Evelyn (film)
Encyclopedia
Evelyn is a 2002
drama film
, loosely based on the true story of Desmond Doyle
and his fight against the Irish courts to be reunited with his children. The film stars Sophie Vavasseur
in the title role, Pierce Brosnan
as her father and Aidan Quinn
, Julianna Margulies
and Stephen Rea
as supporters to Doyle's case. The film had a limited release in the United States
, starting on December 13, 2002 and was later followed by the United Kingdom
release on March 21, 2003.
The film was produced by, with others, Brosnan's own production company, Irish DreamTime. It opened to generally favourable reviews.
) mother has abandoned the family, leaving her out-of-work father Desmond Doyle
(Pierce Brosnan
) to bring up Evelyn and her two brothers, Maurice (Hugh MacDonagh) and Dermot (Niall Beagan) on his own. Matters are only made worse when Desmond's mother-in-law (Claire Mullan) reports the abandonment of the children to the authorities. Irish law prohibits children from being brought up in a "broken home", and therefore places these children in Church-run orphanages
. Desmond also drinks excessively and does not have a job or money to allow him to support his children. His two sons are placed in a boys-only orphanage, while his daughter is placed in a girls-only orphanage.
Vowing to reunite his family, Desmond enlists the help of his friends: barmaid Bernadette Beattie (Julianna Margulies
), her solicitor brother Michael (Stephen Rea
), their American lawyer friend Nick (Aidan Quinn
) and his old mentor, Thomas Connolly (Alan Bates
). Together, the group attempts to do what has never been done before - challenge a law
before the Irish Supreme Court.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
, loosely based on the true story of Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle was an Irish painter, decorator and sometime pianist, whose children were taken into the custody of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children when his wife, Charlotte, left him on St. Stephen's Day, 1953...
and his fight against the Irish courts to be reunited with his children. The film stars Sophie Vavasseur
Sophie Vavasseur
Sophie Vavasseur is an Irish actress best known for her award-nominated role as Evelyn Doyle in the American-German-British-Irish film Evelyn.- Career :...
in the title role, Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
as her father and Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
, Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
and Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
as supporters to Doyle's case. The film had a limited release in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, starting on December 13, 2002 and was later followed by the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
release on March 21, 2003.
The film was produced by, with others, Brosnan's own production company, Irish DreamTime. It opened to generally favourable reviews.
Plot
Nine-year-old Evelyn Doyle's (Sophie VavasseurSophie Vavasseur
Sophie Vavasseur is an Irish actress best known for her award-nominated role as Evelyn Doyle in the American-German-British-Irish film Evelyn.- Career :...
) mother has abandoned the family, leaving her out-of-work father Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle
Desmond Doyle was an Irish painter, decorator and sometime pianist, whose children were taken into the custody of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children when his wife, Charlotte, left him on St. Stephen's Day, 1953...
(Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brendan Brosnan, OBE is an Irish actor, film producer and environmentalist. After leaving school at 16, Brosnan began training in commercial illustration, but trained at the Drama Centre in London for three years...
) to bring up Evelyn and her two brothers, Maurice (Hugh MacDonagh) and Dermot (Niall Beagan) on his own. Matters are only made worse when Desmond's mother-in-law (Claire Mullan) reports the abandonment of the children to the authorities. Irish law prohibits children from being brought up in a "broken home", and therefore places these children in Church-run orphanages
Industrial school
In Ireland the Industrial Schools Act of 1868 established industrial schools to care for "neglected, orphaned and abandoned children". By 1884 there were 5,049 children in such institutions....
. Desmond also drinks excessively and does not have a job or money to allow him to support his children. His two sons are placed in a boys-only orphanage, while his daughter is placed in a girls-only orphanage.
Vowing to reunite his family, Desmond enlists the help of his friends: barmaid Bernadette Beattie (Julianna Margulies
Julianna Margulies
Julianna Luisa Margulies is an American actress and producer.After several small television roles, Margulies achieved success in her regular role as Nurse Carol Hathaway on NBC's long-running medical drama ER, for which she won an Emmy Award...
), her solicitor brother Michael (Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
), their American lawyer friend Nick (Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
) and his old mentor, Thomas Connolly (Alan Bates
Alan Bates
Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE was an English actor, who came to prominence in the 1960s, a time of high creativity in British cinema, when he demonstrated his versatility in films ranging from the popular children’s story Whistle Down the Wind to the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving...
). Together, the group attempts to do what has never been done before - challenge a law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
before the Irish Supreme Court.