Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.
- Nominated for 2 BAFTA Awards
- 18 wins & 15 nominations total
Phyllis MacMahon
- Sister Augusta
- (as Phyllis McMahon)
Chris Patrick-Simpson
- Brendan
- (as Chris Simpson)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPeter Mullan has said that the film was initially made because victims of Magdalene Asylums had no closure. They hadn't received any recognition, compensation, or apology. Many remained lifelong devout Catholics.
- GoofsIn the beginning, a man plays a Taylor acoustic guitar. Taylor Guitars was established in 1974.
- Quotes
Bernadette: Having a baby's not a crime.
Rose: Having a baby before you're married is a mortal sin!
Bernadette: I'd commit any sin, mortal or otherwise, to get the hell out of here.
- Crazy creditsThanks to ... Andy and Marco at Edit-Hire Post Production Services ... all at the Glasgow Film Theatre ... Lee at Lynx ... all the gardeners ... the people of Dumfries ... and all at VFG.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The 2004 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (2004)
- SoundtracksThe Well Below the Valley
(uncredited)
Traditional Irish folksong
Sung by the priest at the wedding
Featured review
As already well noted, this is a very well crafted film that captures and portrays some of the lowest possibilities of human endeavour. The movie has it's flaws, but drawing empathy from the viewer is not one of them and this it does so well that I was emotionally exhausted by the end of it.
The religious dimension of the film is an interesting one. Clearly people wanting opportunity for anti-Catholic or anti-religious diatribe would find plenty of fuel here, but I think the more reasonable viewer (religious or not) would see the issues raised for what they are - a perversion and distortion of Christian faith perpetuated and maintained by flawed institutional systems. In this vein, it's not necessarily an anti-religious film and not even anti-establishment as such, but it does show a terrible side of those things and, moreover, illustrate how human beings can take any ideology, belief system etc. and turn it to meet their own personal sadistic and evil ends.
A sad and horrible film and one that reminds us all of what not do to, how not to treat people and how we should be ever vigilant as a society against evil and cruelty no matter the guise it takes.
The religious dimension of the film is an interesting one. Clearly people wanting opportunity for anti-Catholic or anti-religious diatribe would find plenty of fuel here, but I think the more reasonable viewer (religious or not) would see the issues raised for what they are - a perversion and distortion of Christian faith perpetuated and maintained by flawed institutional systems. In this vein, it's not necessarily an anti-religious film and not even anti-establishment as such, but it does show a terrible side of those things and, moreover, illustrate how human beings can take any ideology, belief system etc. and turn it to meet their own personal sadistic and evil ends.
A sad and horrible film and one that reminds us all of what not do to, how not to treat people and how we should be ever vigilant as a society against evil and cruelty no matter the guise it takes.
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Сестри Магдалини
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $4,890,878
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $84,553
- Aug 3, 2003
- Gross worldwide
- $21,107,578
- Runtime1 hour 54 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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