My Left Foot

Plot

In 1932, Christy Brown is born into a Dublin family of 15. Doctors discover he has severe cerebral palsy. Christy is unable to walk or talk. He is loved and supported by his family, especially his mother.

One day, Christy's mother trips down the stairs while in labour, and Christy is the only person home to see it. He alerts some neighbours to help. Christy's father never believed Christy would amount to anything, but becomes proud after witnessing him use his left foot, the only body part he can fully control, to write the word "mother" on the floor with a piece of chalk. Consequently, Christy seeks a hobby in painting. The neighbourhood youngsters include him in their activities, like street football, but when he paints a picture and gives it to a girl he likes, she returns it.

Later, his father loses his job and the family faces exceptionally difficult hardships, so Christy devises a plan to help his brothers steal coal to their mother's dismay. Christy's mother, who has been gradually gathering some savings in a tin in the fireplace, finally saves enough to buy him a wheelchair.

Christy is then introduced to Eileen Cole, who takes him to her school for cerebral palsy patients and persuades a friend of hers to hold an exhibition of his work. Christy falls in love with Cole, but when he learns during the dinner that she is engaged to be married, he considers suicide. His mother helps him build a private studio for himself, but soon afterward his father dies of a stroke, and during the wake Christy instigates a brawl. At this point, Christy starts writing his autobiography, My Left Foot. Cole returns and they resume their friendship.

Later, Christy attends a charity event where he meets his handler, a nurse named Mary Carr. She begins reading his autobiography. He asks Mary to go out with him and they then happily leave the fête together.

Cast

• Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy Brown, a man born with cerebral palsy
  • Hugh O'Conor as Young Christy Brown
• Brenda Fricker as Bridget Fagan Brown, Christy's mother
• Ray McAnally as Patrick Brown, Christy's father
• Fiona Shaw as Eileen Cole, Christy's carer
• Kirsten Sheridan as Sharon Brown, Christy's sister
• Alison Whelan as Sheila Brown, Christy's sister
• Eanna MacLiam as Benny Brown, Christy's brother
• Declan Croghan as Tom Brown, Christy's brother
• Marie Conmee as Sadie Brown, Christy's sister
• Cyril Cusack as Lord Castlewelland
• Phelim Drew as Brian Brown, Christy's brother
• Eileen Colgan as Nan
• Ruth McCabe as Mary Carr, Christy's handler and eventual wife
• Adrian Dunbar as Peter, Cole's fiancé

Production

Day-Lewis became interested in the project when he read the opening scene, which features him, as Brown, using his left foot to place a phonograph record on a player and then placing a needle onto it so that it will play. He said of the scene: "I knew it couldn't be done... and that intrigued me." Many scenes were filmed through a mirror, as he could only manipulate his right foot to perform the actions seen in the film. He spent some time preparing for the film at Brown's alma mater in Dublin. He later returned there for a visit, with his Academy Award.

Day-Lewis is known for his extreme method acting and insisted on staying in character during the production of the film, refusing to do anything that Brown could not do. This meant that members of the film crew had to move the actor around in a wheelchair, lift him over obstacles, and even feed him.

Reception

Critical response

My Left Foot received widespread critical acclaim.

Roger Ebert gave the film four out of four stars, writing: "My Left Foot is a great film for many reasons, but the most important is that it gives us such a complete picture of this man's life. It is not an inspirational movie, although it inspires. It is not a sympathetic movie, although it inspires sympathy. It is the story of a stubborn, difficult, blessed, and gifted man who was dealt a bad hand, who played it brilliantly, and who left us some good books, some good paintings and the example of his courage. It must not have been easy."

In 2015, The Hollywood Reporter polled hundreds of academy members, asking them to re-vote on past controversial decisions. Academy members indicated that, given a second chance, they would award the 1990 Academy Award for Best Picture to My Left Foot instead of Driving Miss Daisy.

Accolades

References

References

1. link. (31 December 2013. John Blake, 2005. p. 137.)
2. "''My Left Foot''". [[British Board of Film Classification]].
3. [https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b79777aff "My Left Foot (1989)"] {{Webarchive. link. (26 October 2017. [[British Board of Film Classification]].)
4. GDN Online Desk. (27 August 2017). "Hollywood: 15 low-budget movies that did well at the Box Office".
5. "My Left Foot (1989)". [[Box Office Mojo]].
6. ''[[The Irish Filmography]] 1896-1996''; Red Mountain Press; 1996. page 43
7. {{Cite Rotten Tomatoes
8. "My Left Foot, critic reviews".
9. [https://www.cinemarealm.com/best-of-cinema/top-100-british-films/ ''British Film Institute – Top 100 British Films''] {{Webarchive. link. (12 January 2018 (1999). Retrieved 27 August 2016)
10. Hirschberg, Lynn. (8 December 2007). "Daniel Day-Lewis: the perfectionist".
11. [[Anthony J. Jordan. Jordan, Anthony J.]] ''Daniel Day-Lewis, Gentleman. A Memoir''. pp. 1–22.
12. (18 January 2018). "Daniel Day-Lewis' Craziest Method Acting Stories".
13. Thomas, Matthew. (15 October 2021). "Why Daniel Day-Lewis Once Made Crew Members Feed Him by Hand Daily".
14. Russell, Calum. (21 November 2021). "Daniel Day-Lewis' extraordinary method acting in 'My Left Foot'".
15. Ebert, Roger. (2 February 1990). "My Left Foot movie review & film summary (1990)".
16. (18 February 2015). "Recount! Oscar Voters Today Would Make 'Brokeback Mountain' Best Picture Over 'Crash'".
17. "The 62nd Academy Awards {{!}} 1990". [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]].
18. "Film in 1990 {{!}} BAFTA Awards". [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]].
19. "European Film Awards : Archive". [[European Film Academy]].
20. "My Left Foot {{!}} Golden Globes". [[Hollywood Foreign Press Association]].
21. (19 October 2014). "My Left Foot (1989)".
22. "15th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards". [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]].
23. "1989 Award Winners". [[National Board of Review]].
24. (8 January 1990). "Critics' Award to 'Drugstore Cowboy'".
25. (19 December 1989). "Critics Circle Selects 'Left Foot' for Best Film and Actor".
26. "Eleventh Annual Youth in Film Awards (1988-1989)". [[Young Artist Award]]s.