, 2h6 Directed byRichard LaGravenese OriginUSA GenresDrama, Romance ActorsHilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Lisa Kudrow, Gina Gershon, James Marsters, Jeffrey Dean Morgan Roles Martin Kennedy Rating70% Holly and Gerry are a married couple who live on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. They are deeply in love, but they fight occasionally. By winter that year, Gerry suddenly dies of a brain tumor and Holly realizes how much he means to her as well as how insignificant their arguments were.
, 1h33 Directed byBruce Beresford GenresDrama ActorsSophie Vavasseur, Pierce Brosnan, Stephen Rea, Alan Bates, Julianna Margulies, Aidan Quinn Roles Hugh Canning Rating69% Nine-year-old Evelyn Doyle's (Sophie Vavasseur) mother has abandoned the family, leaving her out-of-work father Desmond Doyle (Pierce Brosnan) to bring up Evelyn and her two brothers, Maurice (Hugh MacDonagh) and Dermot (Niall Beagan) on his own. Matters are only made worse when Desmond's mother-in-law (Claire Mullan) reports the abandonment of the children to the authorities. Irish law prohibits children from being brought up in a "broken home", and therefore places these children in Church-run orphanages. Desmond also drinks excessively. Although it is shown that the boy's orphanage is very strict, details are examined in Evelyn's orphanage. She is dropped off by her grandfather (Frank Kelly), who, in attempts to comfort the clearly nervous Evelyn, explains to her that rays of light created by the sun shining in a specific spot through the clouds are called "angel rays," and mean that a guardian angel is watching over her. Evelyn, although momentarily comforted, is brought away by the nuns. She is introduced to a dining hall of girls much like herself. It is revealed that many of them have been in the orphanage for many years due to Irish law. While the children are adjusting to the harsh treatments of Catholic orphanages, Desmond has not been doing well. Desmond, finding no hope in the retrieval of his children and unable to afford a lawyer, has gotten very drunk and tried to punch the innocent Father O'Malley. The father instead punches Desmond. Desmond is helped by the local part-time bartender and chemist, Bernadette (Julianna Margulies). Bernadette tells Desmond to go to her brother's office, who happens to be solicitor (a type of lawyer, although he cannot speak in cases such as these) for help. The solicitor, Michael (Stephen Rea), makes it very clear to Desmond though, that he cannot help him until he gets his act together. This means bringing in a regular income and setting a good example for his children. Desmond does get a painting job and spends nights singing for tips with his father in the pub where Bernadette works. Unfortunately at this time, Evelyn had been having problems with Sister Bridget who beat her after she questioned her authority. Evelyn objected to Sister Bridget (Andrea Irvine) beating her friend who forgot Bible scripture, although the Bible scripture stated that "God is merciful," therefore meaning that He wouldn't want Sister Bridget to beat the children for forgetting scripture. Enraged, Desmond goes to find Evelyn after reading this in a letter that she wrote to him. On his way, he finds Sister Bridget and shakes her while threatening her to never touch his daughter again or he will "tear her limb from limb." This leads to a series of drunken rampages which leads to Bernadette refusing to continue her romantic encounter with Desmond on the grounds that he needs to, essentially, shape up. During this time, Desmond also loses his father when he has a heart attack. Desmond does shape up though, including quitting drinking. Unfortunately, their (now the lawyer and speaker, American Nick Barron (Aidan Quinn), and his old mentor and consultant, injured rugby player and rebel lawyer Thomas Connolly (Alan Bates) plea is rejected by the courts leading Desmond and his children heartbroken and separated. But, that night (the same night Desmond quits drinking) a gambler rigs Desmond to win copious amounts of money to pay for his legal bills. With nowhere to go though, the case seems hopeless until Connolly comes up with the idea of bringing an entirely new issue to the Supreme Court on the grounds that the lack of Desmond's custody with his children goes against the Irish Constitution itself. No one has ever successfully made a statement like this and won. Through publicity, Desmond gets a court hearing where they successfully make their case and Desmond makes a compelling speech to the court. The next day, Evelyn is brought to the stand and told that she was lying about Sister Bridget beating her after Sister Bridget exaggerates her run-in with Desmond and tells a false story about Evelyn's black and blue face. Evelyn, although momentarily confused by this change in events, is comforted by "angel rays," she believes are from her grandfather. Evelyn denies this statement and makes rather hilarious comebacks, unknowingly, to the defense and Sister Bridget. She then finishes it off with a beautiful repeat of her prayer asking to forgive Sister Bridget and insure the prospering of Ireland and its people. Moved, two out of the three judges side with Desmond who not only gets his children back, but finally falls in love with Bernadette. They are shown on Christmas day, celebrating as a family. It is then shown that due to these efforts, many children all across Ireland were reunited with their families due to amends in the Irish Children's Act.
, 3h20 OriginUnited-kingdom GenresDrama, Romance ActorsElisabeth Dermot Walsh, Dermot Crowley, Liam Cunningham, Maureen O'Brien, Brian McGrath, Colin Farrell Roles St. John Sullivan Rating71% Set in 1960`s Cork, nineteen-year-old well to do, Elizabeth, has a brief fling with a young actor and dancer and becomes pregnant. With no chance of finding the father,and trying to avoid entering the Magdalene Laundries she chooses to marry an older man who she first meets on her wedding day and moves to her new life in West Cork. The series follows Elizabeth through this marriage and her new life on a farm in West Cork. It is here Elizabeth has her baby but her choice of marriage has its darker side, resentment from her step children, moments of tragedy and a longing for young love and passion that she does not get from her husband, Neilie.
, 2h55 Directed byIvan Passer GenresAction, Adventure ActorsArmand Assante, Brian McCardie, Michael Kitchen, Brian Blessed, Patrick Malahide, Brendan Gleeson Roles James Stewart of The Glen Rating65% Allan Breck Stewart (Armand Assante) returns to his home village, which is already menaced by the highland clearances. His foster father James Stewart of the Glen (Brian McGrath) issues the taxpayers' money for the exiled House of Stuart to him and beseeches him to meet King George's factor, the "Red Fox" Colin Roy Campbell of Glenure (Brendan Gleeson). Allan Stewart only grudgingly complies, because he regards the “Red Fox” as a traitor, for at the Battle of Culloden he had to fight against Loudon's Highlanders, a regiment of Highlanders led by Campbells.
, 1h44 Directed byPeter Chelsom OriginIrlande GenresDrama, Comedy ActorsNed Beatty, William Hootkins, Adrian Dunbar, Tara Fitzgerald, David McCallum, Shirley Anne Field Roles Barman Rating68% The story revolves around an attempt by Micky O'Neill (Dunbar) to revive the fortunes of his Liverpool nightclub by promising his patrons that he will produce Josef Locke. After a series of unfortunate bookings (including, most notably, Franc Cinatra, a Sinatra impersonator), Micky books the mysterious Mr. X, a man who insists that he cannot be booked as Jo Locke due to the legal issues that would invariably ensue. The elusive Locke left England during the 1950s to avoid paying taxes, leaving behind "a beauty queen, a Jaguar sportscar, and a pedigree dalmatian, all of them pining." O'Neill's personal and professional life are left in ruin after the beauty queen, Kathleen Doyle, exposes his Mr. X as a fraud. O'Neill returns to Ireland to find the one true Josef Locke and bring him back.