My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown main backdrop
My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown main poster

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown

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7.5/10 • 951

1989-04-071h 43m

Drama

A film about life, laughter, and the occasional miracle.

No one expects much from Christy Brown, a boy with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family. Though Christy is a spastic quadriplegic and essentially paralyzed, a miraculous event occurs when, at the age of 5, he demonstrates control of his left foot by using chalk to scrawl a word on the floor. With the help of his steely mother — and no shortage of grit and determination — Christy overcomes his infirmity to become a painter, poet and author.

Directors
Jim Sheridan
Editors
J. Patrick Duffner

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Daniel Day-Lewis

    Daniel Day-Lewis

    Christy Brown

  2. Brenda Fricker

    Brenda Fricker

    Mrs. Brown

  3. Alison Whelan

    Alison Whelan

    Sheila

  4. Kirsten Sheridan

    Kirsten Sheridan

    Sharon

  5. Declan Croghan

    Declan Croghan

    Tom

  6. Eanna MacLiam

    Eanna MacLiam

    Benny

  7. Marie Conmee

    Marie Conmee

    Sadie

  8. Cyril Cusack

    Cyril Cusack

    Lord Castlewelland

  9. Phelim Drew

    Phelim Drew

    Brian

Reviews1

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CinemaSerf Avatar

CinemaSerf

Jan 25, 2025

7/10

There's a pretty fine line between mimicry and acting, and acting that's natural and that which has been rehearsed to within an inch of it's life. I think it's very much the natural that Daniel Day-Lewis delivers here, as does Hugh O'Conor as his younger persona, as we learn of the upbringing of a young lad born with very limited movement and learning difficulties, but a mind that's clearly sharp and a face that's expressive. His family, a typically large one, is headed up by his dad (Ray McAnally) who presents us with a variation on the usual theme of father who comes home from work then hits the pub, then the family. He's ultimately a loving man who deeply cares for his young son, as does his mam (Brenda Fricker) who must juggle the plates of her other children, making ends meet and gradually understanding and providing for the stimulation that their young son "Christy" is clearly craving. It's moving but not in a sentimental way; it looks at an Irish society that can be hugely judgemental but also hugely kind. It personifies well the difficulties faced by many a working class family, even those with solely abled-bodied members; it questions some of the more traditional "Christian" values of a community and intimately tells us a touching story of achievement against the odds arrayed against a young man whose very survival isn't to be taken for granted. It's not a weepy, it's a positive celebration and well worth a watch - ideally on a big screen because the attention to the detail around this production and both McAnally and Fricker's equally as evocative performances as the title one all really do merit it.

Media

  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster
  • My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$645,180.00
Revenue
$14,743,391.00
Keywords
bodily disabled personpoetbiographybased on true storyfootflashbackauthorworking classdisabledcerebral palsy