Agnes Browne

In this gentle '60s-set feel-gooder centering on the indomitable Irish widow Agnes Browne (Anjelica Huston), the untimely death of her husband forces the title character to try to support herself and her seven children by running a fruit stand in Dublin's Market Street, but before she can make a go of it she finds herself deep in the pockets of a loan shark. Complicating her efforts to land back on her feet are the serious illness of her best friend Marion (Marion O'Dwyer), and the unexpected attentions of a local French baker (Gerard Depardieu doppelganger Arno Chevrier), whose protestations of love slowly reawaken Agnes's heart. A warm and winning, though admittedly very light, dramedy, Agnes Browne is a delight up till the very end, when Huston (who also directed) unwisely tacks on a ridiculous Hollywood ending. Still, her deft touch both in front of and behind the camera (and several solid supporting performances, particularly O'Dwyer's), make this Irish slice-of-tough-lifer worth the visit. Recommended. (S. C. Sickles)