Directed by: John Crowley
Staring: Saiorse Ronan, Domnhall Gleeson, Julie Walters and Jim Broadbent
This Oscar nominated film was adapted by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity) from Colm Toibin’s acclaimed novel, It tells the tale of Ellis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) a young Irish girl forced to leave her home town, and Toibin’s, of Enniscorthy for America in the 1950s in order to find work. The kindly priest Father Flood (Broadbent) finds her work and lodgings in a boarding house run by an outwardly fierce landlady, Mrs Kehoe (Julie Walters). Initially Ellis feels alone and isolated. However she bonds with fellow residents and at dance classes meets, and falls for, a young Italian-American Tony (Emory Cohen). A family emergency takes her back to Ireland where she is introduced to an eligible young Irish man, Jim (Domnhall Gleeson), and is offered a good job. She then has to decide between the men and where to live for the rest of her life. A tender story of departure and return with excellent performances, particularly by Ronan and Walters.