Set in the early 1960s, the butcher boy is about francie brady eamonn owens, a 12yearold boy. The butcher boy, the latest film from director neil jordan of the crying game and interview with the vampire fame, is exactly such a film. His other books include the facechangers, shadow woman, dance for the dead, and vanishing act. When patrick mccabes third book, the butcher boy, was published. Is a flick worth the cost, or should you wait for lower priced pay per view or rental. Its the most alive and deeplyfelt movie ive seen in 1998, and thats thanks to the endlessly extraordinary performance by 11year old eamonn owens as francie brady, the butcher boy. Francie brady eamonn owens is a young boy growing up in dublin in the early 1960s, where his life is dominated by his active imagination and his best friend joe alan boyle. With stephen rea, fiona shaw, eamonn owens, alan boyle. The butcher boy posted by serena donadoni on wed, apr 15, 1998 at 12. The butcher boy 1997a disturbing neil jordan movie about a 12yearold boy eamonn owens in 1960s ireland who cant control his rage.
There are some who may find the first forty minutes or so of neil jordans adaptation of pat mccabes surreal novel a tittersome poking of fun at the foibles and peculiarities of rural cavan in the early 1960s. The antisocial son of an alcoholic father and a bipolar mother grows up in 1960s ireland. When his mother commits suicide and his friend, joe, goes off to boarding school, francie sinks ever deeper into paranoia thanks mainly to his nasty neighbour mrs. He is absolutely real and believable as the disturbed protagonist in the parts that demanded it.
Francie finds solace with his best friend joe, but a tragic chain of circumstances is set in motion when the boys begin to terrorize their studious classmate, phillip. The novel won the 1992 irish times irish literature prize for fiction and was shortlisted for the 1992 booker. Stephen rea is effective as always playing francies drunken father, but its eamonn owenss stunning portrayal of one very troubled kid that stays with you. The humour in the butcher boy is just as black as in man bites dog, and the dialogue as thickly brogued as in trainspotting. He lives in southern california with his wife and two daughters. With no previous acting experience, irishborn eamonn owens impressed a casting assistant enough to make the finals for the leading role in neil jordans the. The butchers boy is an extremely clever and talented professional hit man. Great savings free delivery collection on many items. On one hand are the wild apaches and alien invasions of comic books and. The butcher boy 1997 a smalltown irish boys rambunctious nature turns violent in this 1997 shocker from filmmaker neil jordan the crying game and michael collins. Buy butcher boy and get the best deals at the lowest prices on ebay. Neil jordans the butcher boy tells the story of an irish boy who.
The butcher boy starring eamonn owens and stephen rea. Owens was plucked out of 2,000 child actors to assume the role. In the early part of the book it becomes apparent that francies mother is frequently abused both verbally and physically by her. Neil jordans superb adaptation of pat mccabes disturbing 1992 novel about a 12yearold irish boys descent into madness. The butchers boy series begins with the double crossing by the mafia. The problem, at least for me, is that even several days after seeing this release, im still not entirely sure into which camp i fall. He begins to have a fantasy where he has visions of the virgin. Neil jordans the butcher boy tells the story of an irish boy who turns violent and insane under the pressure of a tragic childhood and a sense of betrayal. The butchers boy series began with the title novel in may 1982. The devils own 1997 brad pitt and harrison ford play ira terrorist and irishamerican cop, respectively, whose crossed paths involve considerable violence. Jordans films at their best mona lisa, the crying game, interview with the vampire and now this are perversely comfortable on such difficult terrain, contemplating the hidden extremes of human nature. A smalltown irish boys rambunctious nature turns violent in this shocker from filmmaker neil jordan the crying game and michael collins thirteenyearold francie brady owens retreats from his fathers rea drunkenness and his mothers osullivan depression into a world of manic fantasy that begins with a prank on his nasty neighbor mrs.
The butcher boy is a rollercoaster ride for your brain. As francie tries to cope with his dysfunctional homelife and tragic losses, he begins having visions and develops paranoia. The butcher boy is a 1997 irish black comedy adapted to film by neil jordan and patrick mccabe from mccabes 1992 novel of the same name set in the early 1960s, the butcher boy is about francie brady eamonn owens, a 12yearold boy who retreats into a violent fantasy world to escape the reality of his dysfunctional family. Neil jordan and pat mccabe, based on the book by patrick mccabe. Friendship eamonn owens and alan boyle in the butcher boy another strong side of the film is the creative directing of neil jordan. He takes a contract to eliminate the officer of a union and a united states senator because both of them are suspicious about the activities of a shady investment firm headquartered in las vegas. Owens, in his screen debut, is an absolute marvel as the lead, strutting through the. It is narrated by francie, who is played by the newcomer eamonn owens in one of. The main character within this film is a young boy named francie brady who is played by an actor named eamonn owens. Jordan scripted the butcher boy along with the author of the novel, patrick mccabe, and the result is an unusual and rewarding blend of pitchblack comedy and wry social commentary.
