Brooklyn (2015)

[SallyAlbright]

Has anyone else seen this wonderful film yet? One of the rare adaptations that I liked as much or more than the book. Saoirse Ronan is Oscar-worthy, and I didn't want it to end. 

[A Boston Gal]

Sally, it's on my list as the next thing to see...can't wait! :)

[SallyAlbright]

Sally, it's on my list as the next thing to see...can't wait! :)

Yay! Can't wait to hear what you think :) It's one of those films that I really hope doesn't get overlooked this year. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Saoirse is on Entertainment Weekly's sure-thing Oscar nomination list.

[A Boston Gal]

Yay! Can't wait to hear what you think :) It's one of those films that I really hope doesn't get overlooked this year.

Oh, it was great! Very tender, funny, and charming. Terrific costumes, and set decorations too, although I'm sure that's not the only reason anyone would see it. Loved seeing Julie Walters again. Her presence in a movie is a sure sign that it's a good one.

[methodwriter85]

This movie made me realize that I'm in love with Emory Cohen. Damn, that kid just SOLD me so much on how absolutely, head-over-heels in love with Eilis he was.

 

This was just such a wonderful throwback to those "coming to America" stories that they don't seem to do that much of anymore. It just made me want to live in New York City in the 1950's, when it was full of possibility for young immigrants and you didn't need to be rich just to live in a decent room in Brooklyn.

 

I did like that they did a good job of developing the other life that Eilis could have...a part of me did want her to stay with Domhall Gleeson's character as well, because in some ways he did seem better suited to her than Tony was. But in the end...her heart was with Tony.

[Nidratime]

Just saw this last night. Wonderful little film. I think there was a lot of symbolism inherent in the differences between Eilis' life in the U.S. vs. Ireland and what the two men represented in opposition to each other. Neither man was worthier than the other, but one represented the past and the other the future in broader terms than just who they were as characters. For instance, Jim was planning to live in his parents' home and run the family bar. He was perpetuating the status quo and basically living the life his parents did, even if he suggested he wanted to travel and see the world. (Well, why didn't he *before* he took on all that responsibility?) On the other hand, Tony and his brothers were planning to strike out on their own with no guarantees or a safety net, build a new business based on their skills, including building their own homes -- which mirrored what Eilis was doing, i.e., striking out for America, building a new life and not walking in her parents' shoes and perpetuating the past. That's why the shopkeeper's threats to Eilis was a wake-up call to her and she realized the cozy familiarity she was sinking back into during her trip "home" -- including taking her sister's job -- was actually not benevolent but was potentially stifling and restrictive. It wasn't her anymore.

[Nidratime]

Just saw this posted somewhere else -- a description of a deleted scene:

 

http://fans-of-emory-cohen.tumblr.com/post/124172358101/haha

[KatWay]

Saoirse Ronan is amazing and I hope she wins some awards for this performance. She absolutely carries this movie and in a not at all flashy part at that.

 

Script wise it was a bit cheesy for me and honestly, Eilis and Tony getting married before she went back just took out any suspense at all if she was going to go back to the US. As soon as they actually went and tied the knot it was only a matter of "when" and not "if" she would go back, so I wonder if it might not have been more interesting to only have them get engaged. I really wasn't feeling Tony, so I was a bit disappointed Eilis didn't end up with Jim. Even though, yeah, the narrative was obviously setting Tony/America up as the right choice. 

 

So all in all the movie itself, while cute, was a bit predictable for me but Ronan's performance was really wonderful. She really does seem like a young Cate Blanchett to me in how she disappears into her roles. I can't think of any other young actress who does subtlety that well.

[methodwriter85]

Saoirse Ronan is amazing and I hope she wins some awards for this performance. She absolutely carries this movie and in a not at all flashy part at that.

