Click to read the article
The Magdalene Sisters (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:143
Fresh:129
Rotten:14
Average Rating:7.6/10
Consensus: A typical women-in-prision film made untypical because it's based on real events.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] violence/cruelty, nudity, sexual content and language
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Aug 1, 2003 Limited
Box Office: $4,685,516
Synopsis: Peter Mullen's shocking drama THE MAGDALENE SISTERS is based on real events that took place in Ireland from the 1960s until 1996 when an estimated 30,000 young women, considered by their families... Peter Mullen's shocking drama THE MAGDALENE SISTERS is based on real events that took place in Ireland from the 1960s until 1996 when an estimated 30,000 young women, considered by their families to have committed sexual sins, were sent away from their homes to earn penitence working in profit-making laundries run by the Sisters of Magdalene Order. However, the acts the girls committed to have been sent to these miserable prisons were clearly not punishable. What's worse, the nuns were cruel money grubbers who worked the girls to the point of exhaustion, and used poor living conditions and psychological abuse to break and brainwash the girls into subservience. The awful treatment the nuns gave these innocent young women was terrifying, and the ways the girls suffered were utterly disturbing. Mullen designed the fictional characters in the film based on interviews with actual survivors of the laundries, working their stories into his plot. Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff) is a shy girl who is raped by her cousin at a wedding shaming her family, Patricia/Rose (Dorothy Duff) gets pregnant and her parents take her baby away from her, Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone) is a pretty girl who is deemed "too flirtatious," and Crispina (Eileen Walsh) is a loving young mom whose children are forbidden to see her and are being raised by her sister. The imposing Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan) is pure evil, and will strike fear into the souls of MAGDALENE viewers. With this expertly crafted, haunting film, Mullen presents his second feature, following 1999's ORPHANS. [More]
Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Dorothy Duffy, Anne-Marie Duff, Eileen Walsh
Starring: Geraldine McEwan, Dorothy Duffy, Anne-Marie Duff, Eileen Walsh, Nora-Jane Noone
Director: Peter Mullan
Director: Peter Mullan
Screenwriter: Peter Mullan
Producer: Frances Higson
Studio: Miramax Films
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Mar 23, 2004
Reviews for The Magdalene Sisters
The movie is an indictment of systems that perpetuate oppression and exploitation by making the administrators believe their every cruel act is justified and by compelling complicity in victims and bystanders.
This drama about a shocking reality from recent history balances a light touch with searing intensity and a sense of moral outrage.
A damning indictment of the Catholic Church that lingers in the mind long after if ends. Angry, compassionate but never hysterical, this a true cinematic achievement.
This is a riveting piece of drama about a forgotten slice of history, no matter what the esteemed movie critics at the Vatican say about it.
A deliberately provocative film that triggers the audience's emotions in order to highlight important issues of personal freedom. Amen to that.
The Magdalene Sisters isn't perfect, but it sheds light on a story that needed to be told.
Mullan has made a vicious and relentless film, but his outrage is well-earned.
Mullan has done an expert job of creating a harrowing atmosphere without pulling punches or excluding a sharp sense of humor without slipping into bad taste.
Seething with moral outrage...If Mullan sins, it’s that his anger gets the better of him. He sacrifices dramatic flow on the altar of polemics.
Its mode is that of 'a story that needs to be told,' lest we forget the marginalized lessons of history... worth seeing at least once.
A gut-wrenching expose of the mistreatment of young Irish women at the hands of men, the government and the Catholic Church.
Bracing and potent, though the film's stylistic polish is sometimes tonally counterintuitive
A harrowing indictment of the atrocities performed in the name of organized religion.
Beautifully directed and acted, Mullen's movie seems to be made with the same purpose as last year's Bloody Sunday, that of atonement and catharsis.
Very good cinematically and it uncovers terrible injustices, but journalistically, it shoots itself in the foot.
Latest News for The Magdalene Sisters
June 24, 2005:
Lions Gate Digs Into "The Descent"
Neil Marshall, director of the resoundingly popular cult flick "Dog Soldiers," has struck a deal with Lions Gate to distribute his next movie in North America, says... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Magdalene Sisters at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Magdalene Sisters at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


