Evelyn

SYNOPSIS

Triumph-over-adversity stories don't come much more manipulative than in this syrupy true-life drama set in 1950s Ireland. A warm, if contrived, account of paternal love, this movie stars Pierce Brosnan as Desmond Doyle, a charismatic single father struggling to bring up three children after his wife abandons them. Doyle is devastated when the authorities force his brood into care and what follows is a poignant, albeit predictable, courtroom battle to get them back. Endearing performances from Stephen Rea, Aidan Quinn and, in particular, Alan Bates as Doyle's legal team add colour and weight to an essentially simplistic tale, and Brosnan's winning charm is in full effect. However, it's Sophie Vavasseur as Doyle's young daughter (the Evelyn of the title) who steals the show. Her bright-eyed and earnest character is a cliché, yet she plays it so beautifully that all but the hardest hearts will melt.