MovieChat Forums > Angela's Ashes (2000) Discussion > Funny scenes that made me laugh

Funny scenes that made me laugh

posted 19 years ago by jkotynek
41 replies | jump to latest

Yes, I realize this is a sad story, but the humour in some of the scenes made me laugh very hard!

Especially the first communion scene. Little Frankie receives the Host from the priest and gulps it down like a horse! "Please stop your clucking and get back to your seat!" he says to Frankie.

Also: the doctor farting in front of a sickly and yet older Frankie.

Who could forget the story Frankie reads to his class about JESUS AND THE WEATHER? If Jesus lived in Limerick, he would die of consumption in a month, there would be no Catholic Church, and I wouldn't have to write compositions about Him. I loved it!

** John Kotynek

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

I also forgot to mention the scene where Frankie gobbles up some bad meat at his Grandmother's and runs to throw it up in the back yard!

"What's wrong with that child?"

"Oh my, he's gone and thrown up the body and of Jesus! I have God in me back yard!"

** John Kotynek

[–] Kengy 19 years ago

Actually, I found the movie to be very sad. Very sad indeed.

But if you found those scenes funny, read the book! It's so much more light-hearted, I found. They only touched a bit of Frankie's ignorance in the movie (ie: the communion scene; the Jesus in the backyard bit; etc). The book is a lot better, believe me. :)

There is no dark side of the moon, really. Matter of fact, it's all dark.

[–] pammygrrl 19 years ago

That's what makes the book so great, you find your emotions all over the place, laughing and crying, sometimes even on the same page!

Just for clarification; Frank does not gulp or gobble the communion wafer, it is stuck to the roof of his mouth. Hence the "clucking" sound of him desperately trying to dislodge it back to his tongue and the admonishment from the priest. These are the nuances so easily missed or misinterpreted in a movie vs. the book. I'm sure afterward, there's no way for them to let us know that the wafer would not budge, but Frank simply sat there with his mouth closed and thankfully the wafer finally melted away. I read another post that said the movie did not do justice to Frank's innocence and naivete, and this is an example of that. Nonetheless, after reading these posts I am curious enough to find out how exactly they handled certain scenes, and which ones were ignored altogether. I don't think I have ever seen a movie with a longer cast listing, so they must have been pretty thorough! And when I saw who plays the father (Malachy Sr.), I simply MUST watch! (LOVED him in the Full Monty, as well as other great movies and shows).

Thanks for indulging me!

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

Thanks for clarifying the "host problem" with Frankie. I thought he was just being a little mischievious boy. I'm actually a Catholic Convert, but I would probably have done the same thing if I were his age and receiving first communion, just because that's the kind of boy I was...

Also, I was watching the film around three am while trying to get my baby to sleep, so I was very punchy. This made viewing the film a different experience altogether.

I agree with you, although the premise is sad, there are a lot of other emotions that the story evokes.

I had to snicker when the boys skipped in the water in their first floor apartment entrance. It reminded me of a delapidated house I lived in in Oak Park. So I could see the absurdity of trying to live in a house that was just falling apart by the seams.

Thanks for your thoughts.

** John Kotynek

[–] pammygrrl 19 years ago

Thank you for commenting back. I just tried to find the DVD, but Blockbuster only has it available to rent on VHS (my player is in a dusty box somewhere). I guess I'll just have to order it.

pea jay

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

You can get it through Netflix (that's how I saw it) on DVD. It contains a making of doc and cast bios.

John K.

[–] danmcn61-1 11 years ago

I did the same thing at my first communion. We were taught not to eat or drink ANYTHING prior to going to mass on Sunday morning, so the last meal was on Saturday night and they wouldn't even let us drink water on Sunday morning, therefore my mouth was REALLY dry and the wafer stuck to my palate like it had been secured with super glue. Being 7, I assumed that my sins were so great that the wafer was rejecting me!

