My Left Foot

My Left Foot

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally, Fiona Shaw

Directed by Jim Sheridan

The Story:
Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis) was born in Dublin to Bridget (Brenda Fricker) and Paddy (Ray McAnally) Brown, a lower-class family in the slums of Dublin, but he was no ordinary boy - he was born with cerebral palsy, causing him to not be able to fully control his body.  His parents decided to raise him in their home with their several other children, and as Christy grew up he began using his left foot to communicate.

As the years went on, Christy maintained an active role in the family, helping his brothers and also painting and writing with his left foot.  He showcased incredible knowledge and intellect, and eventually meets Dr. Eileen Cole (Fiona Shaw), who takes him to a center for cerebral palsy patients, and is able to get his paintings showcased at an exhibit.  As the story continues, Christy deals with the struggles of life and love while also dealing with a crippling disease, while also learning how to use his talents and gifts to the best of their ability.

The Synopsis:
Based on the real-life story of Christy Brown, "My Left Foot" is a deeply emotional, moving, poignant tale of a man struggling against his own disabilities in order to live a happy life - while also embracing his struggles and facing life's hardest hurdles.  Director Jim Sheridan doesn't sugarcoat Christy as a charity case who can't do anything for himself - on the contrary, Christy is hardly a saint (especially with his language and drinking), and he doesn't let his handicap determine his life, and neither does the people around him.

While most families would hide away their differently-abled child, the Browns allow Christy to live life like anyone else.  His brothers wheel him around and involve him in their soccer games and boyhood flights of fancy, and Christy is free to express himself as any normal person would.  He even falls in love with a local girl, and experiences the pain of rejection like we all do from time to time.  Not once was his handicap used to keep him locked away - he was free to live life and engage in all the ups and downs that go with it.

The heart of the family lies with Christy's mother, Bridget.  She hides money away in order to afford a wheelchair for Christy, even though the family needs the money for heat and food.  She maintains a motherly hold over Christy in a way that wasn't suffocating, but liberating and truly loving.  On the flip side, his father was more stern and often angry, but he too also had moments of tender loving kindness toward Christy in his own way.  Christy's siblings allowed him to participate in activities with them and defended him when needed, like any loving family would.

While Bridget was the heart of the family, Daniel Day-Lewis was the heart of the film, and earned him his first of many Academy Awards for Best Actor.  He deserved it and more, due to his famous nature of fully encompassing the character he portrays, he went above and beyond to prepare for the role of Christy Brown.  He maintained having cerebral palsy during the entirety of the film, even when the cameras weren't rolling.  He even broke two ribs because he remained hunched over in a wheelchair during the entirety of filming.  The man is beyond the definition of "actor," and again showcases his tremendous tour de force abilities here, elevating what could've been a puff film about the sympathy for a differently-abled person and made it a masterclass study of acting in its truest form.  As it is with any of his performances, you forget you're seeing Daniel Day-Lewis on screen, and think you're actually seeing someone with cerebral palsy telling his own story.  For any other actor, this would've been the pinnacle of their work, but for Day-Lewis, it was just another day in the office.

Along with Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker also won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, playing Christy's longsuffering mother Bridget.  She gives a performance for the record books, one that needs to be studied and appreciated for the true art form it was.  She blended motherly love with stern resolve and true selflessness in a way that all mothers should act, and made her performance heartfelt and truly emotional. 

This film is on the list of 1,001 Films to See Before You Die, and it's no surprise why - from the story to the staging and especially the acting, the film is perfect from start to finish, telling a powerful true story in a way that's both intelligent and level-headed, and doesn't sugarcoat the rough realities of life.

The Summary:
Thanks to the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis, "My Left Foot" became an instant classic, a moving powerhouse of a film with a once-in-a-lifetime performance that resonates through the centuries.

The Score: A+