The Devil's Own

1997

The Devil's Own

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

34%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 38

41%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 42,933
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Movie Info

A policeman plays Good Samaritan to a visitor from Ireland, only to discover that he has a potentially deadly secret. Belfast-born Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) saw his father gunned down by enemy soldiers at the age of eight, and when he grew up he joined the Irish Republican Army, determined that one day his father's death would be avenged. An especially ruthless "volunteer," Frankie is responsible for the death of 13 British soldiers and 11 policemen. After a particularly bloody battle, Frankie sails to the United States in a ragged tugboat he has restored; with a huge bundle of cash, Frankie intends to buy a stock of Stinger missiles from an underground arms dealer in America, Billy Burke (Treat Williams). Upon arrival in New York, Frankie is met by a judge who is sympathetic to the IRA's cause and who arranges a place for him to stay. Using the name Rory Devaney, Frankie moves into the home of Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford), a scrupulously honest cop. Tom is already in the midst of a personal crisis; his friend and partner Edwin Diaz (Ruben Blades) recently shot a man that he knew was unarmed in the line of duty, and while Edwin wants Tom to help him cover up the matter, Tom's conscience will not allow it. When Tom begins to realize that "Rory" is not simply a man running from the violence of his homeland, he's torn between his sympathy for Frankie's tragic childhood and his desire to see justice served and prevent needless death in Ireland.

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Cast

Harrison Ford
as Tom O'Meara
Brad Pitt
as Rory Devaney
Margaret Colin
as Sheila O'Meara
Ruben Blades
as Edwin Diaz
Treat Williams
as Billy Burke
George Hearn
as Peter Fitzsimmons
Mitchell Ryan
as Chief Jim Kelly
Natascha McElhone
as Megan Doherty
Paul Ronan
as Sean Phelan
Simon Jones
as Harry Sloan
Julia Stiles
as Bridget O'Meara
Ashley Carin
as Morgan O'Meara
Kelly Singer
as Annie O'Meara
David O'Hara
as Martin MacDuf
David Wilmot
as Dessie
Anthony Brophy
as Gerard
Shane Dunne
as young Frankie
Martin Dunne
as Frankie's father
Gabrielle Reidy
as Frankie's mother
Samantha Conroy
as Frankie's sister
Baxter Harris
as customs agent
Hassan Johnson
as teenager
Scott Nicholson
as rookie cop
Jonathan Earl Peck
as Jerry
Sixto Ramos
as Hispanic Man
Mya Michaels
as Hispanic woman
Jessica Marie Kavanagh
as Hispanic girl
Brendan Kelly
as Teddy
Gregory Salata
as Tony
Kevin Nagle
as thug
Greg Salata
as Tony
Joseph Dandry
as Joey the bartender
Jack McKillop
as Jack Fitzsimmons
Mac Orange
as the maid
Malachy McCourt
as bishop
Marian Tomas Griffin
as cousin Eileen
Peggy Shay
as Aunt Birdie
Danielle McGovern
as Brooke
Ciaran O'Reilly
as Father Canlon
Rob McElhenney
as Kevin
Donald J. Meade
as Irish Musician
Patrick Reynolds
as Irish Musician
Peter Rufli
as Irish Musician
Debbon Ayer
as tour guide
Mario Polit
as young Dominican
Chance Kelly
as masked burglar
Greg Stebner
as uniformed cop
William Paulson
as detective
Bill Hoag
as trucker
William P. Hoag
as Trucker
Victor Slezak
as Evan Stanley, FBI
Damien Leake
as Art Fisher, FBI
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Critic Reviews for The Devil's Own

All Critics (38) | Top Critics (9)

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Audience Reviews for The Devil's Own

  • Oct 14, 2010
    Another solid, slow burning thriller from Pakula where the audience knows one man's violent past as an IRA terrorist (Pitt) and waits for the policeman landlord (Ford) to catch on before it's too late.
    Doctor S Super Reviewer
  • Sep 11, 2010
    Don't look for a happy ending. It's not an American story. It's an Irish one. Brad Pitt plays Frankie 'Angel' McGuire a wanted IRA soldier who is sent to New York City from Northern Ireland to purchase a massive amount of weapons. Harrison Ford does a good job, as the sympathetic New York cop who takes in the IRA gun runner in having no idea of his past. Is his Ford going to find out who Angel is or what he is planning to do! Well you'll have to see the film to find out. It's well paced with decent acting, Brad Pitt's accent aside. The movie twists you emotionally in a way that few films can. You connect with the two main characters, and you grow to like them and find yourself getting involved in their story. Worth watching! I'll end it with a quote that reinforces this movie and one that I believe "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter"
    Deb S Super Reviewer
  • May 15, 2010
    An IRA agent (Brad Pitt) who has moved from Ireland to New York in order to complete his agenda. He lives under a cover name and moves in to the home of a cop (Harrison Ford). It turns out that the Irish man is one of the deadliest assassins and he is in the US in order to buy weapons. The cop soon discovers that something is wrong and who the Irish man's true identity is. This movie was great and very exciting. Pitt performed very well as an Irish an Ford was awesome as always.
    Naughtia N Super Reviewer
  • Apr 13, 2010
    This is basically Patriot Games 2 lol. One of the seemingly endless amount of Harrison Ford movies where his family is in danger. In his defense, however, I must mention that his family, while clearly in danger throughout the film, is not in harm's way because of his actions, but instead from Brad Pitt's, and Ford's family DOES NOT ACTUALLY GET KIDNAPPED. Oh my God...what a mind-blowing revelation lol. Jokes aside, this is a good, emotionally moving film. The Devil's Own juxtaposes Pitt's character, an IRA terrorist, with Ford's, an Irish cop from Manhattan. Basically, the movie (through the characters themselves) shows that if the roles were reversed, the two characters, though totally different, would've probably taken each other's paths, at least to an extent. Though I enjoy this film's Irish theme, it does get a bit over the top--almost to the point of embarassment if you're Irish. I'm part Irish, and my Irish side of the family (which is very traditional/the average family) is not nearly as drunkenly vibrant as these people are--it's almost kind of insulting at times. Stereotypes aside, The Devil's Own is a really cool film that I'd recommend to anyone.
    Stephen S Super Reviewer
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