My Left Foot (1989) User Reviews

Daniel Day-Lewis Is The Greatest Actor Ever!

[g-bodyl · 9/10 · 25 March 2014]

After watching The Left Foot, I have came to the conclusion that Daniel-Day Lewis the greatest actor alive and perhaps the greatest actor ever! But for the film itself, it's a powerful film that's well directed, well-acted, masterfully written, and provokes a good amount of emotion. But most of all, it spreads awareness about this handicap. Cerebral Palsy is something people should know about this and while not a propaganda piece, this film does a good job on giving the audience information about this disorder.

Jim Sheridan's film tells the biography of a man named Christy Brown. Born with cerebral palsy, the story goes from his tough childhood to his even tougher adulthood where he becomes an expert writer and painter despite the fact he only has mobility with his left foot.

Now on to Daniel Day-Lewis. I think people would agree with me on where I stand with him as an actor. He puts every ounce of effort into his roles and he acts as if he is actually the character he is portraying. After his roles in "In the Name of the Father", "Lincoln", "Gangs of New York", and "There Will Be Blood," I can honestly say he is the best actor ever. Also, I must single out Brenda Fricker in this role as Christy's mother because she does such an amazing job.

Overall, My Left Foot is a wonderful film that tells a story of a condition that many people must suffer through. I am glad there is a film that brings proper awareness to the condition and hence, much emotion is provoked. On technical terms, this film not the best since I felt it could use just a little better editing. But story-wise, yes it is perfect. I rate this film 9/10.

Despite a disingenuous ending, a film you really should see.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 13 July 2013]

This film is about the life of Christy Brown--a man who, despite being almost completely disabled, was able to make something of himself and prove that every life is of value. When he was born in 1932, doctors recommended to his parents that Christy be placed in a home for the disabled--in other words, a 'warehouse' where he would have been dumped. However, despite his severe cerebral palsy, his parents brought him home and raised him despite the odds--a real oddity for that period of time. The story follows Christy from his birth until has later years when he eventually gained fame for his art as well as his autobiography, "My Left Foot"--named that because it was his only usable limb.

When you watch the film, you will marvel at the acting. While Daniel Day-Lewis received the Oscar for his great and very realistic portrayal of Brown, I am not sure why the child who played Brown as a child didn't get some sort of recognition--as he was great also. And, I especially appreciated it because too often child actors are, to put it bluntly, terrible. Yet, Hugh O'Conor was every bit as wonderful as Day-Lewis.

On the other hand, once again, the history teacher in me strikes again. As I watched this biopic about the Irish author/painter Christy Brown, I couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that the ending painted a completely false picture of the man's final years. In this Hollywood-like ending, Brown apparently has a very happy final years. However, this was NOT at all true---and his final years were quite pathetic--filled with alcoholism and an an early death. I really don't think the film needed the happy ending and knocked a point off for this.

Still, overall an exceptional film--one well worth your time.

Brilliant performance

[ashkxii · 9/10 · 4 July 2006]

The most important thing about this movie is the brilliant performance by Daniel Day-Lewis and Hugh O'Conor as Christy Brown, guineas artist and fighter who despite of her physical condition overcame all the odds. As a person who did work with patients with cerebral palsy, I can assure you that their performance were shockingly convincing. The enormous support that Christy got form his family, low-income, working class Dubliners, encouraged him to do the impossible and this picture depicted this support brilliantly have not read the book, but the dialogs were written wisely to capture Christy Brown's witty arrogant personality. I do recommend this movie to everyone, especially to classic movie-lovers.

A remarkable film and performances by Day-Lewis and Fricker

[llltdesq · 10/10 · 30 December 2001]

Let me state at the outset that I have Cerebral Palsy and I went into this film expecting to have to make allowances for the lead performance. I left the theater half-convinced that they'd cast an actor who had Cerebral Palsy in the role, even though I knew that was not the case. The performances were generally excellent, with a special nod to Brenda Fricker and to Hugh O'Conner (I believe that's his name) as the young Christy Brown. Christy is talented, brash, arrogant, at times vulgar and petulant-in other words, human. This film, along with Gaby: A True Story and the documentary King Gimp, are excellent portrayals of life with CP. By no means a complete portrait, but fine examples of the disabled as human beings. Most highly recommended.

It's the Daniel Day-Lewis show!!

[jafar-iqbal · 10/10 · 11 December 2013]

'My Left Foot' is the remarkable story of Christy Brown, born into a working-class Irish family with cerebral palsy. Growing up in a life full of poverty and extreme prejudice, Christy defied everyone's expectations. Using his left foot, the only part of his body he had proper control over, the young man learned to write and paint.

