Philomena

Director: Stephen Frears Stephen Frears

Overview

The title character of Stephen Frears' Philomena is played by Judi Dench. She is an elderly Irish woman who, as a teenager, gave birth while she was working at a convent. The Catholic Church had the child adopted, and now, decades later, Philomena is introduced to Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), onetime government spokesperson who is now working as a freelance journalist. Martin agrees to help Philomena look for her son, and the trail takes them to the United States, and brings them face-to-face with some long-buried secrets. All the while, the type-A Martin and the ceaselessly charming Philomena learn to trust each other. Philomena screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/15/2014
UPC:	0013132616315
Original Release:	2013
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:38:00
Sales rank:	42,449

Special Features

A conversation with Judi Dench; The real Philomena Lee; Q&A with Steve Coogan; Feature commentary with Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Judi Dench	Philomena Lee
Steve Coogan	Martin Sixsmith
Sophie Kennedy Clark	Young Philomena
Mare Winningham	Mary
Barbara Jefford	Sister Hildegarde
Ruth McCabe	Mother Barbara
Peter Hermann	Pete Olsson
Sean Mahon	Michael
Anna Maxwell-Martin	Jane
Michelle Fairley	Sally Mitchell
Wunmi Mosaku	Young Nun
Amy McAllister	Sister Anunciata
Cathy Belton	Sister Claire
Kate Fleetwood	Young Sister Hildegarde
Charissa Shearer	Peg
Nika McGuigan	Bridie
Rachel Wilcock	Mamie
Rita Hamill	Nursery Nun
Tadhg Bowen	Young Anthony,Young Mary
Harrison D'Ampney	Anthony (8-10 Years)
D.J. McGrath	John(as DJ McGrath)
Simone Lahbib	Kate Sixsmith
Sara Stewart	Marcia Weller
Gary Lilburn	Priest
Charles Edwards	David
George Fisher	Omelette Chef
Charlie Murphy	Kathleen

Technical Credits

Steve Coogan

Jeff Pope

Martin Sixsmith

Steve Coogan	Screenwriter,Producer
Jeff Pope	Screenwriter
Martin Sixsmith	Screenwriter
Stephen Frears	Director
Carolyn Marks Blackwood	Executive Producer
François Ivernel	Executive Producer
Christine Langan	Executive Producer
Cameron McCracken	Executive Producer
Henry Normal	Executive Producer
Tracey Seaward	Producer
Gabrielle Tana	Producer

Editorial Reviews

As prevalent as religion and religious belief are in the world, it is surprising how few films deal directly with the realities and difficulties of living up to such a high moral standard. Veteran director Stephen Frears, working from a first-rate script by Steve Coogan and Jeff Pope that's based on a true story, does exactly that in the smart, funny, and deeply poignant Philomena. The title character, played by Judi Dench, is a woman in her eighties who, as a teenager, was forced by the nuns at the convent where she worked to give her child up for adoption. Overwhelmed by the need to finally find him, the occasionally dotty Philomena is aided in her quest by Martin Sixsmith (Coogan), a disgraced former government press agent now eking out a career as a freelance journalist. Their search for her son leads to America, where it turns out that Sixsmith's political experience may be of more help than he imagined. For all of its deeper themes about faith, forgiveness, and love, Philomena is first and foremost a road movie in which the sweet, simple old woman keeps annoying the cynical, sardonic reporter to the point of comedic frustration. In that respect, you could not ask for a more perfect odd couple than Dench and Coogan. She plays unfailingly polite and earnest without making it seem dull, and Coogan portrays congenital smugness with greater dexterity than anyone on the planet -- they are a ceaselessly amusing pair. There are few directors as adept with actors as Frears, and here he lets his dynamic duo shine at every opportunity. There's a scene early on in which Philomena explains in great detail to Martin the plot of the romance novel she's reading. The entire interaction happens as they are whizzing around an airport on the back of a shuttle -- and the monologue transpires over the course of four elaborate dolly shots that give you the sensation of movement while simultaneously letting you savor both Dench's hilarious speech and Coogan's deadpan reactions that communicate his annoyance at listening to this woman prattle on. All that sparring sets us up for the moment when the mystery of Philomena's son deepens, and soon Martin -- who started out helping the old woman for his own benefit -- finds himself more invested in the outcome than he ever expected. This is a remarkable and revealing change of pace for Coogan as a performer. His comedic persona is one of curdled sarcasm, and as the co-writer here he's figured out a way to show the full range of emotions that type of character can encompass. He's just as funny here as he's ever been, but, as in The Trip, he reveals an unexpected depth in a man that at first seems incapable of feeling anything other than disdain. Their character arcs culminate in a climactic scene in which they confront the people responsible for taking Philomena's son away from her. The differences between Philomena and Martin in this moment are stark, and the sequence lays bare the movie's deep humanity: It does not require you to choose sides between her devout belief or his cynical secularism, but simply shows that these are two valid ways of dealing with your life and the world. Philomena is a beautiful movie because it isn't about how people are wronged, but how they react to being wronged. It's also a ceaselessly entertaining film because Dench and Coogan are playing fully realized characters and share a unique comedic chemistry. Under Frears' sympathetic eye, all of it comes together -- making Philomena yet another gem in his formidable filmography.