Good-looking, well-acted and now and then shamelessly sentimental paean to perseverance, spirit and Irish humor.
Evelyn (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:106
Fresh:69
Rotten:37
Average Rating:6.1/10
Consensus: Though predictable and sometimes overly sentimental, Evelyn still manages to be heartwarming.
Theatrical Release:Dec 13, 2002 Limited
Box Office: $1,341,151
Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan stars as Desmond Doyle, an Irishman whose troubles mount after his philandering wife runs away with another man. As a single, unemployed father with a penchant for Dublin's pubs,... Pierce Brosnan stars as Desmond Doyle, an Irishman whose troubles mount after his philandering wife runs away with another man. As a single, unemployed father with a penchant for Dublin's pubs, Doyle is deemed an unfit parent, and his daughter and two younger sons are placed in orphanages. Despite his problems, Doyle is an utterly devoted dad and decides to fight for custody of his children and his right to raise them alone. Doyle's crack pro bono legal team--played by Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn, and Alan Bates--takes his case all the way to the Irish Supreme Court in 1953, challenging the church and courts. Typically dapper Brosnan is exceedingly likable as down-on-his-luck Doyle, a common man who becomes a real-life hero, in this period piece. Sophie Vavasseur is a scene-stealer as Evelyn, Doyle's oldest child and the film's namesake, and Julianna Margulies adopts a believable accent as the barmaid who inspires Doyle to clean up his act if he wants his family back. Based on the true story of a court decision that changed the lives of many Irish families, EVELYN is directed by Bruce Beresford (TENDER MERCIES, DRIVING MISS DAISY). [More]
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Aidan Quinn, Julianna Margulies, Stephen Rea
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Aidan Quinn, Julianna Margulies, Stephen Rea, John Lynch, Sophie Vavasseur, Alan Bates
Director: Bruce Beresford
Director: Bruce Beresford
Screenwriter: Paul Pender
Producer: Pierce Brosnan, Beau St. Clair, Michael Ohoven
Composer: Stephen Endelman
Studio: MGM/UA
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Reviews for Evelyn
Evelyn has little to do with real life. For a more realistic true story, try this: Clueless moviemakers sucker innocent moviegoers into paying nine bucks for a stupid movie.
That the events really happened offers no excuse for the button-pushing, by-the-numbers approach taken by Beresford and screenwriter Paul Pender.
Here's a sweet film to rent for Father's Day or Christmas. It's a heart-warmer, charming, and shot with a sugary cinematic eye.
It's hardly clear why the case is 'hopeless' or why its legal precedent is dramatically important, but Beresford and his team whip up the puddin' into teary triumphs anyway.
...ultimately reduces a potentially rich battle against the forces of inertia to utterly familiar melodramatic tropes.
Beresford's direction makes sure that grit and a certain ugliness get equal screen time with the requisite heartwarming qualities.
This is Brosnan's film to own (but for the welcome screen time of the too-little-seen Alan Bates), and own it he does.
A film for those that rarely go to the movies 'because they don’t make movies like they used to.' Well, apparently they do...
A shamelessly uplifting motion picture that attains its feel-good status by forging a deep emotional connection between the undertrodden protagonist and the audience.
Evelyn jerks some earnestly sentimental tears, but for a true story it sure feels fake.
Director Bruce Beresford follows a straightforward and predictable path, yet succeeds in pulling your emotional strings even when you know what’s coming.
Adults might find the movie on the slight side, though it's a good choice for family night viewing.
A heart-affecting portrait of a loving father whose nurturing instincts come to the fore in a crisis situation with his children.
After The Tailor of Panama made it clear that Brosnan can slide into character-based comedy with ease, Evelyn proves that his more challenging, dramatic work is in desperate need of being vigorously shaken and stirred.
It's the relationship between Desmond and his daughter Evelyn (Sophie Vavasseur) that gives the movie its heart and emotional heft.
...could very well prove to be Brosnan's 'The Sand Pebbles', a standout dramatic performance from an action star looking to be taken seriously.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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