I could spend this review talking about the film's excellent portrayal of working class Ireland, and the working class Irish family specifically. I could talk about how the film does a good job of showing how the attitudes towards Christy Brown changed as Ireland's own political landscape changed. I could probably also talk about the role of women in Christy's life, from his mother and sisters, to the loves in his life. All of these things are worthy of mention.

However, when talking about 'My Left Foot', there is one thing that stands out above everything else; that being Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis had already proved his acting chops in the excellent 'My Beautiful Laundrette, but it was this movie that put him on the map globally. And rightly so: he is absolutely fantastic as Christy Brown.

Acting is difficult at the best of times, when you're playing a fully-functioning human being. What Day-Lewis achieves, therefore, is even more admirable. It is an extremely effective and realistic portrayal of someone suffering from cerebral palsy, and the actor goes gung-ho with both the physicality expressiveness required for the role. It is a joy to watch.

An honourable mention also needs to go to Hugh O'Conor, who plays the younger Brown. I can only assume that it is even harder for a child to go through the rigours that the role requires, but O'Conor is brilliant. What makes the character difficult to play is that, in trying to make it look real physically, the emotion required can be lost. Both actors avoid that problem with what seems like relative ease: at no point does the efficacy or emotion of the moments falter.

All the other stuff mentioned above are worthy of talking about, if I intended to write a longer review. But for this small thing, I think it is more than enough to say that 'My Left Foot' deserves to be seen just for this landmark Daniel Day-Lewis performance. Whatever you may think of the film as a whole, or whether you care about the story of Christy Brown or not, it is secondary to the simple appreciation for an actor at the top of his game.

One of the greatest screen performances:

[Galina_movie_fan · 10/10 · 27 February 2007]

Daniel Day Lewis is one of the best actors of our time and one of my favorites. It is amazing how much he throws himself in each of the characters he plays making them real.

I remember, many years ago, we had a party in our house - the friends came over, we were sitting around the table, eating, drinking the wine, talking, laughing - having a good time. The TV was on - there was a movie which we did not pay much attention to. Then, suddenly, all of us stopped talking and laughing. The glasses did not clink, the forks did not move, the food was getting cold on the plates. We could not take our eyes off the screen where the young crippled man whose entire body was against him and who only had a control over his left foot, picked up a piece of chalk with his foot and for what seemed the eternity tried to write just one word on the floor. When he finished writing that one word, we all knew that we had witnessed not one but three triumphs - the triumph of a human will and spirit, the triumph of the cinema which was able to capture the moment like this on the film, and the triumph of an actor who did not act but who became his character.

Jim Sheridan's "My Left Foot" is an riveting, unsentimental bio-drama about Christy Brown, the man who was born with cerebral palsy in a Dublin slum; who became an artist and a writer and who found a love of his life.

I like every one of Day Lewis's performances (I have mixed feelings about his performance in GONY) but I believe that his greatest role was Christy Brown in "My Left Foot"

One of the best performances by an actor in the last decade.

[bluetwin · 10/10 · 9 November 1999]

I am in awe of Daniel Day-Lewis' acting in this movie. I can't think of anyone else who could have portrayed the real-life writer Christy Brown as well as he does. He doesn't just portray the ravages of cerebral palsy of his character but the intelligence, humour, courage and love of the man. The character also is not deemed a saint but allowed to have humanity - the foul mouth and love of booze and women. If a movie can be called inspiring than this has to be it.

Lewis and Brenda Fricker as his mother both won Oscars and Ray McAnally as his father also deserved one. The movie is well directed by Jim Sheridan with whom Lewis again worked with in the excellent In The Name Of The Father as well as The Boxer.

A Profoundly Rich & Moving Experience

[CinemaClown · 11 October 2013]

Notable for marking the commencement of Daniel Day-Lewis' personal version of method acting, My Left Foot presents the widely acclaimed actor pushing himself to the extreme in what is undoubtedly one of the proudest works of his acting career. And even though the film doesn't have anything else to offer, the performances are strong enough to keep the viewers engaged.

Based on the autobiography of the same name, My Left Foot tells the story of Christy Brown; an Irishman who was born with cerebral palsy but despite his handicap went on to become an artist & writer, all with the help of the only thing he could fully control: his left foot. The film covers his upbringing in a poor family, his daily struggles, discovery of new passions & also his stint with love.

Wonderfully directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is heartwarming & heartbreaking at the same time, and is an inspiring insight into the life of Christy Brown that makes the viewers go through various emotions, but pity isn't one of them. The technical aspects are finely executed & have nothing special going on but it's in the performances where the film manages to make the most lasting impression.

There are three key performances that are worth noting here. First is Daniel Day-Lewis who delves into his character like never before & plays him from inside-out. Next is Brenda Fricker who strongly chips in as Christy's mother. And last we have Hugh O'Connor who is as good as Day-Lewis for his portrayal of young Christy Brown sets up a perfect stage for Day-Lewis to take over.

