Ireland, USA, 1997
109m
35mm film, Technicolor
DTS, Dolby Digital, SDDS, English
An Irish/American drama with fantasy elements directed by Neil Jordan.
Plot Summary
In Ireland, young Francie lives with his depressed, suicidal mother and his violent alcoholic father. Under the strain of his appalling daily life Francie becomes steadily unhinged, slips into a fantasy world where he meets the Virgin Mary and ends up murdering his neighbour Mrs Nugent when she starts nasty rumours about his family. He’s committed to a psychiatric hospital where it is hoped he may be cured.
Credits
Crew
Director: Neil Jordan
Butcher Boy Film, Geffen Pictures, Warner Bros.
Executive Producer: Neil Jordan
Producers: Redmond Morris, Stephen Woolley
Script: Neil Jordan, Patrick McCabe
Novel: Patrick McCabe
Director of Photography: Adrian Biddle
Editor: Tony Lawson
Music: Elliot Goldenthal
Sound Recordists: Brendan Deasy, Kieran Horgan, Stephen McLaughlin
Costume Designer: Sandy Powell
Make-up: Morag Ross
Hair: Dee Corcoran
Special Effects Supervisor: Joss Williams
Visual Effects Supervisor: Kent Houston
Production Designer: Anthony Pratt
Cast
Eamon Owens (Francie Brady)
Sean McGinley (Sergeant)
Peter Gowen (Leddy)
Alan Boyle (Joe Purcell)
Andrew Fullerton (Phillip Nugent)
Fiona Shaw (Mrs Nugent)
Aisling O’Sullivan (Annie Brady)
Stephen Rea (Da Brady/adult Francie)
John Kavanagh (Dr Boyd)
Rosaleen Linehan (Mrs Canning)
Anita Reeves (Mrs Coyle)
Gina Moxley (Mary)
Niall Buggy (Father Dom)
Ian Hart (Uncle Alo)
Anne O’Neill (Mrs McGlone)
Joe Pilkington (Charlie McGlone)
Pat McGrath (farmer on tractor)
Jer O’Leary (Dublin man)
Pat Leavy (Dublin cafe woman)
Janet Moran (Dublin shopkeeper)
Alternative Titles
Contracorriente – Spain
O Rapaz do Talho – Portugal
Der Schlächterbursche – Germany
Links
Includes extracts from
The Atomic Cafe (1982)
The Brain from Planet Arous (1957)
References
Periodicals
- Cineaste vol.23 no.4 (1998) pp.32-36 – article (The Abused Child of History: Neil Jordan’s The Butcher Boy by Martin McLoone)
- Empire March 1998 p.42 – review (by Christopher Hemblade)
- Empire September 1998 p.120 – review (by Neil Jeffries)
- Film Review March 1998 p.24 – review (by Neil Corry)
- Neon September 1998 p.94 – review (by Kevin Maher)
Newspapers
- Aftonbladet 27 November 1998 – review (Mitt liv som hund i Irland by Jan-Olov Andersson)
- Diário de Notícias, DNmais 3 April 1999 – review (by João Antunes)
- Expresso, Cartaz 13 March 1999 – review (by Jorge Leitão Ramos)
- Svenska Dagbladet 27 November 1998 – review (Svårsmält om bitter barndom by Bo Ludvigsson)
Books
- The Films of the Nineties: A Complete, Qualitative Filmography of Over 3000 Feature-Length English Language Films, Theatrical and Video-Only, Released Between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 1999 by Robert A. Nowlan and Gwendolyn L. Nowlan p.85
