reviewed by: Charity Bishop

         

Did you know Pierce Brosnam was Irish? I certainly didn't... I've spent most of his career avoiding his James Bond movies. Therefore it came as a shock to me to see him in something with a strong family theme running through it. Though the premise is slightly dark in places, the pace never seems melancholy and the message is a good one, despite a few moral flaws. Just as a warning: the Catholic church is far from praised, and the characters buy into some skewed spiritual beliefs along the way. But despite this, the movie remains heartfelt and touching.

Based on a true story, Evelyn is the tale of one father's fight against the Irish government to reclaim custody of his children. Dermot Doyle is a loving father and husband, but his wife has a wandering eye. Tired of family life, she abandons him and their three children to run off with a wealthy Englishman. Because the Irish government relied heavily on the Catholic church's beliefs in the 1950's that a mother was essential to the home, and due to the fact that Doyle is currently unemployed, they insist on placing his children into religious institutions for their well being. Evelyn, the eldest, is given into the care of the nuns at a local school full of other unfortunate youngsters whose fathers were unable to care for them.

Working hard in an effort to raise the funds to be considered a prosperous father, Doyle finds himself slipping into bad habits. He drinks. He swears. He's willing to go to any lengths to get his kids back. He persuades a solicitor to help him fight the judge and regain custody, all the while keeping one foot in the bar and an eye on the pretty Irish girl behind the counter. But there's a catch: the children cannot be returned to him without their mother's consent, and since she left no forwarding address, their fate is to remain in the care of the church until of legal age. His situation is hopeless. He can't fight the government, who are struggling to maintain control through the Catholic church. If he wins, as his Irish-American lawyer confirms, he would be "upstaging" the way the government has viewed child custody cases for generations. He's challenging much more than a simple case -- he's taking on the law itself, waging war against a decree that gives mothers sole choice over their children's fates.

He's not merely fighting for his daughter Evelyn, but for all the little girls in the Catholic school... and all the fathers in Ireland. For being a PG film the content is relatively tame, but unfortunately Doyle's professed belief in God comes in the form of profanity rather than prayer. His daughter Evelyn is considered a "devout little saint," and her prayers are heartfelt, her compassion toward those who "trespass against her" surprisingly mature for a child, and her willingness to forgive touching. Too bad her daddy takes Jesus' name in vain so many times. There is other profanity, most of it British (should I say Irish?) slang like "bloody." Some of the dialogue is difficult to understand because of the thick accents. But if the Irish are known for two things, it's their temper and their love of drink. There's little violence. A drunk Doyle tries to take a swing at a Catholic priest who, in a humorous twist, knocks him flat, confiding "I was the Boxing Champion at Seminary." One of the nuns at the school, Sister Bridgett, is notoriously mean to the children. She belts one of the girls and then slaps Evelyn several times when she protests aloud in class.

Sister Bridgett also lies to cover up the bruises on Evelyn's face. Doyle, in a wrath over his daughter's confession at being hit, grabs the nun by the throat and threatens to "tear her limb from limb" if she ever lays a finger on his daughter again. Catholic superstition bleeds through -- the girls aren't allowed to sleep on their sides or stomachs because it "temps the devil." Evelyn is persuaded by her grandfather that beams of sunlight are actually "angel rays." This in itself is fine... but then she goes on to believe that her grandfather, after his death, is an angel. She mentions praying to the saints, and one of Doyle's lawyers shows a distinct atheism -- but he resorts to rubbing rosary beads and even saying, "Please God!" at the trial. Doyle falls for the local barmaid and kisses her ... while still technically married. The movie has a good heart but weak theology; the courtroom scene redeems the flaws, but many families won't be willing to hear Jesus' name flung around so casually, particularly from someone who professes in court to have a healthy respect for Christ.