Philomena (FILM REVIEW)
Philomena
Film Review
by Kam Williams
Mom Seeks Long-Lost Son in True Tale of Overwhelming Regret
Philomena Lee (Dame
Judi Dench) made a big mistake as a teenager, namely, having unprotected sex with a cute boy (D.J. McGrath)
she had just met at a carnival. The naive girl was left pregnant by the
one-night stand, which was no minor matter in Ireland in 1952.
Before she had a chance to disgrace
her family by showing signs of bearing an illegitimate child, she was shipped
off to a convent to have the baby away from public view. There, she was forced
to sign a document not merely relinquishing her parental rights but promising to
never even ask to see her son again.
Without her being afforded an
opportunity to say goodbye, he was adopted by a wealthy family from the United States at the age of 3 and whisked away
to the city Chicago.
Meanwhile, Philomena remained beholden to the abbey where, like a latter-day
indentured servant, she continued to serve at the beck-and-call of the Sisters
of the Sacred Heart order. Although she would eventually escape the convent and
pursue a career in nursing, Philomena remained forever haunted by the conspicuous
emptiness left by Anthony’s absence.
Fast-forward to his 50th birthday,
and she was still consumed with worry about his fate. So, she enlisted the help
of Martin Hixsmith (Steve Coogan), a recently-disgraced investigative journalist
conveniently in need of a shot at redemption. And, after being denied access to
any of the convent’s adoption records, the unlikely pair departed for America together
with just a few clues to follow.
Directed by two-time Oscar-nominee Stephen
Frears (for The Queen and The Grifters), Philomena
is a true tale of overwhelming
regret based on “The Lost Child of Philomena Lee,” Hixsmith’s heart-wrenching account
of their desperate quest. Dame Judi Dench turns in another inspired performance
as a wayward woman from a humble background who belatedly summons up the strength
to search for her son and to take on the sadistic Mother Superior (Barbara
Jefford) who had been the bane of her existence.
As much a poignant meditation on
motherhood lost as a searing indictment of the Catholic Church’s antiquated attitude
about what might be in the best interests of an adopted child.
Excellent
(4 stars)
Rated PG-13
for profanity, mature themes and sexual references.
Running time: 98 minutes
Distributor: The
Weinstein Company
To see a trailer for Philomena, visit:
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