 

Script wise it was a bit cheesy for me and honestly, Eilis and Tony getting married before she went back just took out any suspense at all if she was going to go back to the US. As soon as they actually went and tied the knot it was only a matter of "when" and not "if" she would go back, so I wonder if it might not have been more interesting to only have them get engaged. I really wasn't feeling Tony, so I was a bit disappointed Eilis didn't end up with Jim. Even though, yeah, the narrative was obviously setting Tony/America up as the right choice.

 

Honestly, I was on the opposite end, where I really liked Tony and I was anxious about whether or not she'd go back, and then I started really liking Jim.

 

But yeah, it does kind of fall into the whole "the right choice is always the blue-collar guy with a heart of gold instead of the sensitive rich boy who's smart and kind."

[Crs97]

Script wise it was a bit cheesy for me and honestly, Eilis and Tony getting married before she went back just took out any suspense at all if she was going to go back to the US. As soon as they actually went and tied the knot it was only a matter of "when" and not "if" she would go back, so I wonder if it might not have been more interesting to only have them get engaged. I really wasn't feeling Tony, so I was a bit disappointed Eilis didn't end up with Jim. Even though, yeah, the narrative was obviously setting Tony/America up as the right choice.

That was my problem with the book, and I had hoped they would fix it for the movie. She married Tony. If they had just been engaged, I could have maybe accepted her growing relationship with Jim. But she was married so I lost all respect for her dithering. And then she gets blackmailed? The book was so good and just jumped the shark; I am disappointed the movie was so faithful.

[Yokosmom]

I think that the Jim/Tony situation was realistic in a way.  I think that she cared for Tony and loved him in a low key way, but I don't think that she was head over heels (he was more into her).  The Jim relationship was a fantasy/running away from reality situation.  What if she had decided to stay in Ireland?  That would have meant a divorce, which was would have been pretty difficult back then.  I simply can't imagine her committing bigamy.  She was playing "let's pretend" with Jim, which, yeah, sucked for him and was pretty crappy on her part, but I think that it wasn't planned and she just sort of fell into it.  I don't think that it was right, but it wasn't necessarily unrealistic, either.

[methodwriter85]

She probably could have gotten away with an annulment, but then again, it seemed like they were both devoutly Catholic.

 

I think the irony of it all is that the future she choose, if things go Tony's family's way, is her living as a suburban housewife in a new Long Island subdivision. (Even though I'm screaming at them to stay in Brooklyn, it doesn't sound like they will.) Then again, I think Tony as presented would have encouraged his wife to use her talents- honestly, her accountant skills probably would have been useful for a start-up homebuilder/mortgage business. Her life in Ireland as presented would have been her as a housewife to Domhall Gleeson's character in a nice big house living among the same people she's always lived with, which is why she choose America.

[methodwriter85]

She probably could have gotten away with an annulment, but then again, it seemed like they were both devoutly Catholic.

 

I think the irony of it all is that the future she choose, if things go Tony's family's way, is her living as a suburban housewife in a new Long Island subdivision. (Even though I'm screaming at them to stay in Brooklyn, it doesn't sound like they will.) Then again, I think Tony as presented would have encouraged his wife to use her talents- honestly, her accountant skills probably would have been useful for a start-up homebuilder/mortgage business. Her life in Ireland as presented would have been her as a housewife to Domhall Gleeson's character in a nice big house living among the same people she's always lived with, which is why she choose America.

[Wishing Well]

...I just realized Tony is Leo from Smash.

Oh god

[Rick Kitchen]

Nice movie.  And Saorsie was great, of course.  There were scenes where she just acted with her face, and you could see her thoughts just in how she held her expression.  I also think Nick Hornby needs an Oscar nom for the writing, and the costumes, as well.  Eilis's period in her life can be seen in what she's wearing.

[Bruinsfan]

That was my problem with the book, and I had hoped they would fix it for the movie. She married Tony. If they had just been engaged, I could have maybe accepted her growing relationship with Jim. But she was married so I lost all respect for her dithering. And then she gets blackmailed? The book was so good and just jumped the shark; I am disappointed the movie was so faithful.

