Ash Wednesday (2002 film)

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Ash Wednesday
Ashwednesday2002poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed byEdward Burns
Written byEdward Burns
Produced byEdward Burns
Margot Bridger
StarringEdward Burns
Elijah Wood
Rosario Dawson
Oliver Platt
CinematographyRussell Lee Fine
Edited byDavid Greenwald
Music byDavid Shire
Production
company
Malboro Road Gang Productions
Distributed byFocus Features
IFC Films
Release date
  • May 11, 2002 (2002-05-11) (Tribeca)
  • October 11, 2002 (2002-10-11)
Running time
99 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Box office$2,942

Ash Wednesday is a 2002 crime drama film written, directed, and starring Edward Burns. The film also stars Elijah Wood, and Rosario Dawson. The film is set in the Hell's Kitchen of the early 1980s and is about a pair of Irish-American brothers who become embroiled in a conflict with the Irish mob.

Plot[]

Hell's Kitchen on Ash Wednesday, 1983; rumors are flying that Francis Sullivan's (Edward Burns) younger brother Sean (Elijah Wood), dead for three years, has reappeared. If he wasn't killed by rivals, then old scores still need settling, putting both Francis and Sean in danger. An upstart is pressuring the local mob boss, who's Francis's protector; Sean's wife, Grace (Rosario Dawson), believes she's a widow and has gotten on with her life, but Sean has come back for her. The parish priest, part of the initial deception, is frightened. Bad guys with guns are closing in. Can Francis get Sean and his wife out of the city, avoid a war between rival factions, and hold onto new-found morality? Will the cross of ashes on his forehead protect him?

Francis helps Sean reunite with Grace and his son, Sean Jr., and they head out of the city together in the back of a van, but Francis stays behind to stop Moran (Oliver Platt). The film closes with Francis wiping the cross of ashes from his forehead. When he steps outside of the pub minutes later, he is shot down. He dies and the sniper leaves the scene before the police arrives.

Cast[]

  • Edward Burns as Francis 'Fran' Sullivan
  • Elijah Wood as Sean Sullivan
  • Rosario Dawson as Grace Quinonez
  • Oliver Platt as Moran
  • James Handy as Father Mahoney
  • Brian Burns as Mike Moran, Moran's Cousin
  • Vincent Rubino as Vinny Boombata
  • James Cummings as J.C. Moran, Moran's Brother
  • Pat McNamara as 'Murph' Murphy
  • John DiResta as Pete
  • Malachy McCourt as 'Whitey' Smith
  • Peter Gerety as Uncle Handy
  • Brian Delate as George 'Crazy George' Cullen
  • Jimmy Burke as 'Red' Kelly
  • Teresa Yenque as Mrs. Diaz
  • Julie Hale as Maggie Shea
  • Kathleen Doyle as Mrs. Flanagan
  • Marina Durell as Mrs. Quinonez
  • Michael Mulhern as Detective Pulaski
  • Michael Leydon Campbell as Jimmy Burke
  • Dara Coleman as John Coleman
  • Penny Balfour as Callie
  • Kevin Kash as Paulie 'Numbers'
  • Gregg Bello as Larossa, Vinny's Brother
  • Joe Lisi as Charlie, The Wiseguy
  • Jack DeFuria as Sean 'Little Sean' Sullivan Jr.

Critical reception and box office[]

The film received a 29% "rotten" rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.[1] The film was only released in two theaters and grossed less than $3,000.

References[]

External links[]

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