Cheap Evelyn (DVD) (Pierce Brosnan, Julianna Margulies) (Bruce Beresford) Price

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Customer Reviews of Evelyn

An Interesting True Story and an Excellent Movie
Director Bruce Beresford does an excellent job of translating this true story into an understated yet moving and ultimately heartwarming story of perserverance, love, human frailty, and faith. Pierce Brosman is both the coproducer and central character Desmond Doyle (although only one of the stars). The attraction for Brosnan of both the story and the role are obvious; he and Beresford deserve praise for their belief in the power of the story and their choice to tell it in a straightforward way with minimal embellishments or sentimentality.

Doyle is an Irish tradesman whose wife tires of their struggles and leaves him and their two boys and daughter Emily on the day after Christmas,1953. Given Doyle's unemployment and limited prospects and under the dictates of Irish family law at that time, the government places the brothers and Emily in separate Catholic orphanages. The film traces Desmond's efforts to both gain employment and eventually reform his heavy drinking habits, followed by his subsequent frustration with the government bureaucratic and court decisions that prohibit him from reuniting his family. He eventually enlists the support of two lawyers (Steven Rhea, Aidan Quinn) who consult a retired well known law professor (Alan Bates, coincidently Desmond's childhood idol as a famous rugby player) who reluctantly agrees to aid in the preparation of their case and eventually devises a strategy to challenge the law as unconstitutional. But this is not presented as a David vs. Goliath battle, but simply as an imperfect but devoted father determined to explore all possible means to be reunited with his children.

All the performaces were excellent and true to the story. Frank Kelly had an essential role as Desmond's father, and helped provide some of the infectious Irish music which was a key element in Desmond's transformation. Juliana Margulies played the barmaid and love interest to whom his lawyer was also attracted (in one of the few devices utilized to enliven the plot). Alan Bates role was wonderful and his performance was superb; however, the story rang true because of the acting of Sophie Vavasseur in the title role of Evelyn, Desmond's smart, loving, principled daughter whose love for her father and religious conviction in the truth and belief in goodness and God's love allowed her to maintain her faith that their family would eventually be reunited and helped provide her father with the strength that he needed.

I strongly recommend this movie for those theater goers who want to see excellent performances and an interesting and powerful story. It is relatively short (just over an hour and a half), and is in direct contrast to most modern films which attempt to overwhelm you with some combination of special effects, action, comedy, extreme emotional impact, excruciating detail or vulgarity. I was tempted to rate it five stars, and while in the end I decided that it did not quite rise to the top rating it is definitely a four star plus.

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Evelyn: The Best Film Not Nominated for Any Oscars
"Evelyn" is the movie that Pierce Brosnan promised his fans it would be: heartwarming, touching and full of hope.

The movie is based on the true story of Desmond Doyle, who forever changed the laws in Ireland in 1953 by proving that the Children's Act of 1942 worked against the unalienable rights granted to parents and children in the Irish constitution. Of course, liberties with the film have been taken along the way, but the love that Doyle had for his children, and they for him, comes through loud and clear.

Kudos goes to Sophie Vavasseur, Hugh McDonagh, and Niall Beagan who play the Doyle children, Sophie, Maurice and Dermott. These children performed their roles very well, and are always a welcome addition to the scenes they are in.

Sophie Vavasseur could have played up being cute, or played up being a brat with the nuns, but she, like the adults around her, goes for natural style. She plays Evelyn as a real child, and in doing so, makes that character all the more real to the audience.

Credit too goes to the adults around them, who allowed these kids to be actors, without fear of the scenes being stolen by them. And speaking of those adults:

The Catholic Church: My one quibble with this film is how the Christian Brothers are portrayed. One could walk away from this film thinking that the Christian Brothers were good and the nuns were bad. Not so, they all stunk. Never the less, the interaction at the convent, rings true of behavior by those employed by the church then, and sadly, now.

Frank Kelly: Playing Henry Doyle, the father of Desmond and grandfather to the children, Kelly does an excellent job capturing the heart of man who loves his family dearly and does what he can to support all of them, while he is with them, and while he is not.

Eileen Colgan: She had the difficult task of playing the children's maternal grandmother. She is witchy enough in the beginning, but as she sees how her actions have truly hurt her grandchildren, she supports Desmond in his fight to get the children back.

Julianna Margulies: As Bernadette, Ms. Margulies has to convince the audience that a strong woman ahead of her time would be a attracted to a man like Desmond Doyle. And she does so as we watch her see through the drinking and brawling to the beautiful soul inside of Desi.

Alan Bates: If you want a scene-stealer, here he is. With his commanding presence, quick wit, and strong sense of character, Bates is Tom Connolly, former Rugby star, and now star of the courtroom. His last scene, during the justice's "However" speech, is a study in perfect facial and body expressions.

