Agnes Browne

Drama set in late 60s Dublin. Following the death of her husband, a woman struggles to provide for her seven children - but first must pay for his funeral. She is forced to borrow money from a loan shark, which only adds to her problems. Daydreaming of Welsh heartthrob Tom Jones, however, provides a respite from her troubles - but surely she could never afford a ticket to his forthcoming concert?, Actress Anjelica Huston directed and stars in this drama based on Brendan O'Carroll's novel The Mammy. Set in Dublin in 1967, Agnes Browne (Anjelica Huston) is the mother of seven children, barely making ends meet when her husband dies, leaving her to figure out not only how to support the family, but also how to pay for a funeral. To cover the burial expenses, Agnes resorts to borrowing money from a loan shark (Ray Winstone) who isn't interested in special deals for widows or orphans. Agnes learns to scrape up a living selling fruit and vegetables, and makes sure her children get the best education possible, but self-sacrificing Agnes would like one small luxury for herself: Tom Jones will be playing a concert in town soon, and she'd like nothing more than to hear the man sing "It's Not Unusual" live and in person. A French baker with eyes for Agnes (Arno Chevrier) joins forces with her children to see that she gets her wish. Agnes Browne boasts an accurate portrayal of Ireland in the late 1960s, thanks in part to the fact that Huston spent a great deal of time there as a child; the film was shown as part of the Directors Fortnight series at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.