Good books and good films should partly be about personal enrichment. Well, that's what I think anyway.
I have known about "Philomena" for a decade or more but this afternoon, courtesy of Netflix, I finally got round to watching it. Starring the now legendary Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, the film is based upon the true story of Philomena Lee.
She grew up in western Ireland and at nineteen, through a romantic fling, became pregnant. The baby boy she called Anthony was born in a Catholic home for unmarried mothers. It was run by nuns who, in spite of their professed religious belief, were often harsh and judgemental.
I could tell you the whole story because it is fresh in my mind but instead I will just say that in my opinion it was an excellent, truly convincing film. It held my attention throughout. Steve Coogan and Judi Dench played their roles brilliantly - Coogan representing former BBC journalist - Martin Sixsmith.
The Catholic Church in Ireland and elsewhere has a lot to answer for. Historically, they ruined countless lives - young women, their children and boys and girls who were educated in overstrict Catholic schools. Many priests and nuns - perhaps the majority - were always kind-hearted, supportive and "holy" but a significant minority were cruel bullies and abusers, hidden in plain sight in their Roman Catholic costumes.
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“The partition between love and anger is thin. I suppose it's a need to protect the
self from further wounding that makes people scream at the one they love.”
― Sebastian Faulks, "Where My Heart Used to Beat"
Waking far too early this morning, I came downstairs to read the last chapter of "Where My Heart Used To Beat" by Sebastian Faulks. It has taken me far too long to read it - especially when I consider that it was a damned good novel that confirmed my view that Sebastian Faulks is a very fine writer.
This was the fifth of his novels that I have read and once again war and its impacts coloured the background. Both World War I and World War II featured though you could not say that it is a war novel as such. It has more to do with memory, the workings of the human mind and love. The main character is Robert Hendricks who experienced military service in North Africa and Italy in the 1940s. His father before him knew service in The Great War from which he never came home.
"Where My Heart Used To Beat" has its flaws but in the final analysis I am very glad I read it. It entertains and it gives much food for thought. The very quality of writing - including vocabulary, construction, metaphor and reader teasing - is of a splendid standard.
I remember watching Philomena purely because Judy Dench was in it. It was a good movie but not one I'd watch again and again.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I tend to watch any film only the once.
DeleteYou are keeping yourself well entertained with a good movie and book.
ReplyDeleteAll I need now is a tambourine player from Red Deer, Alberta.
DeleteRuth Wilson, one of my favorite actors, played a similar role recently in The Woman in the Wall.
ReplyDeleteTerrifyingly true stories.
Religion is meant to be about love, kindness, hope and forgiveness but it rarely looks like that.
DeleteIf Philomena has Judi Dench in the film, I expect I've seen it but I can't remember it now. I just watched a trailer and it does seem familiar. The film is twelve years old.
ReplyDeleteMemory loss is not unusual in people approaching their seventies - unless of course Phyllis is putting something extra in your tea.
DeleteI have read every book of Sebastian Faulks. He is indeed a great writer. My favourite is, The girl at the Lion d'or.
ReplyDeleteAs for Philomena, I've both read the book and seen the film. It's one of the few crossovers to be equally as good.
I missed years of school, especially secondary school through my mother's mental illness and am self taught in spelling and punctuation. I have reading to thank for that.
Hope you don't get too big a snow dump this weekend. We are expecting it tomorrow. Never mind, the children will love it!
When it comes to understanding language, Sebastian Faulks is a good instructor. I am pleased you have enjoyed his books too Christina.
DeleteI have not heard of either, but am always interested in learning about good reading and viewing material.
ReplyDeleteHappy to open a couple of windows for you Meike.
DeleteI saw Philomena some time ago and enjoyed it. Judy Dench is usually good in every part she plays.
ReplyDeleteI have not read Sebastian Faulks. War is not a subject I warm to.
I did Sebastian Faulks a disservice to imply that he is a war novelist. There's much more to him than that.
