The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
- Starring:
- Anne-Marie Duff, Dorothy Duffy, (more)
- Director(s):
- Peter Mullan
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
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One of the Catholic Church's most infamous institutions is the focus of this controversial independent feature from Scottish actor and erstwhile director Peter Mullan. Set in 1964, The Magdalene Sisters hones in on the Magdalene convent, a place where purportedly wayward young women have been sent by their families for reform. Many of the girls are locked up in the institution for questionable "sins," and the movie presents several of them as case studies: Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff), who is sent away after being sexually assaulted by a cousin at a wedding; Rose (Dorothy Duffy) and Crispina (Eileen Walsh), who are both unwed mothers; and Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone), whose licentiousness has raised the ire of her former orphanage. It soon becomes clear that the reformatory is more of a manual-labor prison, however, as their girls are forced to work long hours and endure endless physical humiliation and abuse at the hands of the head nun, Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan). As their degradation at the hands of the convent's administrators increases, each girl plots her escape, but each finds that she's never far enough from the sisters' all-encompassing reach. The Magdalene Sisters premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it was awarded the festival's top prize, the Golden Lion; the Vatican officially condemned the film after its premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 120 mins
Complete Cast:
- Anne-Marie Duff - Margaret
- Eileen Walsh - Crispina
- Geraldine McEwan - Sister Bridget
- Britta Smith - Katy
- Eithne McGuinness - Sister Clementine
- Rebecca Walsh
- Chris Simpson
- Daniel Costello
- Sean McDonagh
- Dorothy Duffy - Rose/Patricia
- Nora-Jane Noone - Bernadette
- Mary Murray - Una
- Frances Healy - Sister Jude
- Phyllis McMahon
- Eamonn Owens
- Sean Colgan
- Julie Austin
- Director(s):
- Peter Mullan
- Writer(s):
- Peter Mullan
- Producer(s):
- Frances Higson
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Adult Situations, Violence, Nudity, Rape & Sexual Abuse)
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
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- 2002 - The Magdalene Sisters - Ljubljana International Film Festival - Audience Golden Reel Award
- 2003 - The Magdalene Sisters - Los Angeles Film Festival - Audience Award
- 2003 - The Magdalene Sisters - National Board of Review - Freedom of Expression Award
- 2002 - The Magdalene Sisters - Toronto International Film Festival - Discovery Award
- 2002 - The Magdalene Sisters - Venice International Film Festival - Golden Lion