On an overall scale, My Left Foot is a touching tale about the indomitable will of the human spirit to triumph against all odds, and succeeds mainly because of the unforgettable performances from its highly committed cast. But even if the film is entirely dependent on its acting strength, it still makes up for a rich cinematic experience that comes as a must for Daniel Day-Lewis' admirers as well as critics.

Not the Epic Movie I Thought it Would Be,but Daniel Day-Lewis is an Incredible Actor,

[lesleyharris30 · 7/10 · 17 July 2013]

My Left Foot: The Story of Christy Brown is a great movie with a very well developed storyline and a very impressive cast.I thought this movie would be incredible but in wasn't nearly as good as I expected.I found it very boring at times,but Daniel Day-Lewis really made this movie what it is,his acting is incredible and inspired and he deserved the Academy Award for his performance,but I don't think Brenda Fricker did,I didn't find her performance that impressive.The movie did tell us the story of Christy Brown perfectly and put us in his position all the way through,but I am Irish,and I thought this movie would make me feel very proud of my country,other than Daniel Day-Lewis,it didn't really.If you enjoy dramatic biography movies and Daniel Day-Lewis,this movie certainly is a must see,but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I thought it would.

Adaption of Christy Brown's autobiography of how he overcame cerebral palsy to become an artist and author.

In one word: inspirational

[Klaatu-18 · 10/10 · 8 May 1999]

As someone who has lived with cerebral palsey for over forty years, I find this movie to be inspirational. If someone with such a severe case of CP as Christie Brown has can do so much, then there's no reason that I couldn't achieve my own dreams. Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker both give awesome performances.

Daniel Day-Lewis deserved all of his acting awards...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 24 May 2007]

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS does a remarkable job of playing Christy Brown, the artist who grew up with cerebral palsy but managed to have a productive life, dealing successfully with his handicap and becoming a respected artist and writer.

The film, however, is a very difficult one to review--or even watch. Fortunately, I had the caption feature on to catch every spoken word which would have been impossible if I saw the film in a theater. While I respect it as a brave piece of work dealing with difficult subject matter, I can't say it's the sort of film I'd want to view more than once.

Nevertheless, my attention was held by the story-telling device, a flashback framed by the present, in which we see Christy being honored for his achievements before we see the flashback to his youth and his struggles to communicate with those around him, who certainly gave him loving care.

DANIEL DAY-LEWIS certainly is remarkable as the troubled man who falls in love with a therapist (FIONA SHAW), much to his mother's fear that when the love is not reciprocated his heart will be broken. There's a painfully long scene in a restaurant where he confesses his love to her before others and then goes into a frenzied rage after drinking too much.

BRENDA FRICKER does a brilliant job as the mother taking care of him, his father and a brood of siblings while struggling to keep a roof over their heads until Day-Lewis begins to have success with his work. She complements Day-Lewis' performance as the warm-hearted mother and shares many poignant moments with him.

Richly detailed story of a family that stayed together under the most unusual of circumstances with attention to period detail in every frame of the film. Both Fricker and Day-Lewis won Oscars, but HUGH O'CONOR and RAY McANALLY are also excellent. O'Conor is Christy as a boy and McAnally is the father who spends too much time at the local pub but loves the boy.

Summing up: Elmer Bernstein's music is an added plus factor. Well worthwhile, but definitely not a film for everyone.

You can't deny that Daniel Day-Lewis is the world's most devoted actor.

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 15 August 2005]

Even if you know absolutely nothing about Ireland, you have to love "My Left Foot" (and especially Daniel Day-Lewis' performance in it). He plays cerebral palsy-afflicted Christy Brown. Due to this, he has spent most of his life ostracized. Even when trying to warn people about something, they just laugh at him. The light in the darkness for him is that he has control over one body part: his left foot. He uses that appendage to paint and write poetry, bringing him to prominence.

Daniel Day-Lewis and director Jim Sheridan did very well on this collaboration, and also on a later collaboration: "In the Name of the Father" (but "The Boxer" was unnecessary). "My Left Foot" can make you feel many ways: sad, hopeful, or something else. But in any case, Daniel Day-Lewis gave the performance of a lifetime here. A great movie in every sense.

Day-Lewis is phenomenal but the film shows it's age

[BigJimNoFool · 7/10 · 6 April 2020]

Daniel Day-Lewis deserved all the praise he got for this and i was glad to see Brenda Fricker get the accolades too for her outstanding performance. The script and style are of the time and it didnt feel emotionally engaged enough to feel the real frustrations of the characters on screen which made this a very good movie but not in my eyes an exceptional one.

