My Left Foot (film)
| My Left Foot | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Jim Sheridan |
| Produced by | Noel Pearson |
| Screenplay by | Jim Sheridan Shane Connaughton |
| Based on | My Left Foot by Christy Brown |
| Starring | Daniel Day-Lewis Ray McAnally Brenda Fricker Fiona Shaw Hugh O'Conor |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Jack Conroy |
| Editing by | J. Patrick Duffner |
| Distributed by | Granada Films (UK) Miramax Films |
| Release date(s) | November 10, 1989 |
| Running time | 103 minutes |
| Country | Ireland United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £600,000 |
| Box office | $14,743,391[1] |
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 became a writer and artist. The film also stars Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker, Fiona Shaw, Julie Hale, Alison Whelan, Kirsten Sheridan, Declan Croghan, Eanna MacLiam, Marie Conmee, and Cyril Cusack. It was adapted by Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan from the book of the same name by Christy Brown.[2] Many of the scenes were filmed through a mirror, as Daniel Day-Lewis could only manipulate his right foot to perform the actions seen in the film.[3]
It won the Academy Award for Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis) and Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Brenda Fricker). It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Picture and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.
It also won the NYFCC Best Picture Award for 1989.
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[edit] Cast
- Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown
- Brenda Fricker as Bridget Brown
- Ray McAnally as Paddy Brown
- Fiona Shaw as Dr. Eileen Cole
- Hugh O'Conor as young Christy Brown
- Kirsten Sheridan as Sharon Brown
- Alison Whelan as Sheila Brown
- Eanna MacLiam as Benny Brown
- Declan Croghan as Tom Brown
- Marie Conremme as Sadie Brown
- Cyril Cusack as Lord Castlewelland
- Phelim Drew as Brian
- Ruth McCabe as Mary Carr
[edit] Awards and nominations
My Left Foot's awards are bolded and nominations are also listed.
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
- Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker)
- Best Director (Jim Sheridan)
- Best Picture
- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
- Best Supporting Actor (Ray McAnally)
- Best Film
- Best Makeup (Ken Jennings)
- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
- Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker)
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- Best Foreign Film
- London Film Critics
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- Actor of the Year (Daniel Day-Lewis)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
- Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Fricker)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
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- Best Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis)
- Best Film
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- Best Screenplay - Adapted (Shane Connaughton and Jim Sheridan)
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- Best Motion Picture - Drama
- Best Young Supporting Actor - Motion Picture (Hugh O'Conor)
[edit] See also
[edit] Cultural references
- An episode of The Critic has Jay Sherman wearing a My Left Foot sock, a promotion item given to him when viewing the film. In another episode dealing with classic films being updated with "happy endings", Jay states that he "doesn't want the guy from My Left Foot becoming a punter for the Bears".
- In the 1999 film, Flawless, Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) suffers a stroke and is partially disabled. When a drag queen meets him for the first time, he remarks, "You've got a kind of My Left Foot thing going on, huh?" For the rest of the movie, he refers to him as 'Mr. My Left Foot.'
- In an episode of Gilmore Girls Lorelai tells Luke that she was just doing a rendition of Daniel Day-Lewis' performance in My Left Foot and how she did it with her right foot to give a very different effect.
- In an episode of Family Guy, "Jungle Love" Stewie Griffin performs a rendition of "My Left Foot", in which he sings and pulls himself across a stage whilst in a wheelchair only using his left foot.
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=myleftfoot.htm
- ^ The Irish Filmography 1896-1996; Red Mountain Press; 1996. Page 43
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097937/trivia
[edit] External links
- My Left Foot at the Internet Movie Database
- My Left Foot at the TCM Movie Database
- My Left Foot at Rotten Tomatoes
- My Left Foot at Box Office Mojo
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- 1989 films
- Irish films
- British films
- English-language films
- 1980s drama films
- Directorial debut films
- Biographical films about artists
- Films about people with cerebral palsy
- Films about writers
- Films based on biographies
- Films directed by Jim Sheridan
- Films featuring a Best Actor Academy Award winning performance
- Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winning performance
- Films set in Dublin (city)
- Films shot in the Republic of Ireland
- Irish drama films
- Miramax Films films
