My Left Foot

Some of you will know, if you have read some of my previous blogs, that I enjoy really good films. By “really good films” I don’t mean the light-hearted fluff that is frequently released these days.

A few days ago, I was in a charity shop and I came across a film called “My Left Foot” (those of you not familiar with the plot can be excused for thinking it could be about football) but in actual fact it tells the true story of Christy Brown an Irish writer, painter and poet who was born with severe cerebral palsy into a desperately poor working class family in Crumlin, Dublin on June 5^th 1932. His parents, Bridget and Patrick had 22 siblings, and of these 22, only 17 lived. Four of the children died in infancy. At his birth doctors, had advised the family to commit him to a hospital, but both his parents were determined to bring him up in the family home.

During his adolescence Katriona Delahunt, a social worker began to visit him, providing him with books and painting materials as he had previously shown signs of an interest in both the arts and literature. Christy had learnt to write and draw using the only limb he had any control over – his left foot - hence the title of the film.

The film stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy, and he turns in a remarkable performance as the severely handicapped cerebral palsy sufferer. Brenda Fricker stars as Christy’s mother, and she too gives a wonderful performance. Both she and Day-Lewis won Academy Awards for their performances. The film was also nominated for awards in the following categories – Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. This gives you some idea of the quality of the film. It isn’t a film to “entertain” – it certainly makes you think, but it is well worth spending 99 minutes viewing it.