Yeah, my sympathy for Eilish took a massive hit when she opened up that nightstand drawer with all of Tony's unopened letters. Going back to New York and the man who adores her is a happy ending for her, but by that point I wasn't sure if it might not have been better for Tony in the long run if she stayed in Ireland.

[methodwriter85]

Yeah, my sympathy for Eilish took a massive hit when she opened up that nightstand drawer with all of Tony's unopened letters. Going back to New York and the man who adores her is a happy ending for her, but by that point I wasn't sure if it might not have been better for Tony in the long run if she stayed in Ireland.

 

I think Eilish was, in some ways, pretending that the Brooklyn phase of her life was just a passing fancy and it wasn't really real, because she was really enjoying the comforting familiarity of her home, and how things had suddenly opened up with opportunity. That's why she didn't open the letters- Tony would be "real" to her otherwise. It was easy to pretend he wasn't really her husband, because they just got a quickie marriage and all that. Then she was jolted with the realization that Tony was real, she was married, and that her home was with him in America. (Also, that as nice as Ireland was, it wasn't home to her anymore. I loved the subtle thing about her bathing suit showing that.)

Edited December 16, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Empress1]

I think the irony of it all is that the future she choose, if things go Tony's family's way, is her living as a suburban housewife in a new Long Island subdivision. (Even though I'm screaming at them to stay in Brooklyn, it doesn't sound like they will.) Then again, I think Tony as presented would have encouraged his wife to use her talents- honestly, her accountant skills probably would have been useful for a start-up homebuilder/mortgage business. Her life in Ireland as presented would have been her as a housewife to Domhall Gleeson's character in a nice big house living among the same people she's always lived with, which is why she choose America.

I got the impression that she would have been the business accountant - it seemed like Tony was really impressed by her drive and her brains and would have encouraged her.

 

The scene-stealer for me was little Frankie. I thought he was adorable, although mouthy. And I also liked Mrs. McKeogh. I read the book so I was spoiled about which life she chose; I saw this with my mother, who had also read the book (I think she lent it to me) and she'd forgotten, but she said she wasn't sure if Eilis would go back - but she wondered if Eilis would stay out of a duty to her mother. And then we wondered aloud about bringing Mammy back to the States, but I don't think she would have gone.

[SeanC]

The moral of the story:  when your best girl heads back home for a visit, be sure to get her to marry you first.  That'll be your trump card if things get tough.

 

I think the irony of it all is that the future she choose, if things go Tony's family's way, is her living as a suburban housewife in a new Long Island subdivision. (Even though I'm screaming at them to stay in Brooklyn, it doesn't sound like they will.)

Things are going to be going south in Brooklyn over the next few decades anyway, starting with Tony's beloved Dodgers leaving.

 

I agree with the above comments that Eilis marrying Tony beforehand kind of tips the movie's hand as to what will happen, though her falling back into Irish society is kind of presented as a gradual series of attempts to keep her there, Jim's obvious sincerity aside.  I did think it was a bit of a reverse of the stereotype that the Irish guy was clearly the more erudite of the two (sure, he just owns a bar, but he's clearly more sophisticated than Tony; in a lot of movies, the American suitor would be the slicker of the two).  That aside, I thought it was a great movie.  Loved the colours (movies set in the present rarely use colour palettes like that), and, of course, Ronan.

[raezen]

I just saw the film tonight and I loved it. It was beautiful. I thought all the performances were great and it really sold the romance between Eilis and Tony. I don't agree with the criticism about Eilis and Tony getting married before hand. If they hadn't gotten married then that b Mrs. Kelly wouldn't have had a thing to try to blackmail her with and Eilis wouldn't have had her epiphany about her old life vs her new life in America.

I will definitely be looking out for all the actors in this in their future projects.

[Inquisitionist]

But in the end...her heart was with Tony.

 

The movie made it seem that way. From the book, I felt it was more what Tony and Brooklyn represented for her that won out.