Inaccurate and unconnected

[AnonymousbutDilpreet002 · 2/10 · 5 July 2018]

The name suggests this the story of Christy brown but the film is far away from reality. The character of Dr. Eileen Cole was completely fictional . There was no such love story in Brown's life . Nothing much was shown about the difficulties that Brown faced due to cerebral palsy . Nothing much about his childhood and how his parents brought him up. The film ended immediately after his marriage because people want happy ending. But in his real life, her wife made his life miserable .

Even if we forget about accuracy, this film still stinks. It's not a biography , it's a collection of some incidents of his life which hardly have any connection. It is supposed to be a story of a man with cerebral palsy but nothing much is shown about Brown's struggle due to that disease. Nothing about the equipments used by the doctors. And not many scenes between Christy and Eileen .

Everybody knows Daniel Day Lewis' acting was great. It's surprising that Hugh O' Connor remained unnoticed . Otherwise, a huuuuge letdown.

Don't feel sorry for this character!

[WalterFrith · 4 March 1999]

Daniel Day-Lewis' almost impossible performance as a man with cerebral palsy earned him a well-deserved Oscar in 1989 for Best Actor over the heavily favoured Tom Cruise in 'Born on the Fourth of July' and Morgan Freeman in 'Driving Miss Daisy'. The Academy was still riding the wave of awarding Dustin Hoffman a second Best Actor prize a year earlier for his performance as a mentally challenged individual in 'Rain Man' and since Day-Lewis' performance was superior to Hoffman's, the Academy had to recognize him. Day-Lewis probably would have won anyway as his performance was hard to ignore and he had never received any acting nominations from the Academy before this film despite turning in great work in such films as 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' and 'My Beautiful Laundrette.'

As Christy Brown, Daniel Day-Lewis makes his character unsympathetic as he doesn't want you to feel sorry for him. He achieved the great success of being an accomplished writer and artist. Director Jim Sheridan directs the film like a series of home movies that millions want to see.

Brenda Fricker won the Oscar as Best Supporting Actress as Brown's mother and she is the real moral centre of the film and this film proves that Hollywood is capable of choosing small, lesser known films for Oscar consideration and 'My Left Foot' is a film that is uplifting without being sentimental.

A Great Performance from Day-Lewis

[JamesHitchcock · 8/10 · 7 April 2008]

A noted cinematic phenomenon of the late eighties and early nineties was the number of Oscars which went to actors playing characters who were either physically or mentally handicapped. The first was Marlee Matlin's award for "Children of a Lesser God" in 1986, and the next ten years were to see another "Best Actress" award (Holly Hunter for "The Piano" in 1994) and no fewer than five "Best Actor" awards (Dustin Hoffman in 1988 for "Rain Man", Daniel Day-Lewis in 1989 for "My Left Foot", Al Pacino in 1992 for "Scent of a Woman", Tom Hanks in 1994 for "Forrest Gump" and Geoffrey Rush in 1996 for "Shine") for portrayals of the disabled. Matlin, who played a deaf woman, is herself deaf, but all the others are able-bodied.

This phenomenon aroused some adverse comment at the time, with suggestions being made that these awards were given more for political correctness than for the quality of the acting. When Jodie Foster failed to win "Best Actress" for "Nell" in 1994 some people saw this as evidence of a backlash against this sort of portrayal. My view, however, is that the majority of these awards were well deserved. I thought the 1992 award should have gone to either Clint Eastwood or Robert Downey rather than Pacino, but apart from that the only one with which I disagreed would have been Hanks', and that was because I preferred Nigel Hawthorne's performance in "The Madness of King George". In that film, of course, Hawthorne played a character who was mentally ill.

"My Left Foot" was based upon the autobiography of the Irish writer and painter Christy Brown. Brown was born in 1931, one of the thirteen children of a working-class Dublin family. He was born with cerebral palsy and was at first wrongly thought to be mentally handicapped as well. He was for a long time incapable of deliberate movement or speech, but eventually discovered that he could control the movements of one part of his body, his left foot (hence the title). He learned to write and draw by holding a piece of chalk between his toes, and went on to become a painter and a published novelist and poet.

Life in working-class Dublin in the thirties and forties could be hard, and the city Jim Sheridan (himself a Dubliner) shows us here is in many ways a grim, grey, cheerless place, very different from our normal idea of the "Emerald Isle". (Sheridan and Day-Lewis were later to collaborate on another film with an Irish theme, "In the Name of the Father"). Against this, however, must be set the cheerfulness and spirit of its people, especially the Brown family. Much of Christy's success was due to the support he received from his parents, who refused to allow him to be institutionalised and always believed in the intelligence hidden beneath a crippled exterior, and from his siblings. We see how his brothers used to wheel him round in a specially-made cart and how they helped their bricklayer father to build Christy a room of his own in their back yard.

