Angela's Ashes

Peppered with a bleak, fearless sense of humor and determination, Angela's Ashes brings Frank McCourt's best-selling, strangely fond memoirs of his miserable, impoverished childhood in 1930s Limerick, Ireland vividly to life. From young Frank's shoes resoled with old bicycle tires and his solemn, switch-happy, Catholic schoolteachers to his mother's judgmental family and his drunkard father's broken promises, director Alan Parker's Dickensian adaptation is moving and authentic, if sometimes a little overwrought. While it won't quite resonate for moviegoers the way the book has for legions of loyal readers, the film is, nonetheless, a moving drama that echoes McCourt's distinctive character and obstinate hope. Featuring powerful performances from Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle and a trio of young actors (Michael Legge, Ciaran Owens and Joe Breen) who play Frank through the years, this is recommended and sure to be popular. (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—May 6, 2014—Warner, 145 min., R, $17.99—Making its latest appearance on DVD, 1999's Angela's Ashes boasts a fine transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Extras include two audio commentaries (one with author Frank McCourt; the other with director Alan Parker), a “making-of” featurette (27 min.), cast and crew interviews including Parker and costar Emily Watson (17 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: long out-of-print on DVD, this solid adaptation of Frank McCourt's bestselling memoir is once again available.]