Bobbie's Girl

While Bernadette Peters and Rachel Ward did a good job of playing a couple that is suddenly presented with a 10 your old child, while dealing with other crisis. The boy who plays Allan stole this movie, he was so adorable and convincing, he is going to be a great actor someday. Watch this movie if only to see his performance, you will not be disappointed.

My wife and I both enjoyed the movie. Nothing earth shaking, just a pleasant enough way to spend an hour and a half. Since all we know of Ireland is what we can remember from having motored around the southern end of it roughly 300 years ago we aren't troubled by a knowledge of the reality of that country either.

I really wish that movies that come to Canada could bear ratings that reflect the accepted standards of this country. After all, marriages between women are now legal here and there was nothing in this movie in the least lascivious, so why such a misleading label?

I suppose that my only concern about suggesting such a thing is that it might bring back the silly days of the government censors.

After the death of his parents a 10-year-old orphan is sent to live with an aunt he's never seen, a brusque woman in a lesbian relationship who lives in a gay bar she owns. Not everybody is thrilled with the assignment, especially the boy's grandfather, but surprisingly little is made of community disapproval. Instead, the focus is on the relationships among the various characters. Luckily, the writing and acting are outstanding, especially Rachel Ward and Bernadette Peters as the lesbian partners and, in the best role I've seen him in, Jonathan Silverman as the gay "uncle", who works in the bar. The fact that the boy is also working in a gay bar, and apparently will be growing up there, doesn't seem to bother anybody, least of all the boy. Thomas Sangster, the 11-year-old actor who plays the part, gives a highly intelligent and affecting performance. Perhaps it's in his genes: he's the cousin of Hugh Grant.

The quality that makes this movie such a joy to watch are the relationships between the primary characters. The relationship between Bailey and Bobbie "feels" real. Both Ward and Peters convey the familiarity of long established relationships. A tacit acceptance of the good qualities and foibles that all couples deal with in each other.

I had never seen Sangster in any films before this. I was deeply impressed with the abilities of an actor so young to convey complex feelings without words. Dread and hope expressed side by side. His attempts to bond with his aunt and Bailey are artfully portrayed, with just enough success and frustration to feel genuine.

As the uncle, Jonathan Silverman provides a balanced portrayal of self effacing humor and sensitivity. In the character of Uncle David Allen is able to see that other ways of living that are completely alien to his very proper British up bringing.

A warm and hopeful film. It's characters, their relationships, and the personal growth that occurs in each of them make it a genuine joy to watch.

Some how I seemed to have missed this film and was not certain if I was going to like the theme of this story. It did not take me very long before I was spellbound with each character in the film and my heart went out to the young boy and the threat of breast cancer and the great warm and lovely love between two same sex gals. Bernadette Peters,(Bailey Lewis)," Snow Days",'99, gave an outstanding performance along with Rachel Ward,(Roberta Langham),"The Ascent",'94. Bailey & Roberta were madly in love with each other and their co-worker Jewish friends made quite a combination of team players. The background and photography in Ireland was a perfect location. If you love someone very very deeply, don't miss out on the opportunity of sharing your entire life with them. Great Story About LOVE!