Brooklyn (2015)
Brooklyn is a 2015 historical romantic drama film directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby, based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Irish author Colm Tóibín. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who emigrates from County Wexford to Brooklyn, New York, in the 1950s.
Production
The film was directed by John Crowley and adapted for the screen by Nick Hornby from Colm Tóibín's novel. It was produced by Finola Dwyer and Amanda Posey.
Filming took place in Ireland and Canada, with locations used to recreate both 1950s Ireland and Brooklyn.
Setting
The story takes place primarily in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland, and Brooklyn, New York, during the early 1950s. The contrast between the two locations reflects Eilis's emotional struggle between her Irish origins and the new identity she develops in America.
Plot
In the early 1950s, Eilis Lacey lives with her mother and older sister, Rose, in the small Irish town of Enniscorthy, County Wexford. Eilis struggles to find meaningful employment and has few prospects for an independent future. Through arrangements made by Rose and Father Flood, a priest living in Brooklyn, Eilis is given the opportunity to immigrate to the United States.
After an emotional farewell to her family, Eilis travels by ship to New York. The journey is difficult, and she suffers from severe seasickness. Upon arriving in Brooklyn, she moves into a boarding house run by the strict but caring Mrs. Kehoe, where she lives with several other young Irish women.
Eilis finds employment at a department store and begins taking evening accounting classes. Although she gradually becomes more independent, she is initially overwhelmed by homesickness and struggles to adapt to American life. Father Flood recognizes her difficulties and helps her obtain an opportunity to study accounting, encouraging her to build a future for herself.
Eilis eventually becomes more comfortable in Brooklyn and begins dating Tony Fiorello, a young Italian-American plumber. Their relationship develops gradually, and Tony introduces her to his large, close-knit family. Eilis realizes that she is falling in love with him.
Their relationship becomes serious, and Tony proposes marriage. Eilis secretly marries him in a civil ceremony before returning to Ireland for a visit.
While Eilis is in Ireland, tragedy strikes when Rose unexpectedly dies. Eilis remains with her mother, grieving and helping her through the loss. During her stay, she becomes increasingly involved in the social life of Enniscorthy and attracts the attention of Jim Farrell, a respectable young Irish man from a well-established family.
Jim's interest in Eilis creates a new possibility for her. She could remain in Ireland, close to her mother and surrounded by the familiar life she once missed, while potentially beginning a relationship with Jim. Meanwhile, Tony remains in Brooklyn, waiting for her return.
Eilis becomes increasingly torn between her old life in Ireland and the new life she has built in America. The conflict forces her to confront the extent to which she has changed since leaving Ireland.
Eventually, Eilis encounters a woman who knows about her secret marriage to Tony. Realizing that her secret could be exposed, Eilis understands that she can no longer pretend that she is free to begin a new life with Jim.
Eilis returns to Brooklyn and reunites with Tony. She tells her mother that she has made her choice, accepting that Brooklyn has become her home and that her future lies with Tony.
The film ends with Eilis confidently embracing the life she has chosen, having transformed from a homesick young immigrant into an independent woman capable of deciding her own future.
Main Themes
* Immigration and identity
* Homesickness and belonging
* Love and marriage
* Family and loss
* Coming of age
* The conflict between the old world and the new world
* Choosing one's own future
Principal Cast
- Saoirse Ronan — Eilis Lacey
- Emory Cohen — Tony Fiorello
- Domhnall Gleeson — Jim Farrell
- Julie Walters — Mrs. Kehoe
- Jim Broadbent — Father Flood
- Fiona Glascott — Rose Lacey
- Jane Brennan — Mrs. Lacey
- Jessica Paré — Miss Fortini
- Eva Birthistle — Georgina
Rating: 10 Stars
