Elevating drama set in Ireland about a young resident at a home for the disabled (Steven Robertson) suffering from severe cerebral palsy whose life is changed when he befriends a rebellious new arrival (James McAvoy) -- also confined to a wheelchair -- who teaches him about friendship, love and independence and instills in him a zest for living. Superbly crafted by director Damien O'Donnell, this well-acted, life-affirming gem is alternately funny, moving and uplifting and imparts an impassioned message that life is full of possibilities, even when it seems otherwise. Frequent rough and crude language and some sexual innuendo. A-III -- adults. (R) 2005
Full Review
January and February are traditionally the months when the film industry empties its garbage bins. But occasionally there's a treasure amid the trash. Such is the case with "Rory O'Shea Was Here" (Focus), a heartening drama about finding that life is full of possibilities, even when it seems otherwise.
Set in Ireland, the film centers on the relationship between Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson), a lifelong resident at a home for the disabled who is suffering from severe cerebral palsy, and Rory O'Shea (James McAvoy), a rebellious new arrival with a degenerative muscular disease who, like Michael, is confined to a motorized wheelchair.
Michael's condition not only limits his movement, but also affects his speech, greatly impairing his ability to communicate. Somehow the smart-alecky and spiky-haired Rory has no problem deciphering Michael's garbled articulations, quipping, "I roomed with a guy who made you sound like Laurence Olivier" (colorful expletives deleted). Rory is almost completely paralyzed, except for two fingers on his right hand and partial movement of his head, but his motor mouth works perfectly.
Within days of his arrival, Rory masterminds an impromptu jaunt to a local pub to pick up girls. Not wanting to spend his days pent up in an institution, Rory applies for a government program that provides grants and housing for people with disabilities to help them learn how to live independently. When his application is denied, he "guilts" Michael's estranged father (Gerard McSorley) -- a well-connected barrister who wants nothing to do with his sickly son -- into pulling some strings and getting them an apartment. (The silent exchange between Michael and his father is one of the most potent, and pain-filled, moments in the picture.)
Together, Rory and Michael embark on a journey of self-discovery and self-empowerment. Rory teaches Michael about friendship and love and instills in him a zest for embracing life, however short-lived it may be.
Basking in their new-found freedom, the unlikely flatmates recruit pretty but untrained Siobhan (Romola Garai) to assist them with their daily needs, which includes everything from feeding and bathing them and putting them to bed to making sure Rory's punk hairdo is well-spiked. Michael, the more naive of the two, mistakes Siobhan's simple kindness for something more, giving the story a bittersweet romantic twist.
Given the subject matter, you might think that the film would be depressing. Actually, the movie is emotionally elevating, a life-affirming celebration of the human spirit's ability to triumph over adversity.
Director Damien O'Donnell restrains any heavy-handed sentimentality, showing his disabled leads as flawed and presenting them in honest and fully human terms.
The film's impassioned message -- that every life is worth living, even when physically compromised -- is a refreshing response to the better-dead-than-disabled attitude advocated in recent films like "The Sea Inside."
Echoing Daniel Day-Lewis' Oscar-winning turn in "My Left Foot," Roberts and McAvoy -- both relatively unknown commodities -- deliver career-making performances, each shouldering equal emotional loads and injecting their respective roles with a blend of pathos and surprising humor. Brenda Fricker provides solid support as the stern but dedicated supervisor of the assisted-living facility where the two meet.
"Rory O'Shea" is alternately funny, moving and uplifting and reminds us, to paraphrase Robert Browning, that, even if one's hand is twisted and withered, a person's reach should always exceed his or her grasp.
The film contains frequent rough and crude language and some sexual innuendo. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted.
Movies have been evaluated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting according to artistic
merit and moral suitability. The reviews include the USCCB rating,
the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief
synopsis of the movie.
The classifications are as follows:
- A-I -- general patronage;
- A-II -- adults and adolescents;
- A-III -- adults;
- A-IV**
- L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
- O -- morally offensive.
** Discontinued classification. All archived movies that were originally in the A-IV category are now classified as L.