[–] tbolton01 19 years ago

We read Angela's Ashes in my A.P. Language class, and I asked the question of whether or not it is truly meant to be sad. Later, I found that the mood, which is the atmosphere of the story, is depressing and hopeless. The tone, which is the author's overall attitude, is uplifting and triumphant. The McCourts overcame everything that was hopeless, which is why McCourt conveys humor in both the novel and the film.

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

Quite right, Mr. Tbolton01!

** John K

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] tbolton01 19 years ago

lol I'm a girl...but thank you very much!!

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

Quite right, Miss Tbolton01!

** John K

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jkotynek 19 years ago

Great scnes Miss Cissd, thanks for sharing.

"What contest in Hell did I win?" Frank Barone

** John K

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Sid-Blitzen 19 years ago

I loved the scene where all the boys were out in the country, abusing themselves in unison, whilst reciting the different names of the male appendage. And the confession-scene that followed: "was it with yourself, or with another, or with some class of a beast?"

[–] RCeditor 14 years ago

I loved the scene where all the boys were out in the country, abusing themselves in unison, whilst reciting the different names of the male appendage. And the confession-scene that followed: "was it with yourself, or with another, or with some class of a beast?"

What made me laugh about that sequence was that those boys thought they were clever, finding a hard-of-hearing priest in order to 'confess' their sins. Then when we see the shot with the new priest, he's literally "all ears" - reminded me of Ross Perot!

THE RAP CRITIC:
http://www.youtube.com/user/moviedeeva

[–] furious_georgina 18 years ago

Cant believe noone mentioned the Irish dancing scene, I thought that was hilarious! Also loved the scene where Angela is saying to one of the twins that if you pray to Jesus he'll give you what you want and Malachy says to Frankie "can you tell Jesus we're hungry" or something to that effect, it always makes me laugh.

[–] Ode-to-a-Loner 18 years ago

This movie definately had it's funny moments. Just Frank walking around as a little guy is funny. He just has this expression on his face all the time. And the scenes with the grandmother were funny too. Her facial expressions alone made me laugh. She just couldn't bother with all of the troubles. The book had me laughing out loud too. I think there was a part in the book where Frank wears his grandmother's dress to bed to keep warm or something like that LOL and when his uncle sees him he says "take of me mothers dress" hahahha. It might have been in the movie too but I cant remember now. Saw it ahwile ago.

What are you rebelling against?

[–] nelowafer17 18 years ago

My favourite scene is when he and Theresa are making out on the couch. I love his narration. (loosely translated), "With my head full of sin and my fear of consumption ........ and all I wanted was my shilling tip". If someone could clarify that quate for me, I'd really apperciate it.

[–] Fairy07 18 years ago

When Frank's grandmother keeps making him go back to confession because he left something out. That was the funniest scene! You could tell that the priest was getting annoyed.

[–] cosmic_quest 18 years ago

I loved all the scenes of little Frankie at school. His teacher was so rigid and old-fashioned that I can't but find him hilarious. Especially when he was harping on about you don't see Jesus on the cross sporting shoes!

"I always pretend to root for Gryffindors but, secretly, I love my Slytherin boys."~ Karen, W&G

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] BethH24 17 years ago

I think all the scenes mentioned so far are funny.and its funny the way the headmaster at the school says ' my little yankee doodle dandy' when he takes frank and the other boy back inside the school after they have been fighting.It just makes me laugh the way he says it

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] who_knows888 17 years ago

i laughed at the scene where frankie and angela are walking to his irish dancing class and he asks if he has to go. i was not expecting her to slap him one!! and that hard!! emily watson was brilliant throughout the whole movie!!

[–] BethH24 16 years ago

Just thought of another.When Frankie goes to confession for spitting out the sausage his Grandma made after his Communion and asks what should he do,and the priest tells him to tell his Grandma to wash it away with abit of water.Then frankie's Grandma asks Frankie at go back to the priest and ask whether it should be washed away with holy water or ordinary water.And he goes back to ask the priest and Frankie says to his Grandma that the priest said ordinary water and not to go bothering him again !.lol.