[weightyghost]

I really enjoyed the movie, but something really bugged me afterwards and I couldn't quite put my finger on for awhile. And I think maybe some people have dabbed upon it here - I bought the infatuation between Tony and her, and the love on his side. Personally, I wasn't a huge fan of Emory (he was very much the part, but I didn't really get much from him, potentially that's more the writing then anything). So I got her struggle with wanting to stay vs wanting to go because it seemed like she didn't want to marry him in the first place. I hate seeing people being pressured into getting married and it felt very much like that when it was entirely his insecurity that pushed her to marry him before she left.

 

I mean, he was right in the sense that she waffled about coming back, but she should want to come back because she wants to, not out of obligation. So in the end, I guess I would have preferred her to go back to Brooklyn but not to him. She went to the US to better her life, and to have the decision made solely because of a man made me a bit meh. 

 

But it was beautiful shot, and Saorise was wonderful, and it was heartbreaking in the beginning. 

[tennisgurl]

This was probably the only Oscar movie that everyone in my family loved, which in and of itself is very impressive. 

 

I adored this movie, from the sets and the costumes and the period detail and the acting, I just thought it was great. A very quiet movie, but that quietness worked in the movies favor. It had a confidence in itself, that it did not need to be big and showy, it just told a story about (mostly) nice, normal people who went about their lives. 

[annzeepark914]

I loved this movie.  And I've been recommending it to friends, saying that it's an old fashioned movie without the hokiness that was always ruining those old movies.

[ApathyMonger]

Julie Walters to Reprise ‘Brooklyn’ Role in BBC TV Drama Series

[Jac]

I saw this tonight and I loved it.

I thought Saoirse Ronan was wonderful in the role of Ellis and enjoyed the performances of both Dommnhall Gleeson and Emory Cohen.

I loved the story and did not at all mind that Ellis and Tony married before she returned to Ireland. I actually think it was a really strong narrative choice in part because I live a long way from my home and I understand how strong the pull of home can be (sometimes, most of the time I do not regret my decisions at all but it can be hard).

She probably could have gotten away with an annulment, but then again, it seemed like they were both devoutly Catholic.

 

I think the irony of it all is that the future she choose, if things go Tony's family's way, is her living as a suburban housewife in a new Long Island subdivision. (Even though I'm screaming at them to stay in Brooklyn, it doesn't sound like they will.) Then again, I think Tony as presented would have encouraged his wife to use her talents- honestly, her accountant skills probably would have been useful for a start-up homebuilder/mortgage business. Her life in Ireland as presented would have been her as a housewife to Domhall Gleeson's character in a nice big house living among the same people she's always lived with, which is why she choose America.

I think this was very much the 1950s version of the American and indeed the Australian dream. My mum was born in inner-city Sydney in the 1950s and her family moved out to a big lot in the suburbs when she was a child. This was very much seen as advancing in life, especially among immigrant families.

[Traveller519]

After seeing Brooklyn my best actress choice between Ronan and Larson is really tough (and would have been even tougher if Charlize was nominated).

 

This story hits at the heart strings for someone who's ever moved away, dealt with homesickness and felt caught between Old Home, and New Home. Outside of the girls in the sleeper cabin sharing the bathroom, and the shop keeper. I don't think there was a bad person in the movie. Everyone had their motivations, but ultimately were good people.

[Milburn Stone]

I also think Nick Hornby needs an Oscar nom for the writing...

 

Agree. This is what struck me...the sheer number of scenes that could have played out perfunctorily, and like a million scenes you've seen, but didn't, and only because the dialogue was so fackin' good.

[EllieH]

I watched this on a flight this weekend and echo the above sentiments on how good it is!  For those of you who have read the book, is it worth reading after having seen the film?  I had no idea it was based on a novel until the closing credits.

[slf]

A really lovely movie and while I adored Ronan, Gleeson, and Cohen, my favorite moment was when Eilis' sister was sitting at a table with their mother drinking tea, trying to hide her tears. I have been there and it was a sucker punch. Great acting.