DeleteFunnily enough, I too watched Philomena a couple of weeks before Christmas. I had seen it before but forgotten a lot of it, so was glued to it. Anything with Judi Dench in has to be good and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like you, I find the behaviour of the Catholic church absolutely appalling. My maternal grandmother went to a convent school in London and said the nuns used to beat them with sticks. Mind you, The Church of England has many skeletons too. If that is Christianity, then count me out.
ReplyDeleteYes. CofE do have many skeletons - generally buried in their churchyards!
DeleteI remember watching "Philomena" and thinking it was done well. The rest is consigned to history.
ReplyDeleteCurrently I'm watching the new Netflix series "100 years of solitude" I havent read the book but the series is in keeping with what I would expect of an epic tale.
A great book can be done badly on screen or it can be done brilliantly.
DeleteI saw Philomena years ago; excellent movie, sad topic. I think Cillian Murphy has a new movie out about the Magdalene laundries. My mom was Irish Catholic; all kids went to Catholic school, of course. She always said the nuns were the meanest, most bitter people she ever met in her life.
ReplyDeleteSill so many closely-guarded secrets in the Roman Catholic church.
DeleteI've seen Philomena and I think I may even have it on DVD. My memories of it are a bit vague though, so maybe time to watch it again!
ReplyDeleteMaybe you watched it when it first came out - over ten years ago.
DeleteThe first Sebastian Faulks book I can recall reading was The Girl at the Lion D'Or. I still have it and must re-read it because I recall that, at the time, it had a big effect on me. Oddly I can't recall any of the other of his books that I've read (and I'm too lazy to go up into the loft and check).
ReplyDeleteHe is a brilliant writer that's for sure.
DeleteI remember hearing of the film, Philomena. I think it might have won an academy award or something like that. Though I am not Catholic, I grew up in a town where 80% of the people were. Some of the most fervent ones were just plain mean.
ReplyDeleteFear and condemnation may seem to be a larger part of Catholicism than love and hope.
DeleteThe church was heavily involved in the "boarding schools" in north America that ripped native children from their families in an effort the destroy the last vestiges of native culture. Cultural genocide without killing.
ReplyDeleteThe wrongfulness of it all may never be fully recognised.
DeleteI recently listened to what I suppose was a novella about the very subject of young girls being forced to go into these situations to have their babies. Just heartbreaking. A woman's life was ruined by becoming pregnant and the man or boy who got her pregnant just lived out his life untroubled.
ReplyDeleteAs for the book you're reading- I love it when I start reading a book and realize that the author knows exactly what they are doing. We are in good hands.
The American pro-Life lobby seem to be intent on taking young women back into the darkness.
DeleteI remember watching that movie. I had a classmate who had been one of the babies sent from Ireland to an adoptive family here in the US. I don't know if he ever got to meet his birth mother.
ReplyDeleteI cannot imagine how it must feel to be an adoptee.
DeleteI remember when "Philomena" came out and it got a lot of attention. I haven't seen it, though, and I haven't yet read any Faulks. I'm not very interested in war novels in general.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have done Sebastian Faulks a disservice to even suggest that he is a "war novelist". He would utterly reject that label.
DeleteI've read Bird Song. I want to see Steve Coogan in his Laurel and Hardy film.
ReplyDeleteAll Irish Catholics should watch "Philomena". Steve Coogan was great in it - you wouldn't have imagined that he's a comedian.
DeleteI saw Philomena a long time ago. I don't remember much of it but I do remember liking it and thinking it was well done. Plus, Judi Dench!
ReplyDeleteJudi Dench is now ninety years old. Today she would be too old to play Philomena Lee convincingly.
DeleteWas that photo of the book taken in your home. If so, you have a very extensive library.
ReplyDeleteI cannot lie Bruce. I simply found that picture via a Google Image search.
DeleteHaven't seen Philomena the movie, but read the book it was based on: The lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith. Tells a rather brutal story of the orphanage in Ireland (but then, they were brutal times) as well as the rather sordid story of the son in America who rises to power only to die of AIDS. It's one of those stories that makes you think (or at least makes me think): we've come a long way.
ReplyDeleteTwo good recommendations there, for which, thank you. I like Sebastian Faulks' style and will add this book to my ever-growing list.
ReplyDelete