The film could easily have slid into sentimentality and ended up as just another heart-warming "triumph over adversity" movie. That it does not is due to a number of factors, principally the magnificent acting. In the course of his career, Day-Lewis has given a number of fine performances, but this, together with the recent "There Will Be Blood", is his best. He is never less than 100% convincing as Christie; his tortured, jerky movements and strained attempts at speech persuade us that we really are watching a disabled person, even though, intellectually, we are well aware that Day-Lewis is able-bodied. The other performances which stand out are from Fiona Shaw as his mentor Dr Eileen Cole, from Hugh O'Conor as the young Christy and from Brenda Fricker as Christy's mother (which won her the "Best Supporting Actress" award).

The other reason why the film escapes sentimentality is that it does not try to sentimentalise its main character. Christy Brown had a difficult life, but he could also be difficult to live with, and the film gives us a "warts and all" portrait. He was a heavy drinker, given to foul language and prone to outbursts of rage. He could also be selfish and manipulative of those around him, and the film shows us all these aspects of his character. Of course, it also shows us the positive aspects- his courage, his determination and his wicked sense of humour. Day-Lewis's acting is not just physically convincing, in that it persuades us to believe in his character's disability, but also emotionally and intellectually convincing, in that it brings out all these different facets of Christy's character. His Oscar was won in the teeth of some very strong opposition from the likes of Robin Williams and Kenneth Branagh, but it was well deserved. 8/10

Can there be a better group of actors in one low-budget film?

[r_j_t_kelly · 10/10 · 16 August 2006]

Seriously, can you imagine such a spread of talent in one film without a huge budget: Daniel Day-Lewis, Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker, Hugh O'Conor AND Fiona Shaw? There's no doubting that Fricker and Day-Lewis deserved their awards: but it would have been entirely justifiable to have seen O'Conor (as Young Christie) and McAnally awarded: the cliché is true here: they don't perform the roles, they inhabit them. Day-Lewis' performance is a tour de force - such a transformation that it is awe-inducing, but it was truly a mark of the Academy's intelligence that alongside this performance, they also honoured Brenda Fricker's beautifully restrained, still and heart-wrenching work as Christie's mother. By the way, if you haven't seen this magnificent actress in "Swann", that's another film well worth checking out for her contribution (and the sublime Miranda Richardson).

"A broken body's nothin' to a broken heart."

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 16 May 2018]

No doubt inspirational, "My Left Foot" is an unflinching look at the life of Christy Brown, born with cerebral palsy and who, with great determination, taught himself to paint with his only usable limb. The character of Christy is portrayed by two remarkable actors, Hugh O'Connor as the young boy, and Daniel Day-Lewis as the adult Christy. The film is not shy about revealing all of the frustration and anger that motivates the man, and in some respects, one will stand in shock at his behavior when things in life do not go his way. His behavior at the dinner party when his language teacher, Dr. Eileen Cole (Fiona Shaw) announced her engagement to Peter (Adrian Dunbar) was one example. His utter rage at an insult against the family, resulting in a barroom brawl was another, so the person was not entirely sympathetic.

There were aspects of the picture that didn't ring true to me, and not having read Christy Brown's autobiography, I have no way of knowing if my observations have merit. But for one, there is not one single example of anyone bullying or making fun of the young Christy as a boy. This seemed rather unbelievable to me, as knowing how cruel kids can be, even when not meaning to, that there were no examples of that kind of behavior. Nor was there any reference to how the parents (Ray McAnally, Brenda Fricker) dealt with their son's bodily functions. This may sound gross or unsympathetic, but someone in the family had to attend to those necessities and it wasn't addressed in any sort of way. The behavior and attitude of Christy's many siblings was also a model of decorum throughout, and one marvels at the idea that there were never any squabbles among them growing up.

As with many of these biopics, I'm always leery about the Hollywood treatment of making a film with the greatest universal appeal, so that also led me to doing a quick search on the real Christy Brown. I was startled to learn that his relationship with Mary Carr (Ruth McCabe) began while he was having an affair with a married American woman who he intended to wed upon her divorce. The marriage to Mary was fraught with it's own set of problems, as she was accused of being an abusive alcoholic and habitually unfaithful. So the movie's feel good ending was not entirely accurate in the way it was portrayed.

Be that as it may, Daniel Day-Lewis is astounding as the adult Christy Brown, having earned a Best Actor Oscar for his efforts. I would almost call it the best performance ever by an actor of a disabled person, but have to qualify that now after having seen Eddie Redmayne's portrayal of Stephen Hawking in 2014's "The Theory of Everything". I'm still puzzled though over Brown's cryptic written words after coming to terms with Eileen Cole's engagement - "All is nothing. Therefore nothing must end." In trying to parse the phrase, anything I come up with doesn't make sense.

