
This post was edited by veer on Mon, Sep 22, 14 at 9:05
I've recorded that, but not watched it yet. I know my wife wants to watch it too, so perhaps we'll try to get to it tonight.