 

I thought Tony was a sweetheart (especially when he was trying to get his little brother to help him write to Eilis, and his belief that his poor writing was "puttin' her off readin'") and really liked Gleeson's character as well. Her conflict was believable, I really wanted her to have everything lol.

 

And I was so (pleasantly) shocked to realize that the dark-haired boarder that Eilis lived with was Holly from The Descent. That's quite a difference.

[Milburn Stone]

A minor quibble (or, more of a "I'm not on the same wavelength as this movie" feeling): That new girl in the boarding house who was supposed to be so awful, the one with the curly blond hair--I didn't see what was so awful about her. Yeah, she wasn't really "with it," and maybe was even stupid, and I wasn't surprised that the other boarding house girls shunned her--but I was surprised that Eilis shunned her. Maybe it's true to human nature that she shunned her, but I thought the girl should be treated with a little more kindness and empathy, and it didn't seem like Eilis (who so recently had suffered from loneliness herself) to fail to do so.

 

But maybe I hold my movie protagonists to an unreasonable standard of perfection. :)

Edited March 28, 2016 by Milburn Stone

[Bruinsfan]

It's been a while since I saw the movie, but didn't she reveal herself to be pretty self-absorbed and judgmental when she was at the dance with Eilis? I remember being surprised because I'd figured her for a mousy but nice character that would blossom when given attention by the lead, but she sort of blossomed into awfulness once she felt more secure.

[methodwriter85]

It's been a while since I saw the movie, but didn't she reveal herself to be pretty self-absorbed and judgmental when she was at the dance with Eilis? I remember being surprised because I'd figured her for a mousy but nice character that would blossom when given attention by the lead, but she sort of blossomed into awfulness once she felt more secure.

 

That was my memory of the scene, too. She just started ranting about how they were all bitches and that's when Eillis decided she was a lost cause.

 

 

A really lovely movie and while I adored Ronan, Gleeson, and Cohen, my favorite moment was when Eilis' sister was sitting at a table with their mother drinking tea, trying to hide her tears. I have been there and it was a sucker punch. Great acting.

 

You do have to feel for her sister. I read her as being very happy for Eillis, but also know that she was sick and realizing that she would never get to lead anything but the life she was leading right now.

 

The movie just hit home with me so much. I'm living with my mother right now, who's heading into her elderly years right now, and I'm all she has left as her other kids have their own families and her live-in boyfriend just died, so I'm struggling hard to make the move I know I need to make if I want to get out of the dead-end area I live in.

[Scout Finch]

I really want the beaded top that she wore!

[Whimsy]

I just saw this.  I didn't know this was based on a book and had forgotten I had read the book until about 3 minutes into the movie.  Then I remembered that she was going to make a choice between Tony and Jim, but since it was so long ago I had forgotten what choice she had made.  I was quite stressed out while she was back in Ireland.  lol.  I think the suspense would've been more if she hadn't married Tony before going back to Ireland.

 

While I enjoyed this movie and thought the acting was superb, I had no sympathy for Eilis when she was cavorting around town with Jim while poor Tony was sitting at home wondering why his wife wasn't writing back.  I was actively mad at her.  But, overall, a good move that I'm glad I saw!

[Sunny416]

Just saw this movie and loved it; the acting was superb, scenery and costumes were perfect.  I have never read the book, so I didn't know what the ending would be.  I was happy that she returned to New York and I think that the nosy shop owner was the wakeup call she needed so she would realize that she really didn't want to stay in her hometown in Ireland.  I am confused about one thing though, so hopefully someone can set me straight.  Did her sister die of an illness or suicide?  When the mother found her on the floor her head was near the heater and I thought maybe she gassed herself. And the sister did seem a bit jealous and sad about her younger sister's good fortune in New York, because she knew she was stuck in Ireland with her mother to take care of. But, later on the mother told someone she died of her "sickness".  So I wasn't clear if she had killed herself and the mother and priest just covered it up, or it really was an illness.  Anyone??