A true inspiration, a true artist, but more than anything, a true Irishman....

[ElMaruecan82 · 9/10 · 31 October 2012]

Christy Brown (1932-1981) was a famous Irish painter and writer born in a family of 22 children. The fact that he was one of the 13 survivors is pretty ironic considering the severe condition he was born with: cerebral palsy. Christy couldn't control his body as if he was in a perpetual battle between his muscles and his will, but destiny, in all mercifulness, left him one avenue to communicate: his left foot. Would you think it was thin consolation? For Christy, it was enough: he could grab objects, hit the doors and eventually write and paint, express his thoughts, and his torments, for cerebral palsy never affected his capacity to learn, to understand, even to surpass the others' intelligence and sensitivity. "My Left Foot" is the inspirational story of Christy Brown.

Christy's struggle starts within his own family where everyone is convinced that he would never be able to get an education, although he's loved and treated like a Brown, he's the cripple of the Family, not to say the retarded. One of the hardest to watch scenes of the film occurs when the father (Ray McAnnaly in his last performance) helps his boy to do his homework and has to find out what a quarter of 25% is. For him, it doesn't make sense since 25% is already a quarter but poor Christy Brown gets the answer and desperately tries to write 1/16 with a piece of chalk between his toes, nobody understands. The scene was frustrating and heartbreaking enough to create a totally opposite feeling when Christy writes M-O-T-H- E-R on the floor, the kids cheer, the father is proud and goes buy a drink, Mrs. Brown is overwhelmed, but not that surprised. Hugh O'Connor delivers a magnificent performance, which I'm sure if it was longer, would have earned him more awards.

But behind the obligatory cheers, there are more insightful and more thought-provoking lessons to be learned. Mr. Brown refused to put him in an institution, because it would be a disgrace. At that time, they probably didn't expect him to survive or maybe it would cost money but it's on the basis of this decision that the parents allowed Christy to grow up in a normal background, and not have his inspiration being suffocated by medical assistance. Had Christy been born in a rich family, he wouldn't have become this talented artist, and it's even clearer considering the life he had. Brown was treated equally to his brothers, he was toughened by the street, he played soccer, he drank at pubs, he hit and got hit, he was an Irishman in flesh and blood, and it shows all through the film. The genius of Daniel Day-Lewis' performance is to never let the feeling of a one-note personality but on the contrary, convey through his body language, his facial expressions and his burning eyes, a tormenting passion and a ferocious desire to live like everybody and to be loved, he can love but it's all about being loved.

The 'love' side is plainly occupied by the other powerful performance of the film, Brenda Fricker (who won the Oscar). She's not just the typical Irish mother, who was pregnant during 16 years (I admit, I counted), she incarnates the capability of a mother to understand her boy. Respect and love are important, but understanding someone is sometimes more valuable. She knows what he feels and even foresees the deceptions. In one movingly intelligent scene, she disapproves Christy's growing affection toward the beautiful doctor Eileen Cole (Fiona Shaw). Something isn't right in Christy's voice, too hopeful. Her motherly instinct doesn't fool her because the hope in Christy is quickly destroyed when Eileen reveals that she's going to be married. Daniel Day-Lewis is so powerful that you could literally see his heart being blown into pieces, and the way the situation becomes more and more out of control, reveals a dark, almost creepy, side in his personality, a dependence to alcohol and an almost childish incapability to accept his condition, his heart suffers much more than the body, but who could blame him?

The power of "My Left Foot" is to rather take an ordinary look of low-budgeted TV family drama rather than a grandiose Hollywood- type biopic, which fits the tone of the film. But it's definitely the three-dimensional, vibrating and passionate Oscar-winning performance of Daniel Day-Lewis that reminds you it's not a TV film. However, the movie is not without a few flaws that don't ruin the overall feeling though. At one scene, the father discovers that his wife was saving money for a wheelchair, we wait for his reaction but then it cuts abruptly to him playing with his kid, tickling him. The mother announces that their daughter is going to marry someone because she's pregnant. Mr. Brown's outburst of rage causes Christy to go into a sort of angry trance, trembling and drooling like a rabid dog, he's eager to kill his father. I thought Christy's reaction was disproportionate regarding an attitude than any father would have, much more in that time. It seemed to me that he was supposed to be a hateful character while he was not. The 'porridge' scene was also confusing because it tried to turn Mr. Brown into a real douche-bag while there were more scenes showing pride than animosity between him and Christy, and nothing to show a sort of complicity between Christy and his sister.