Stephen rea, fiona shaw, eamonn owens, brendan gleeson. Eamonn owens in the butcher boy his mother, dymphna, was born in the village of trillick, co tyrone. The plot shows this young boy growing up in the early 1960s, his life is dominated by a dysfunctional family, sexual abuse, his over active mind and his best friend. Thirteenyearold francie brady eamonn owens retreats from his fathers stephen rea drunkenness and his mothers aisling osullivan depression into a world of manic fantasy that begins with a prank on his nasty neighbor. Pikku teurastaja the butcher boy on neil jordanin ohjaama irlantilais yhdysvaltalainen musta draamakomedia vuodelta 1997. One has to see the film to note the difference between his style and the mainstream timewasters that flood the cinemas nowadays. Set in a small town in ireland in the early 1960s, it tells the story of francie brady, a delusional boy who retreats into a violent fantasy world as his troubled home life collapses. Eamonn owens stars as the main character, francie brady, a poor boy whose father is a drunken trumpeter, benny brady stephen rea and his mother an unbalanced woman. The comicstrip panels that fill the screen during the opening credits set the tone. Pat mccabe and a ridiculously entertaining afternoon of. Friday, july 18, at courtyard gallery, 9 walnut st.
One was the incredible performance of eamonn owens as the butcher boy. The butcher boy s character as a metaphor for ireland. Theres an amazing debut performance by young eamonn owens, with able. Below is a list of thomas perrys butchers boy novels in order of when they were originally published and in chronological order. The other aspect is the send up of all those happy irish films from the quiet man to the commitments to waking ned devine. Benny beats her and, as the landlady at the seaside hotel says when she spoils francies last illusion about his parents early married life, treats her like a pig. Thomas perry won an edgar award for the butchers boy, and metzgers dog was one of the new york timess notable books of the year. The rascally, ginger actor was or 14 when he made the butcher boy, and he came to it with all the energy one would expect of a teenager in this role.
The same plot was seen in the bourne novels, when he decided to go to india to live peacefully with his wife. Neil jordans beautifully photographed ramble the butcher boy stars eamonn owens as francie brady, a preadolescent bully coming of age in early 60s ireland. Neil jordans adaptation of patrick mccabes awardwinning novel is brash, broadly drawn and. There would not be a second installment for exactly ten years, and not a third for another nine. New listing the butcher boy rare dvd film stephen rea, fiona shaw new. Set in 1962, francie lives with a violent, alcoholic father and a manic depressive, suicidal mother. Young francie brady eamonn owens enjoys a fantastical childhood filled with.
The screen rights to the book were bought by neil jordan in 1992 during the. Set in a small town in ireland in the early 1960s, it tells the story of francis francie brady, a schoolboy who retreats into a violent fantasy world as his troubled home life collapses the butcher boy won the 1992 irish times irish literature prize for fiction and was shortlisted for the 1992 booker prize. The butcher boy by neil jordan eamonn owens, alan boyle. His behavior becomes more erratic and his worsening condition culminates in an extrememly violent act.
The butchers boy manages go kill the assassins from the mafia and resorts to a quiet life using a different name. Eamonn owens was born on january 18, 1983 in killeshandra, ireland. Based on the awardwinning novel by patrick mccabe who cowrote the screenplay with director neil jordan, the butcher boy is set in a small irish town in the sixties, focusing on the fantasy world created by 12yearold francie brady eamonn owens to offset the tedium and increasingly unstable reality of his actual life. The butcher boy and the night belonged to 15yearold eamonn owens who. Neil jordan directed this adaptation of patrick mccabes novel about a boys struggles with violence and mental illness. The butchers boy escapes back to the states with more reasons to kill. Cranky rates the new movies by the hardest scale around the cost of a ticket. Based on the novel by patrick mccabe, butcher boy is the blackest of black comedies, and unlike anything youve seen.
By the end of the film, when he acts out his murderous fantasies, i was thinking of course about the shooting spree. The butcher boy, part of a series of classic cinema from around the world, will be presented at 8 p. Michael connelly was a journalist and crime reporter for several newspapers before writing. If you have trouble with irish accents, you wont catch all the dialogue, but thats okay.
1116 1194 1234 1563 1193 1072 817 298 1501 931 391 1362 158 1300 623 714 872 74 1075 1495 1255 967 379 323 690 465 1171 1289 551 952 734 1221 1025 693 109 1417 600 1399 107 1349 330 1052 782 684 822 189 175 751