"AGNES BROWNE" (1999) (Angelica Huston, Marion O'Dwyer) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Mild None Heavy Minor None Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Minor None Minor None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Extreme Moderate Moderate Mild QUICK TAKE: Drama: A recently widowed woman copes with raising her seven kids, making enough money to pay back a local loan shark and hoping to see singer Tom Jones with her best friend in 1960's Dublin. PLOT: It's 1967 Dublin, and Agnes Browne (ANGELICA HUSTON), has just found herself a widow with seven children, including oldest sons Mark (NIALL O'SHEA) and Frankie (CIARAN OWENS), to raise. Of course, her best friend Marion Monks (MARION O'DWYER) is there for emotional support, but Agnes finds that she must borrow money from the local loan shark, Mr. Billy (RAY WINSTONE), to pay for her husband's funeral. That out of the way, Agnes joins Marion in selling fruit and vegetables at the local street market, hoping to make enough money to support her family and pay back Mr. Billy and his right-hand thug, Micko (GAVIN KELTRY). Although her life is hard, Agnes enjoys life, a good laugh, and the thought of seeing singer Tom Jones when his concert tour passes through town. As time passes by, Marion must not only contend with the hardships of being a single mother, but also with repeated encounters with Mr. Billy, an unexpected health crisis and the attention paid to her by a local French baker, Pierre (ARNO CHEVRIER), who's just set up shop nearby. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast or of films set in Ireland, it's not very likely. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANGELICA HUSTON plays an Irish woman who suddenly finds herself the single mother of seven young kids and must provide for them. To get by, she borrows money from a loan shark, and she also uses plenty of strong profanity. MARION O'DWYER plays her best friend who does what she can to help Agnes. She briefly uses strong profanity. RAY WINSTONE plays the local loan shark who has no compassion for those who borrow from him and even manipulates Frankie into borrowing money from him without the boy knowing the rules or repercussions of doing so. He also uses strong profanity. NIALL O'SHEA plays Agnes' oldest son who wants to get a job to help support the family (he briefly uses strong profanity). CIARAN OWENS plays another son who likes to smoke and play poker with his friends. He borrows money from the local loan shark without knowing what he's getting himself and his family into. ARNO CHEVRIER plays a French baker who tries to woo Agnes. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a quick summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity earns the film its rating and consists of at least 30 "f" words, with other profanities and colorful phrases being uttered. The protagonist and her best friend have some sexually related discussions (talking about orgasms in an uneducated way), while it's somewhat implied that her oldest son may be involved in masturbation. Different characters drink and smoke throughout the film, while one is a loan shark with a bad attitude who threatens the protagonist and punches one of her young kids in the gut. Beyond all of that and some tense family scenes related to the protagonist suddenly finding herself a widow, the rest of the film's categories have little or nothing in the way of major objectionable content. Even so, should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home, we suggest that you more closely examine our detailed content listings. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Some people have drinks outside a pub. Agnes and Marion have drinks in a pub, as do others, and then do so again in another scene. Mr. Billy and his assistant drink beer. Agnes and her friends have drinks. People have drinks in a pub. People have wine in a restaurant, as do Agnes and Pierre. BLOOD/GORE None. DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Mr. Billy is a vindictive loan shark who not only intimidates those who've borrowed money from him, but also manipulates one of Agnes' kids to borrow money from him. Agnes' kids have a little toward her at times when they get mad that they can't have things although she went out with Marion to a pub for one night of fun. FRIGHTENING SCENES Mr. Billy pushes Agnes up against a wall, wanting the money owed by Frankie, and is threatening to her. GUNS/WEAPONS None. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "F*ck off," "For f*ck's sakes," "Bastard," "Dirty Bastard," "Bloody," "My ass," "Piss off," "Bitch," "Shut up," "Bollocks" and "Jerk." JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A bit of suspenseful music plays toward the end of the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) An Irish song sung in a pub has lyrics that couldn't completely be understood, although it seemed to possibly be a bawdy song (and did contain some lyrics that sounded liked they were referring to a honeymoon and whether it would be consummated). PROFANITY At least 30 "f" words, 4 "s" words, 6 slang terms for male genitals ("willie," "p*cker" and "knob"), 3 slang terms for breast ("t*tty"), 2 asses, 1 hell, 19 uses of "Jesus," 4 of "Oh Jesus," 2 of "God" and 1 use each of "For Christ's sakes," "Jesus Christ" and "Oh my God" as exclamations. SEX/NUDITY Some comments are made about Agnes' oldest son, Mark, spending inordinate amounts of time in the bathroom (causing Frankie to state that Mark is playing with his "willie"). Agnes initially misunderstands that comment, but once she realizes what they're talking about, she asks Mark if it's sore or itchy. Somewhat embarrassed, he then states that there are hairs growing on it. After she tells him that it's normal, he asks what the hairs are for, and she replies that they're to keep his "willie" warm while swimming. While sitting around at work, Marion asks Agnes if she misses "it" (sex, since her husband is dead). Marion then asks if Agnes enjoyed having "organisms" (instead of orgasms) and Agnes replies that she doesn't believe she ever had one or that they exist. Marion then states that she had one, causing Agnes to ask what they're like. Marion then makes a comment about a fellow "bouncing up and down" on her and that if he didn't "evacuate soon" (have an orgasm), she was going to fall asleep. She then talks about getting a feeling and then having her hips jerking around. Marion then finishes the conversation by telling Agnes that if she had an orgasm, she'd know for sure. Agnes then adds that she had seven children and not one "organism" to show for it. We see Agnes dancing around the room in just her slip (that shows a bit of cleavage). Agnes asks Marion if she's had any more of those "organisms." Marion replies that she's giving them up after two since she hasn't felt that good after having them. Marion, who's in the hospital, tells Agnes that they "shaved me…Down there…" causing Agnes to want to see her crotch, but Marion won't let her. Marion questions whether a French "organism" is any different than a regular one. Agnes jokes that Marion's driving instructor wants (what sounded like) a "wank." They then joke about his "knob," that he looks like a "giant penis" and then bet that his name is "Dick." SMOKING Agnes smokes at least ten times during the film, while both Marion and Mr. Billy smoke at least five times. Frankie and Micko smoke a few times, while Pierre smokes once and various background/miscellaneous characters also smoke. TENSE FAMILY SCENES Although she never really grieves, we hear that Agnes' husband has just died the day the story starts. She and the kids then attend the funeral. Later, Agnes is fed up with the kids wanting things when they can't afford them. Marion's husband is quite upset about his wife's illness. TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT Loan sharks and borrowing money from them. The fact that Marion's condition (breast cancer) was probably worsened since she didn't go to the doctor upon first discovering it (because she was afraid). VIOLENCE Agnes' oldest son, Mark, punches his sibling in the shoulder after the latter asks for some money. Mark hits another kid with a book. A street merchant hits a kid on the head with a fish. Mr. Billy's partner drags Frankie down the street by his ear and his collar. Mr. Billy then punches Frankie (who's just a kid) in the gut. Mark and Frankie briefly struggle. Mr. Billy pushes Agnes up against a wall, wanting the money owed by Frankie, and is threatening to her. Mark punches Mr. Billy in the face. Reviewed February 25, 2000 / Posted March 10, 2000

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