Extract
In the Name of the Father.
In Ireland, Jim Sheridan's In the Name of the Father has been a box office phenomenon, racking up admissions to a point where it is now second only to Spielberg's Jurassic Park in the list of all-time top grossers. Indeed, when the film was released originally throughout Ireland, it did so much business in its first few weeks that its box office returns for Northern Ireland alone were sufficient to get it into the U.K. top ten before its British opening. Needless to say, when the film was finally released in Britain, this success was not repeated. Despite decent reviews in the main, and an impressive London opening performance, the film slipped into the art-house circuit where it was only moderately successful.
This contrast is interesting in itself, especially for what it can tell us about the difference between Irish and British perceptions of the film (and of the monumental miscarriage of justice which is its focus). The British opening was accompanied by a major controversy over the film's portrayal of real people and real events. This controversy was originally raised by serious journalists in both Ireland and Britain who had covered the even...See the full content of this document
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