MovieChat Forums > Angela's Ashes (2000) Discussion > this makes me mad

this makes me mad

posted 21 years ago by diamond_kitty
39 replies | jump to latest

people who have seen the movie and not read to book come on here and say horrible things about it "like the story wasn't very convincing" and "Angela should have done this" and "Malachy should've done that"
In this movie I think that you'd have had to have read to novel before you can understand the movie....

I'm not going to defend the movie, becaus eI didn't like it that much, that they left out the part where frank goes to Fintan slattery's house, and much of the goings on when he was in the hospital with typhiod, and yet they left in, not-so-memorable (or important for that matter) moments when Bridey next door got the threatening letter from Ms.Finnugan that frank wrote....

I would probably rant more but, I have no time, no patience, and most importantly, none of the correct words to describe what is liked or disliked of the movie

excuse me

[–] somebodyls 19 years ago

I'm reading the book at the moment.

[–] bill-5000 19 years ago

That's nice.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] danobird 19 years ago

I'm from Limerick and let me tell you that this book was not well recieved (although i enjoyed it). I would consider it a Book rather than a memoir as Mccourt used a lot of poetic licence!! believe me, things he mentioned in the book did not happen, or if they did they did not happen to him!! Personally i thought it was a very enjoyable book but i would not take everything he said, or wrote literally!It made a lot of people angry in Limerick and I kinda understand why! I guess i'm on the fence about it!

[–] mickjam 19 years ago

Hi there,
I know your post is from a few months back but could you elaborate on what precisely he says in the book which didn't happen, or at least didn't happen to him please?? I sit next to an Irish lady at work, and I mentioned to her the other day that I was reading Angela's Ashes. Her reply was something along the lines of "oh that bloody man!" and she too advised me to take much of it with a pinch of salt, and that he's very good at telling a story (much like his father I suppose!) I couldn't understand how the memoirs had so much praise heaped upon them if so much of what is written was sheer fabrication. Would reviewers not have said so rather than heap praise upon praise??

Many thanks

Mike

[–] danobird 19 years ago

hiya
yeah there was a lot of debates at the time the book came out in Limerick. the things which annoyed people at the time were the fact that,for example, he makes out like everyone hated him and his family. In reality, McCourt was probably like every other poor kid in Limerick. The Redemptrists, the church (which i can actually see at the minute) were quite good to the poor of limerick. There have been pictures which have resurfaced of McCourt and his brother on trips away with the boy scouts(which were run by the church). There are photos of his class in primary school and he is one of the few boys who actually have shoes!! I'll be honest with you, i was only 13 when the book came out so i don't really remember a lot of the arguments but i can ask my granmother(whose brother was in Franks class in Leamys). Oh another story which i know is definately untrue is when he says the Gabbots on Barrack Hill dragged their dead horse down the hill and pretty much insulted the family name...that is lies because an old school friend of mine-her grandad was one of the Gabbots and he told my mom that he knew McCourt and that never happened!He also disgraced the Clohessy family.all these families are still in Limerick and it wasn't fair to name people like that who were just, like most of Ireland at the time, poor! the irish lady you work with will prob be able to tell u more! it is a good read if you are on the outside but he named a lot of people and omitted the good things people did for him and his family which was insulting to the city and the families he actually named!

It doesn't do to dwell on dreams...and forget to live!

[–] glynnpadraic 8 years ago

It's all true. If the Gabbots dragged their down the hill, then it happened.

[–] Lady_Elaine_Fairchild 9 years ago

I know this was an old post but here are articles you may be interested in. Many of the recollections were put into writing before AA came out. It is a heavily exaggerated memoir-it would be a safer bet to use the term novel.

https://irishmediaman.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/angelas-ashes-untold-stories/

https://irishmediaman.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/richard-harris-on-mccourt-and-angelas-ashes/

I can't hear you over the volume of my hair.

[–] bigfootbob68 19 years ago

I must agree, all the movies made from books I have seen never can stand up to the quality of the original book.
I really was hoping that they would do justice to The House of the Spirits when I saw the movie, but was sorely disappointed. That is a book I think could never be well done in cinematic form, as there is so much in it. But who knows, maybe someone can pull it off.
And yes, I loved Angela's Ashes.

[–] IamPhineus 19 years ago

Angela's Ashes is my favourite book of all time. i recently went out and bought a copy, just because i thought it was disgraceful that I didn;t own my fave book. just thought i'd share that with you all...

-- Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room. --

[–] vmfarmer92 19 years ago

i haven't seen the movie, but i've read the book, and from what i've heard about the movie, the book has MUCH more detail, it has a lot of detail about when he was in the hospital and they tell about the twins a lot and stuff like that. read the book, you'll understand. it was the best book i had ever read.

[–] VrGnRgrl 18 years ago

haha i just bought my third edition of angelas ashes, i wear them out. ive read it so many times i can just jump to any page and know exactly whats going on....

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bear022013-588-696101 9 years ago

Where are the Irish Catholic actors?
This was English propaganda.

[–] bear022013-909-645034 8 years ago

Anti Irish-Catholic Hollywood propaganda.