This is an excellent picture of the life of working-class women on the housing estates ('projects' to Americans,probably as true now as in the 'sixties, as well as being a very good movie for women actors. The men are cyphers but the women and children are real enough. The colour is almost real (compared to Angela's Ashes), the dialogue believable, the dress and make-up accurate, in fact the design of the whole piece is convincing and satisfying visually and its sentimentality is not so sweet as to stick to back of the teeth. Anjelica Huston is unselfish. I have my doubts about Tom Jones' scenes at the end, but nothing's perfect. I find it growing on me as I look back on it.