Stephen Rea: Finally, Mr. Rea gets to dress up, look sharp, and play sharp as Michael Beattie, the solicitor who first takes on the Doyle case. He is properly reserved and hopeful at the same time, anxious, as everyone was in the fifties to break the hold of the State and the Church in 1950's Ireland.

Aidian Quinn: Mr. Quinn received less than stellar reviews for his performance but frankly, I don't know why. Some critics say they don't see his attraction to Bernadette, and yet, it is clear to me by the little gifts he brings her and the smiles he bestows upon her, that he is smitten. It is equally easy to see that his character, Nick Barron, is still pained by the loss of his children, and will put aside his jealously of Doyle to help the man win his children back.

And last but by no stretch of the imagination least: Pierce Brosnan.

Oscar, thy name should have been Brosnan.

This is not James Bond, this not Thomas Crown, and it sure as hell isn't Remington Steele. For some, that might be a problem. For Brosnan fans it won't be.

The quiet strength that Desmond Doyle possessed is clearly displayed here, in fine moments of torture and tears. It is not just sadness in the tears of Desi as he cuts up the family photos and tosses them into the fire; it's disappointment in his wife and himself. When he brawls with the priest, we know it is not the priest he hates; it's the church. When he looks at Bernadette, we see a man coming alive again. After Evelyn points out the "Angel Rays" to her father, Desi doesn't patronize her; his quiet faith in God and his own earth Father, allows him to believe that he has friends in heaven and all is not lost. When Desmond and Nick have their discussion on the topic of Bernadette, and each find out the offers the other has made to the lovely woman, Desmond knows he doesn't stand a chance, but that doesn't make him think about changing lawyers. He knows he needs Nick to win his case, and he puts his children first.

Mr. Brosnan communicates all these moments with the body language and the natural tones of voice that we use to communicate. These tools Mr. Brosnan is often denied when he plays the role of Bond, but as Doyle, Brosnan can allow his character to fall out of love and back again, to cry, to laugh, and yes, even to sing, without fear of his cover being blown. Just as much as James Bond ever did, Desmond Doyle changed the world.

There are no over the top moments of bravura acting from Mr. Brosnan. Rather the audience is treated to the natural anger and strength that comes when a parent must fight for his children. And that is precisely how those scenes should be played. We are comforted by these emotions we see every day in people who love their families.

If you want to see Pierce Brosnan in action movies, don't see this movie. If you want to see Pierce Brosnan in an academy award worthy performance, see "Evelyn."

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Heartstrings & Clover
This little jewel of a film is as potent as it has been unheralded. Australian Director Bruce Beresford who was nominated for a Best Director Oscar for "Tender Mercies" and has also done "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Double Jeopardy" does a marvelous job with the small independent feature. From the informative featurette on the DVD, he was instrumental in pruning screenwriter Paul Pender's screenplay and insisting on Pierce Brosnan's final courtroom speech.

This film is one that touches your heartstrings. The theme of love a parent has for their children is universal and allows this to be a movie that is important to us. With the Irish setting and plot that centers on the Irish judicial system, it seems like heartstrings & clover.

Pierce Brosnan was the moving force behind putting the picture together; and it is an admirable project. Brosnan turns in one of his best performances as the father who fights to get his children back. His voice cracks with emotion as he tells how much he loves them and that he wants to bring them up surrounded by love. It's not corny or overly sentimental; it's what makes the world go round!

Sophie Vavasseur is wonderful as the title character Evelyn. She has the pureness and faith of a child's heart and nails the sweetness of the character. The scene where she watches her mother run off with another man is heartbreaking as the audience understands more than the child who watches with puzzlement. If there were more to wish for, additional time for the two boys to show their father's connection to them would have focused on the whole family.

ER's Julianna Margulies does a nice job as the supportive Bernadette who tends bar. She refers Brosnan's Desmond Doyle character to her brother lawyer Michael Beattie played by Stephen Rea. Rea's subdued solicitor character leads Doyle to yet another lawyer, barrister Nick Barron played by Aidan Quinn. They get Thomas Connolly on the team played by Alan Bates, recently from "Gosford Park" and "The Mothman Prophecy." Bates passed away from cancer in December 2003, but is full of feisty spirit as he shepherds the case to Irish Supreme Court. As Charlotte Doyle, Mairead Devlin gives a brief but memorable performance as the restless wife.

"Evelyn" was a small film, but it works wonderfully. It tugs at the heartstrings and is a great family film to help us recall how much our families mean in our lives. The shooting on the film started shortly after 9/11 and seems to draw inspiration from the time in which it was shot. The fact that this is based on a true story makes it poignant. This is essential viewing! Enjoy!