In
2009, Martin Sixsmith is a former BBC correspondent and he has been working with the Labour
Party in Britain but he’s dismissed.
He’s at a loss and he doesn’t know what to do with his life. A young Irish woman talks to him about
her mother, Philomena. When
Philomena was an unwed teen, she gave birth to a baby boy at a Catholic convent. She was required to work at the convent
for four years to pay them back for taking her in. Her son was adopted and taken away from the convent at about the age of
2 years. She has gone back to the
convent to ask about him but the nuns say the paperwork was burned in a fire. This is the first time she has spoken
about this part of her life in many years and even her family doesn't know. Martin is usually not interested in “human interest” stories
but he signs a contract to write about Philomena and her experience. The Lost child of Philomena
Lee is published as a result of his investigation.
This
is good and interesting, the nuns did a disservice to many young Irish women
during this time period. They treated
them harshly and withheld pain medications during the births as a punishment. Some of the mothers and babies dies during the births. They received
money for the adoption of the babies but kept the women as unpaid servants
in the laundry room for their four years.
They were also required to sign a statement saying they would not attempt to
find out information or contact their children after the adoption. 4* (I really liked this movie)
98
min, Bio directed by Stephen Frears with Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, Sophie
Kennedy Clark, Mare Winningham, Barbara Jefford, Ruth McCabe, Peter Hermann,
Sean Mahon, Anna Maxwell Martin, Michelle Fairley.
Note: Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 92% critic 89%
audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*.
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