[Crs97]

As I recall from the book, her sister knew she was dying and wanted to help Eilis have a chance at a meaningful life by getting her out of Ireland. No suicide. I still haven't gotten a chance to see the movie.

[Bruinsfan]

That was my impression from watching the film as well. The sister knew it was just a matter of time before she was going to die, and made it priority #1 to get Eilis out of her mother's house before circumstances could trap her there forever.

[filmfan2480]

It's interesting to me that someone mentioned the scene where Eilis shuns the girl with the curly blonde hair.  I didn't think much of it.  But when I showed this movie to my mom and grandma (both enjoyed it), they both thought it was VERY out of character and rude of Eilis to have done that to her.  Seems that mom and gramms were not the only ones who felt that way.  :)

[BooBear]

I enjoyed the movie. I think given how movies today are just rehashes, it was nice to see what seemed like an original simple story (even if it was based on a book).  I did have a bad taste in my mouth of how Ellis seemed angling to choose what was best for her at the end no matter who got hurt. It was only when Mrs. Kelly confronted her that Ellis chose but in a way she had no choice at that point.  But I get the sense that she liked Tony more than Jim it was just the lure of home that was competing with Tony.

I want to live in 1950's new york with that beaded shirt.

So what was up with mom at the end? When Ellis told her mom she was married I thought mom might kill herself? Also why couldn't Tony and her bring mom over to live with them?

[methodwriter85]

On 5/1/2016 at 6:10 PM, filmfan2480 said:

It's interesting to me that someone mentioned the scene where Eilis shuns the girl with the curly blonde hair.  I didn't think much of it.  But when I showed this movie to my mom and grandma (both enjoyed it), they both thought it was VERY out of character and rude of Eilis to have done that to her.  Seems that mom and gramms were not the only ones who felt that way.  :)

No, Eilis did it because the blonde girl was being a total heel and bitching about her new roommates, whereas Eilis actually knew the girls she was calling "bitches" and didn't care for some new person to slag off on them.

Quote

So what was up with mom at the end? When Ellis told her mom she was married I thought mom might kill herself? Also why couldn't Tony and her bring mom over to live with them?

Because her mother thought Eilis was going to marry the richest guy in town, and she would be taken care of and kept company by her daughter in her old age.

Basically, her mother was selfish and the older daughter knew that about her, which is why she did her best to get Eilis out of the house before her mother started ruling her life.

[Milburn Stone]

6 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

No, Eilis did it because the blonde girl was being a total heel and bitching about her new roommates, whereas Eilis actually knew the girls she was calling "bitches" and didn't care for some new person to slag off on them.

It's been a while, but the way I remember it, the girls she was bitching about were bitches to her, and so I was a bit sympathetic to her complaint. And since Eilis was aware of that as well (you could see that she was, at the dinner table), I expected a touch more compassion from her.

But maybe we were meant to understand (from blonde girl's remarks at the dance) that the girls had reason to be bitchy to her? That Eilis was basically saying to herself, "Oh, now I get it"? Maybe, but the movie didn't get that across to me.

Edited August 16, 2016 by Milburn Stone

[BooBear]

18 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Because her mother thought Eilis was going to marry the richest guy in town, and she would be taken care of and kept company by her daughter in her old age.

Basically, her mother was selfish and the older daughter knew that about her, which is why she did her best to get Eilis out of the house before her moter started ruling her life.

No but my question was why did her mom have that kind of reaction. Not upset with Ellis or cry or want to spend time with her because she knew she wouldn't see her for a while or even as if she could come to America? Or ask about her husband. Instead she just turned off and went to bed like she would never see Ellis again or would never talk to her again. Bully on her to find out in a just a few years Planes would be around.  I wonder if Ellis married Tony for that reason -- that she knew it was the trump card if her mom was pushing.

