Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

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stuart.uk
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Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by stuart.uk »

Spoiler

I have to start and say I do have a slight problem with the amount of dramatic licence used in what otherwise is a superb film. I also wish more could have been used of Anna Maxwells character (Phil's daughter), who in reality made a major contribution to the real life story.
Irish woman Philomena is brilliantly played by Judi Dench, where a pregnant,single, teenage girl is sent to a convent to have her child. Save one nun, they didn't seem to care she had a breech birth, saying it was God's punishment for her sin. Then when a toddler her son, Anthony, is adopted out to an American family, without so much as telling her.

50-years later she confides in her daughter, that she had a son and it was his 50th birthday. The daughter then gets the help of Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) in an effort to trace her brother. The Convent sticks to its story they have no idea of Anthony's whereabouts.On arriving in America they discover, Anthony, called Michael was part of the George Bush administration, but that he died 8-years earlier of Aids.

What I found great about Philomena, was given her Catholic background from the 1950s, was how easily she was able to accept Michael was gay. Though reluctant at first, Michael's boyfriend agreed to meet them. Then they discovered Michael had gone to the convent in Ireland just before he died in an attempt to trace his mother, only to be told he was abandoned. Not only that, but Michael was buried on the convent grounds. This suggested not only had the nun's on the period lied, but what they did was covered up the nun's currently running the convent............................................

On the Jane Russell Controversy, Martin Sixsmith in the film saw a picture on the wall of the Head sister's office and wondered why. Later on it was suggested in a nearby pub that Jane Russell had paid money to adopt a baby from the same convent. On researching this, it seems to be the case Russell did adopt a child from an Irish woman, but that it took place in London. It caused a bit of a scandel at the time with Russell having to go to court in order to gain legal custody of the child, but it doesn't look like she had anything to do with the convent in the film.
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mrsl
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by mrsl »

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Stuart:

Possibly you have not had much information on the Catholic religion or you would not wonder about any of it. This is another example of why I stopped being a "good" catholic at an early age of 18. During my labor with my first child who happened to have the cord wrapped around his arm pit and could have caused both of us to die eventually, my husband had to go out and scream at the nurse on duty for some sort of relief for me after 24 hours (I still had another 14 to go), because when she was in the room and I begged for some pain killer, she told me to give up the pain for the pain Jesus felt when he hung crucified on the cross. Trust me, at that point I really didn't care how much pain he went through, I just wanted some help for mine. My doctor, I never knew what religion he was, had a fit when he heard the story, and really dressed the nun down. I'm hoping Philomena comes to HBO or something soon, I have been wanting to see it since I saw Judi Dench on one of the talk shows.

It is truly amazing to me how attitudes have changed toward unmarried pregnancies, but this world is moving so fast, it's really hard to catch up to it all without losing your breath now and then.
Anne


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* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

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stuart.uk
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by stuart.uk »

Anne, thanks for sharing your moving story.

I do have some knowledge of the Catholic church, but it doesn't stop me being shocked by some of the things that went on. I think it was you who mentioned the film Evelyn with Pierce Brosnan which highlighted the difficulty for single father's in Irelend around the same time as Philomena.

I remember, the legendary Catholic comedy actor/writer Spike Milligan, who worked with Peter Sellers on The Goons, claimed he was abused by nun's as a child.

Given the fact Call The Midwife is based, though how loosely I don't know, on factual characters, it seems to show the nun's in London at any rate as kind and even modern thinking. It'll be interesting to see how the show will progress now the original writer had died and that the character she was based on has been written out.
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mrsl
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by mrsl »

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Yes I was the one who recommended Evelyn and I still do if only for the great drama that it is, especially with Pierce Brosnan as the leading character, with the title character as his little girl. Pierce is usually thought of as a lightweight, so this is a good showcase for him to do some acting. Anyway, I believe you're talking about Jenny, with Call the Midwife, and even if based on certain people, it's still hard to consider that those nuns and nurses were quite as forward thinking as they're portrayed to be, even in England. However, it is a small community and I guess it's easier to have that familial feeling than in a big city. Even when it's a small community in a big city. Similar to the accepted idiosyncrasies of the populace of Port Wenn in Doc Martin, including a doctor who get sick at the sight of blood.

BTW, do you watch or even get to see, Death in Paradise? I always like the other lead, although he was a pretty big pain in the neck, but I love this new guy. Who is he and what has he done so far? imdB has not caught up with this new season yet so I don't even know his name. The way they show the names with that kind of melting off the screen is so quick, it took me about 4 weeks to get Ben Miller's name, and I'm still not sure of that beautiful Camille.

I tried looking up Philomena in the Search program and it isn't even listed yet so it will be a while before it's on TV
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Anne


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sandykaypax
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by sandykaypax »

Anne, do you have a public library close by? I was able to watch Philomena recently by checking the dvd out from my library. A fantastic film.

I wondered about the truth of the Jane Russell story in the film, too. Perhaps they changed the name of the convent.

Sandy K
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mrsl
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by mrsl »

,
Sandi:

Thanks but I no longer have a car (transmission died, couldn't afford to fix), and the bus stop is too far to walk to with my aches and pains, so I don't get to the library unless some friend drives me, and I feel bad enough about begging for rides to go grocery shopping and to the doctors, without asking for side trips like the library.
.
Anne


***********************************************************************
* * * * * * * * What is past is prologue. * * * * * * * *

]***********************************************************************
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sandykaypax
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by sandykaypax »

Oh, sorry to hear that, Anne.

Sandy K
stuart.uk
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Re: Judi Dench-Philomena-Jane Russell Controversy

Post by stuart.uk »

Anne

I just watched a Scottish made doc about an American woman from Portland, Carol King-Eckersley, called My Lost Son. It's strongly linked to the Philomena Story.

Single girl Carol gave up her son for adoption in the 60s, but decided to try and trace him a couple of yrs ago, only to discover he had been killed on the plane that was blown up over the Scottish village of Lockerbie. In the doc we see Carol retracing her son's last few months, were he was studying in London, took a holiday visiting Edinburgh Castle and finally she went to Lockerbie with her sister.

Carol, cried her eyes out on her sister's shoulder, while watching the scene from Philomena when Judi Dench's character,Philomena, discovers her son Anthony/Michael is dead, because her own story is so close to that of Philomena
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