Director
Jim Sheridan
Leading Actors/Actresses
Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally
Supporting Actors/Actresses
Brenda Fricker, Cyril Cusack, Fiona Shaw
Genre
Comedy-Drama
Language
English
Awards
Winner for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress and Nominee for Best Picture at the 62nd Academy Awards.
Date of Release
24 February 1989
Producer
Noel Pearson
Setting and Context
The film is set between 1930 and 1950s in Dublin, Ireland.
Narrator and Point of View
It is told from Christy Brown’s point of view.
Tone and Mood
Optimistic and funny but also tragic
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Christy Brown while the antagonist is the doctors that claim his condition renders him inadequate.
Major Conflict
The conflict arises from the challenging life of a cerebral palsy victim and the odds they have to beat to lead a somewhat normal existence. Though Christy Brown might be handicapped and need extra support he is also a stubborn individual to those around him.
Climax
The climax occurs when Christy’s father passes away from a stroke and subsequently, Christy gets into a fight.
Foreshadowing
The opening of the film where Christy is an adult waiting to speak at an event foreshadows the difficult but hopeful journey that he has led.
Understatement
“A broken body's nothing compared to a broken heart.”
The statement understates the difficulties of the movement disorder to emphasize the intensity of a heartbreak.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
The innovation in the film is mostly from the actor Day-Lewis since he had to improvise to be able to play a handicapped character. The film sequences assist to accentuate his performance through camera movements and pans.
Allusions
It alludes to the misconceptions around cerebral palsy that the real-life character Christy Brown had to deal with.
Paradox
Despite the medical doctors affirming the severity of the cerebral palsy, Christy defies expectations and excels as a writer and painter.
Parallelism
N/A
