Angela’s Ashes (1999)
76%RT Audience Score: 81%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
5 wins & 12 nominations total
In spite of its attempts to accurately record Frank McCourt’s memoirs, the onscreen adaptation fails to capture any of the drama or humor of his life
Angela’s Ashes is like a soggy sandwich that you accidentally left in your backpack for a week. It’s not the best thing you’ve ever tasted, but it’s not the worst either. The movie lacks a bit of the magic that the book had, but it’s still worth watching. The art direction is on point, and the rain-soaked streets of Ireland have never looked so depressing. Despite the harsh scenes, there are moments of humor that make the movie a bit more bearable. Overall, it’s not a masterpiece, but it’s not a complete disaster either.
Production Company(ies)
The Directors Company, Saticoy Productions, Paramount Pictures,
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Limerick, Ireland
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexual content and some language
Year of Release
2000
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 25m
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Language(s):Latin, English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 2000 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 5, 2016
Genre(s)
Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen, Ciaran Owens, Michael Legge, Ronnie Masterson, directed by Alan Parker, written by Frank McCourt, Laura Jones, Alan Parker, biography, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Owen
Worldwide gross: $13,042,112
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $22,620,445
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,671
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,466,788
US/Canada gross: $13,042,112
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $22,620,445
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,373
US/Canada opening weekend: $54,628
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $94,748
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,952
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $50,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $86,720,789
Production budget ranking: 476
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $46,699,145
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$110,799,489
ROI to date (est.): -83%
ROI ranking: 1,911
Robert Carlyle – Malachy McCourt Sr.
Joe Breen – Young Francis “Frank” McCourt
Ciaran Owens – Middle Francis “Frank” McCourt
Michael Legge – Older Francis “Frank” McCourt
Ronnie Masterson – Grandma Sheehan
Director(s)
Alan Parker
Writer(s)
Frank McCourt, Laura Jones, Alan Parker
Producer(s)
David Brown, Alan Parker, Scott Rudin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
5 wins & 12 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (87) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (42)
Angela’s Ashes is the soggiest dud of all the major holiday releases.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: C-
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
A quietly triumphant experience.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3.5/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
Lacks the magnificence of his book, but it is worth seeing.
January 1, 2000
Steven Rosen
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
There’s a compelling momentum to Angela’s Ashes, Alan Parker’s very faithful, if poetically subordinate, version of McCourt’s book, which imposed elegance on squalor and intelligence on the indolence cultivated by poverty.
January 1, 2000
John Anderson
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
Despite its harsh scenes, Angela’s Ashes will leave you with lovely memories.
January 1, 2000
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
The film lacks development and dramatic coherence.
January 1, 2000
Amy Taubin
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
Seeing the bleak, rainy, flooded slums of 1930s Ireland through the eyes of the young lead character, we’re spared the total despair of his parent’s grief and sometimes find fun in the dirtiest corners of the drab streets.
December 1, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Tom Cassidy
Common Sense Media
One of the film’s strengths is the art direction: never has back-lane Ireland looked so festering, sombre and raindrenched.
October 14, 2019
Patricia Hluchy
Maclean’s Magazine
A tedious, vastly disappointing film that does not do justice to the wonderful and touching book upon which it is based.
March 17, 2011 | Rating: C
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Sometimes humorous and wholly inspiring tale.
October 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
I enjoyed the relentless gloomy realism, the refusal to put a happy face on McCourt’s miserable childhood.
July 23, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2/4
Jim Shelby
Palo Alto Weekly…
Plot
Based on the best-selling autobiography by Irish expatriate Frank McCourt, Angela’s Ashes follows the experiences of young Frankie and his family as they try against all odds to escape the poverty endemic in the slums of pre-war Limerick. The film opens with the family in Brooklyn, but following the death of one of Frankie’s siblings, they return home, only to find the situation there even worse. Prejudice against Frankie’s Northern Irish father makes his search for employment in the Republic difficult despite his having fought for the I.R.A., and when he does find money, he spends it on drink.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The standout performances in Angela’s Ashes include Emily Watson as the struggling and emotionally unstable mother and Robert Carlyle as the regretful and flawed yet loving family man.
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