Apart from these little details, "My Left Foot" tells a great story, about a great character, it's not perfect, but what the heck: humanity is full of remarkable examples of persons whose talent and hard work allow them to overcame their handicap and to communicate with the rest of the world and if it was not for Jim Sheridan's adaptation of the biographic book "My Left Foot" and for Daniel Day-Lewis' extraordinary performance, many of us wouldn't have heard of Christy Brown.

I never seen such a thing before

[peterafflek · 7/10 · 31 July 2022]

Well Daniel day-lewis performance here gave me the best performance I've ever seen in my life so far

he studied the character physically and mentally and focus on physically because the character mentally isn't complicated but to express and show the feeling of the character with crippled body and nearly frozen face, I thought till a near time it would be impossible

But, he changed my mind and 've shown me new highs I never knew it exists

To be honest this is actors movie because every other element is averaged between normal to weak everything was used to parade Daniel day-lewis performance and I respect this choice because he deserves it and there were supporting characters with great performance and arc

The movie fails to balance between Christy childhood and the rest of the film because his childhood doesn't have a great impact on the story we just could use the vital points not to waste all that time and used it instead in showing us his career development not just to sum it up in two or three scenes.

Terrific Daniel Day-Lewis performance

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 2 September 2014]

Christy Brown is born with cerebral palsy. His father (Ray McAnally) refuses to give him up and he learns to live with controlling only his left foot. His loving mother (Brenda Fricker) tirelessly raise him. As a child (Hugh O'Conor), everybody assumed that he's a simpleton until he wrote MOTHER with chalk. As a young man (Daniel Day-Lewis), he is rejected by the pretty girl. His father loses his job and becomes abusive. He falls for Dr. Cole (Fiona Shaw) treating his cerebral palsy but she's engaged. As an older man, he falls for his nurse Sheila (Alison Whelan).

It's a tough way to act for Daniel Day-Lewis. It's not just the physicality but he has to make sense despite his speech pattern. He has to be understandable without speaking understandable English. It's his anger and his unlikeability that brings out his humanity. He's not playing a saint or a caricature. It's a real person. It's an all-around performance.

A phenomenal performance

[maccas-56367 · 7/10 · 9 December 2019]

If you ever want to watch an incredible acting performance (that is the ultimate showcase of method acting), then check out My Left Foot. Daniel Day Lewis is incredible throughout and well deserving of his Oscar here. Hugh O'Conor was also incredible (and somewhat under-appreciated) as the young Christy Brown.

The pigeon lady from Home Alone 2 (Brenda Fricker) has probably played the kindest characters I've seen in film. Any scene with her and Daniel Day Lewis was instantly heartwarming. The film itself was quite inspirational, without shoving it down your throat or being too sentimental. Emotional me surprisingly didn't shed a tear, which is probably testament to the film not dwelling on sentimental, cheery sweetness.

Some of the downsides were that it took a while for me to get into it. It was mostly bleak and quite grim in both tone and lighting choices which didn't always make it easy to watch. The ending, along with some of the storyline choices didn't always float my boat either.

My Left Foot has definitely given me a whole new appreciation for not only the art of acting, but Daniel Day Lewis and Christy Brown themselves. It makes me want to go read the book it's based on now.

Recommend for those after something a little inspirational, Irish or that is simply a showcase of stellar acting.

Amazing story

[blanche-2 · 9/10 · 31 August 2008]

Daniel Day-Lewis is Christy Brown, a victim of cerebral palsy who uses "My Left Foot" to write and paint in this incredible 1989 film. The movie also stars Brenda Fricker as Christy's mother, Ray McAnally, Fiona Shaw and Hugh O'Conor. Their brilliant performances, great script and wonderful direction by Jim Sheridan help to paint a vivid portrait of Christy Brown, an artist and writer who died in 1981 at the age of 49.

Brown was born into a lower middle-class Catholic family where his mother was constantly pregnant (22 children in total, 13 of whom survived). His father considered Christy mentally retarded as well as physically handicapped, but he would not permit his son to go into a home. The children in the family would bid goodbye to him each day as they went off to school, and then his mother would feed him and talk to him.

In the movie, Fricker conveys the sense of a woman who, despite being surrounded by a huge family, needs someone to talk to. Christy doesn't talk back. Eventually a cart is found for him to ride in, and the neighborhood kids, all of whom have known him since he was a baby, include him in all of their activities. The only part of his body that works really well is his left foot, and when the kids find out how well he kicks, they put him into soccer games for just that purpose. One of the nicest parts of the film is the relaxed way the in which the other children treat him.

There are many powerful scenes, but none as powerful as Christy writing "Mother" on the floor holding a piece of chalk between his toes. "He's a true Brown," his father declares, hoisting him on his shoulders and carrying him to the pub. Walking into the pub, he announces, "My son's a genius." Things change when Christy grows older because he has a young boy's desires and emotions. He develops crushes, is rejected and goes more into himself, turning to painting. Eventually he goes into therapy in a nearby clinic and works with a therapist, Eileen (Fiona Shaw) at home. He falls in love with her. When he finds out she's engaged, he nearly goes crazy. But he survives to live, to paint, to write (three books in total) and to love again.

