My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown (1989)

Director:

Jim Sheridan

Writers:

Shane Connaughton (screenplay) &
Jim Sheridan (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

The story of Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. He learned to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.

Plot Keywords:

Foot | Christy Brown | Irish | Cerebral Palsy | Courage

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 16 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Daniel Day-Lewis	...	Christy Brown
Brenda Fricker	...	Mrs. Brown
Alison Whelan	...	Sheila
Kirsten Sheridan	...	Sharon
Declan Croghan	...	Tom
Eanna MacLiam	...	Benny
Marie Conmee	...	Sadie
Cyril Cusack	...	Lord Castlewelland
Phelim Drew	...	Brian
Ruth McCabe	...	Mary
Fiona Shaw	...	Dr. Eileen Cole
Ray McAnally	...	Mr. Brown
Pat Laffan	...	Barman (as Patrick Laffan)
Derry Power	...	Customer in Bar
Hugh O'Conor	...	Young Christy Brown

Also Known As:

My Left Foot (UK) (short title)
Mi pie izquierdo (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
A bal lábam (Hungary) [hu]
Il mio piede sinistro (Italy) [it]
Kuf Ragli Ha-Smalit (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Mein linker Fuß (West Germany) [de]
Meu Pé Esquerdo (Brazil) [pt]
Min vänstra fot (Sweden) [sv]
Minun elämäni (Finland) [fi]
Moja lewa stopa (Poland) [pl]
My Left Foot (France) [fr]
My left foot: L'histoire de Christy Brown (Canada: French title) [fr]
O Meu Pé Esquerdo (Portugal) [pt]
Piciorul meu stâng (Romania) [ro]
Sol ayagim (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
To aristero mou podi (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Ireland | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:L | Ireland:12 (video) | Australia:M | France:Unrated | Peru:14 | USA:TV-14 (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:All | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Ferndale Films

Trivia:

According to the "Making of My Left Foot" segment on the Special Edition DVD, Daniel Day-Lewis broke two ribs during filming from assuming the hunched-over position in his wheelchair for weeks of filming. He also would refuse to come out of character. On visits to the set canteen, other people would have to help him with food. On one visit from his English agent, Day-Lewis again refused to come out of character as Christy Brown, and his frustrated agent took off.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: In the beginning of the movie, when Mary Carr gets Christy Brown into the library, the shadow of the boom mic can clearly be seen on a white door.

Quotes:

[Christy's father builds him a house next to his parents]
Mrs. Brown: Well, Christy, that's the nearest he'll ever come to saying I love you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Book That Wrote Itself (1999)

One of the best performances by an actor in the last decade.

I am in awe of Daniel Day-Lewis' acting in this movie. I can't think of anyone else who could have portrayed the real-life writer Christy Brown as well as he does. He doesn't just portray the ravages of cerebral palsy of his character but the intelligence, humour, courage and love of the man. The character also is not deemed a saint but allowed to have humanity - the foul mouth and love of booze and women. If a movie can be called inspiring than this has to be it.

Lewis and Brenda Fricker as his mother both won Oscars and Ray McAnally as his father also deserved one. The movie is well directed by Jim Sheridan with whom Lewis again worked with in the excellent In The Name Of The Father as well as The Boxer.