A Prayer For The Dying (1987)
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63% of critics liked it
(8 reviews) -
51% of users liked it
(2,681 ratings)
A man struggling to escape the political unrest of Northern Ireland finds that his violent past still follows him in this drama. Martin Fallon (Mickey Rourke) is a terrorist with the Irish Republican Army who, while attempting to blow up a British military transport, accidentally bombs a bus full of… More A man struggling to escape the political unrest of Northern Ireland finds that his violent past still follows him in this drama. Martin Fallon (Mickey Rourke) is a terrorist with the Irish Republican Army who, while attempting to blow up a British military transport, accidentally bombs a bus full of schoolchildren. The incident haunts Fallon, who decides to quit the IRA and escape to London. Fallon wants to relocate to America, but he lacks a passport, and his criminal past would prevent him from getting one. Jack Meehan (Alan Bates), a British gangster who knows about Fallon's past, offers him a deal -- he can get Fallon the papers and the cash to go to America, but in return he must kill a man. A priest, Father De Costa (Bob Hoskins), witnesses Fallon committing the murder, and Fallon wants to find a way to keep De Costa quiet without putting more blood on his hands. The original director of A Prayer for the Dying, Franc Roddam, left the production midway through shooting due to disputes with the producers, and star Mickey Rourke later attempted to disassociate himself from the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mike Hodges
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International
R,
- In Theaters
- Sep 1, 1987 Wide
- Studio
- Virgin Vision
Critic Reviews
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Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Muses on the difficulty once violent men have in ridding themselves of the mark of Cain.
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Clint Morris, Moviehole
Tense, Completely original and well-acted.
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James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
"it's in need of salvation"
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
Featured Audience Ratings
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Cast
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Mickey Rourke
as Martin Fallon
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Bob Hoskins
as Father Da Costa
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Alan Bates
as Jack Meehan
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Sammi Davis
as Anna
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Liam Neeson
as Liam Docherty
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Christopher Fulford
as Billy
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Alison Doody
as Siobhan Donovan
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Camille Coduri
as Jenny
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Ian Bartholomew
as Kristou
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Mark Lambert
as Ainsley
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Cliff Burnett
as Varley
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Anthony Head
as Rupert
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David Lumsden
as Lance
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Leonard Termo
as Bonati
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Stanley Beard
as Krasko
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Dave Duffy
as Publican
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Karl Johnson
as Fitzgerald
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Ian McElhinney
as Lodger
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Mark Monero
as Boy
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Peter Needham
as Cemetery Superindentent
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Maurice O'Connell
as Miller
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Ken Sharrock
as Gaskin
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Alan Talbot
as Barman
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Peggy Aitchison
as Mrs. Orton
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Robert Hamilton
as Husband
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James Saxon
as Ellerman
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George Shane
as O'Connor
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Margaret Wade
as Wife
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Norman Warwick
as Priest
