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Movies / On DVD / Rory O'Shea Was Here
Rory O'Shea Was Here

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Rory O'Shea Was Here (2005)

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49 %
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Reviews Counted: 69

Fresh: 34

Rotten:35

Average Rating: 5.8/10

Consensus: The dramatic aspects of Rory O'Shea Was Here veer into mawkish, formulaic sentiment, which undercuts the characters' individuality.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Feb 4, 2005 Limited

Synopsis: The winner of the Audience Award at the 2004 Edinburgh International Film Festival, Rory O'Shea Was Here is an extraordinary story of determination that fuses highly emotional drama with bracingly... The winner of the Audience Award at the 2004 Edinburgh International Film Festival, Rory O'Shea Was Here is an extraordinary story of determination that fuses highly emotional drama with bracingly boisterous humor. Inspired by the experiences of real people, the film follows two young men with physical disabilities as they band together and seize an opportunity to savor life on their own terms. All his life, Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson) has lived in the residential care of Dublin's Carrigmore Home for the Disabled. Michael has cerebral palsy, uses a motorized wheelchair, and has a significant speech impairment. Most people find it difficult to make out what he is saying, and simply stop trying. But Rory O'Shea (James McAvoy), a new arrival at Carrigmore, is not like most people -- or any of the other Carrigmore residents. Rory is able to understand Michael. Rory has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a degenerative muscle-wasting condition. All Rory has are the use of two of his fingers, partial movements of his head -- and unlimited use of his mouth. These two young men form a friendship that empowers them to look beyond Carrigmore and its inflexible supervisor Eileen (Brenda Fricker). After the rebellious and outspoken Rory masterminds a field trip to pub and nightclub, Michael is emboldened and motivated to finesse an appeal to Ability Ireland for a personal-assistance grant. His appeal is successful, enabling the two friends to move into a flat of their own and recruit the disarming Siobhan (Romola Garai) to assist them with their daily needs. Rory and Michael both develop growing feelings for Siobhan, and their rivalry for her attention only further accelerates their shared journey towards true independence and liberation. -- © Focus Features [More]

Starring: Steven Robertson, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Brenda Fricker

Starring: Steven Robertson, James McAvoy, Romola Garai, Brenda Fricker, James Flynn, Gerard McSorley, Tom Hickey

Director: Damien O'Donnell

Director: Damien O'Donnell
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Caine
Producer: James Flynn
Composer: David Julyan
Studio: Focus Features

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jun 14, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Rory O'Shea Was Here

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Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

A modest, relatively low-budget affair graced with strong stars and sharp dialogue.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/25/08
Anna Smith
Channel 4 Film

Director Damien O'Donnell has achieved a warm and uplifting movie which is marred only by a brief drift into melodrama in the middle.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
03/01/07
Richard James Havis
Film Journal International

A technical mess. The final version looks like an unfinished cut.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
10/02/06
Mary Lasse
Christianity Today

Full marks for intent; barely a pass for execution.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Dave Calhoun
Time Out

O'Donnell should be lauded for offering a sensitive portrayal of disabled people without ever being patronizing.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Nick De Semlyen
Empire Magazine

Rory O'Shea is half sitcom, half sap.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
Nathan Rabin
AV Club

Spiky-haired, handsome MacAvoy shows us how to be audacious and prominent without moving more than his face and two fingers.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
05/14/05
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

narrowly focused drama

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
05/08/05
Jules Brenner
Filmcritic.com

Irish drama about disability, interdependence and self-determination is nothing new, but it's nicely made, with two great performances.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
04/14/05
James Rocchi
Netflix

Tries and fails to juggle humor, sentimentality and political correctness with its punk war cry.

Full Review Source: MetroActive | comment Comment
04/08/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
MetroActive

Rory O'Shea, challenging and difficult to watch at times, is to be applauded for taking us about as close to reality as a situation like this allows.

Full Review Source: San Antonio Express-News | comment Comment
03/25/05
Larry Ratliff
San Antonio Express-News

Randle Patrick McMurphy in a motorized wheelchair.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
03/18/05
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Perhaps a better moniker would have been One Flew Over My Left Foot.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
03/11/05
Marc Mohan
Oregonian

Nobody will be shocked to learn people with cerebral palsy are people too

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
03/09/05
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

This problematic individual is quickly reduced to symbolic chump change. Pale martyrdom ensues, as he's dulled down and sanctified according to trite Hollywood formula. Yawn.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Weekly | comment Comment
03/05/05
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly

How ironic that a movie that claims to assert independence for the disabled cannot set its protagonists free for even a second.

Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
03/03/05
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

Tries and fails to juggle humor, sentimentality and political correctness with its punk war cry.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
03/03/05
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

...but that’s not enough to drag yourself or your loved ones to the cinema.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
02/27/05
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

Director Damien O'Donnell and his terrific cast lend the film authenticity by quickly retreating whenever the proceedings threaten to get too cloying or sappy.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
02/27/05
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
 
 
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