Because it's a film, by necessity certain things had to be left out and characters combined. Brown wasn't actually diagnosed with cerebral palsy for some time, which was left out of the movie. The therapist Eileen is actually a combination of three important therapeutic figures in Christy's life, and though we know that his mother believed he had a good mind, in truth, she worked very hard with Christy when he was a child teaching him the alphabet, etc. Also, before Mary, Christy had a 12-year relationship with the woman to whom he dedicated "My Left Foot." And the typical Hollywood ending, 9 years before his death where neglect by his wife may have been a factor, doesn't finish the story.

Despite all of that, Christy Brown's biopic is incredibly powerful, all the more so because of two performances: Hugh O'Conor as young Christy and Daniel Day-Lewis as the adult Christy. O'Conor's facial expression and the way he drags his warped body is gut-wrenching. One is exhausted for him and heartbroken at the same time.

And what can be said about Daniel Day-Lewis, one of the greatest actors in the world - he brings Christy totally to life, a fully fleshed out, intelligent human being capable of swearing, becoming angry, bitter, drunk, pushy, lecherous, funny and loving. A well-deserved Oscar won in the same year that Tom Cruise was nominated for "Born on the Fourth of July." I remember someone writing a letter to the editor somewhere that Cruise was so sensational, what was wrong with the Academy? Uh, nothing for a change. Nothing at all.

Brenda Fricker is amazing as Christy's mother, who never stops believing in him and what he can do and who holds her family and husband together during the hard times. The wonderful thing about Fricker's performance is that the support, love and work ethic seem to come naturally to the mother. The character would never consider herself a heroine or as someone doing something out of the ordinary. Fricker shows us a religious but not fanatic woman who believes her duties on earth are to be a good wife and mother. And no matter what, even when her husband is out of work, throws their daughter out of the house for being pregnant, whatever, she manages. She saves money for Christy's wheelchair, she receives photos of her daughter and the baby, she starts building a room for Christy in the back of the house. All part of a day's work. A performance worthy of the Oscar she received.

Brown's life was more complicated than this inspiring film, but this is an amazing achievement by all involved and a must-see.

The performance of Daniel Lewis can in my opinion is better than the own film

[miguelneto-74936 · 7/10 · 28 June 2016]

I watched 6 movies of Daniel Day Lewis including My Left Foot , and of those six only one I thought it was great , the rest was good, nice and average , I expected more from My Left Foot , more is a cool movie , even the movie does not be long, it left me a little bored , the initial moments are interesting , showing the origin of the main character , the acting is good , highlight to Daniel Day-Lewis that their performance is usually better than the film itself , the direction is competent , the soundtrack is very good , photography and beautiful , the script has many problems , some rather superficial dialogues , more My Left Foot is a cool movie , with a very exciting story . Note 7.1

Respect the acting; have CP friends; hated the movie--boring!

[claytonchurch1 · 3/10 · 4 September 2013]

I like Daniel Day-Lewis. I get what he was after (not milking our sympathy and giving an accurate portrayal). That said, this movie was boring. Boring.

First of all, the storyline is just not that great. I realize it's Christy Brown's life. I don't dispute that he's amazing; nor that his mom was amazing; nor his siblings, who, too, are wonderfully loving. It's just not that great a "plot."

Secondly, I can be very emotional, but this movie didn't make me cry, laugh, feel indignant, or teach me any great life lesson. I wasn't inspired, and felt no sense of triumph.

Thirdly, watching the movie was like someone saying to me, "Hey, there's this guy I read about with cerebral palsy. All he could control was his left foot, so he wrote and painted with it. His paintings were actually very good, and he typed with his toe." My response? "Wow" (with no exclamation point). Am I interested to hear more? No. Am I glad he told me? Not really.

Lastly, Daniel Day-Lewis's acting was so good, that I could understand only 15% of his words. Tough to watch a movie when you can't understand the main character. Give me a break. This may be the case with some individuals with severe CP (but not with my CP friends, 90% of whose words I understand), but even if it were the case for Christy Brown, I mean--come on--I'm watching a movie here. Make me a concession. I know, I know. If he were my brother, I'd have to learn. But this is a movie. I've got two hours, not a background of twelve years listening to this guy and thereby learning to understand him. Speak understandably, DDL, for the sake of the movie viewers; we'll still get your point. DDL's unclear speech causes one to try to figure out through the whole movie what he's just said by the context of how everyone else in the movie responds. Let me understand his words. Speak so that I can. Ugghhh.