[methodwriter85]

Because she was disowning Eilis and Eilis was essentially dead to her. I thought that was made pretty clear.

[jah1986]

12 hours ago, methodwriter85 said:

Because she was disowning Eilis and Eilis was essentially dead to her. I thought that was made pretty clear.

Okay, I just watched this again last weekend and I did not suspect this at all.  Is this more heavily implied in the book? This thought just never occurred to me.

[Athena]

The ending of the movie and the book with Eilis and her mother are more less the same. The book is probably less "cold" about it the way they portrayed in the movie.

I think Eilis' mum does not show emotion easily and change is hard for her. I don't think she disowned Eilis outright, but something to understand about immigration and migration in families now but especially in the past, your lives would be completelsy separate and removed. I think for a woman like her mother who had lost a husband and a daughter already, seeing Eilis leave again would be difficult. It's easy now to say she'll be moved to America or they'll have regular contact, but it was not like that in those days. Even now, migrants spend years and decades without going back to their home countries because of finances and having their own families. Her mother knew that Eilis being married meant that she would have her own life and she may not see her daughter again. It was hard for her to adapt to the change. In that time and in traditional families, younger daughters were obligated to look after their parents. It was the culture that fostered that too. The novel and movie is ultimately about Eilis's journey as a migrant between two cultures and two homes. When you migrate across space and culture like that, you do change and transform, but change is hard on everyone so you break some people's hearts (and your own) a little when it happens.

[cpcathy]

Watched this last night, and frankly, I kinda loved it. Beautifully shot, well-acted, I haven't seen Room but I sure hope Ronan came in second in the Oscar race, at least! Really fell for the romance when I hadn't expected to, and I might be alone but I did not really know for sure that she would go back to Brooklyn, I "mentally" yelled at the screen, "Go back! Go back!" And I want all of Eilis' clothes, but only after she became more confident!

[methodwriter85]

7 hours ago, cpcathy said:

Watched this last night, and frankly, I kinda loved it. Beautifully shot, well-acted, I haven't seen Room but I sure hope Ronan came in second in the Oscar race, at least! Really fell for the romance when I hadn't expected to, and I might be alone but I did not really know for sure that she would go back to Brooklyn, I "mentally" yelled at the screen, "Go back! Go back!" And I want all of Eilis' clothes, but only after she became more confident!

I mean, I'm what Sex and the City called a "straight gay man" (meaning no fashion sense), and I remember absolutely loving her green sweater early in the movie. Green is such a wonderful color on pale people.

Hmm, makes sense about her mother. It did basically feel like, for all intents and purposes, Eilis was dead to her. Maybe not as maliciously as I thought, but the idea of separate lives, instead of the life as Domhal's Gleeson's pampered wife that she had pictured for her.

[methodwriter85]

Just re-watched it on DVD. It holds up well. I definitely changed my opinion of the end scene with Eilis and her mother- I don't think she's really disowning the daughter, but more along the lines of, "Well, you're making your bed, and now you're going to lie in it. I know you understand that I'm not going to tuck you in."

Emory really did sell the hell out of how utterly devoted he was to Eilis. He gave off that "wolves mate for life" vibe to him. The ending with her choosing him was so sweet.

I did feel really bad for the eldest Weasely brother, though. I did think he was attracted to the spark she had developed in the Americas, and he was in rebound mode after a failed relationship, which is why he never really thought about the fact that it was kind of strange that they kept going on dates and she didn't even kiss him. (Did she? It really doesn't look like they ever consummated even the first base.) I think both of them got caught up in a fantasy- the ordinary shop girl he never looked at before suddenly came back as a glamorous American, and she suddenly had all these options in Ireland that she never had before.

Anyway, in any event, I'm glad Saoirse FINALLY had her career defining adult role. Her transition from child star to adult star hasn't been easy, and the fact that she can boast about being nominated for an Oscar two times before the age of 25 is pretty cool.

Edited December 5, 2016 by methodwriter85