'Philomena' with Judi Dench & Steve Coogan: A first glimpse
It’s Oscar time….
Judi Dench and Steve Coogan play ‘unlikely friends’ in Philomena, the moving, funny and at times shocking true story of one woman’s search for a lost son. Coogan, in a complete 180 degree departure from his recent alter ego film release of Alpha Papa: Alan Partridge, also produced and co-wrote the film with Jeff Pope. The film is directed by BAFTA winning director, Stephen Frears, the man behind such critically-acclaimed movies as High Fidelity and The Queen.
Philomena tells the true story of Philomena Lee, who was sent away to a convent to be looked after as a ‘fallen woman’, having become pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952. Her son was taken away from her at the age of 3 by the nuns for adoption in America. Forced to vow she would never seek him, Philomena fought her vow and spent the next 50 years searching for her lost son. With the help of journalist, Martin Sixsmith, Philomena travels to America to find her lost son.
Having virtually no success for 50 years, she meets Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happens to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off to America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son, but also create an unexpectedly close bond between Philomena and Martin.
Sixsmith’s book ‘The Lost Child Of Philomena Lee’ was published in 2009 and has acted as a catalyst for thousands of adopted Irish children and their ‘shamed’ mothers to come forward to tell their stories. Many are still searching for their lost families.
Philomena will open in the UK and Ireland on November 1, 2013 with a U.S. premiere not too far behind, hopefully. Coogan looks great and another Oscar nomination looks to be in Dame Judi Dench’s future.
