Ash Wednesday (2002)

27% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
45% of users liked it
(2,851 ratings)

Two brothers in 1980s New York struggle to escape pasts entangled in Irish vs. Italian gang warfare.

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: Edward Burns
Written By: Edward Burns
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Oct 11, 2002 Wide
On DVD: Feb 18, 2003
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Laura Sinagra, Village Voice
With more swagger than Saint Pat on Snake Day, Edward Burns struts around 1983 Hell's Kitchen in search of a Sopranos audition.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
An ambitious, guilt-suffused melodrama crippled by poor casting.
Dave Kehr, New York Times
This time Mr. Burns is trying something in the Martin Scorsese street-realist mode, but his self-regarding sentimentality trips him up again.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
For all its brooding quality, Ash Wednesday is suspenseful and ultimately unpredictable, with a sterling ensemble cast.
Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter
Despite the authenticity of the trappings, the film is overblown in its plotting, hackneyed in its dialogue and anachronistic in its style.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...unlike [Scorsese's Mean Streets], Ash Wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot.
Mike McGranaghan, Aisle Seat
Ash Wednesday is not Edward Burns' best film, but it is a good and ambitious film. And it marks him as one of the most interesting writer/directors working today.
Brent Simon, Entertainment Today
Burns' fifth beer-soaked film feels in almost every possible way -- from the writing and direction to the soggy performances -- tossed off.
, E! Online
We don't see much box-office green in this film's future.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
This may be Burns's strongest film since The Brothers McMullen.
Mark Olsen, L.A. Weekly
There ought to be a directing license, so that Ed Burns can have his revoked.

Read all 11 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

ken j

Edward Burns and Elijah Wood star as brothers growing up as part of irish gangs in hells kitchen after one of them kills a group of men who were gonna kill his brother he vanishes from his neighborhood figured for dead he turns up years later and no one has forgotten what he has done… More
Edward Burns and Elijah Wood star as brothers growing up as part of irish gangs in hells kitchen after one of them kills a group of men who were gonna kill his brother he vanishes from his neighborhood figured for dead he turns up years later and no one has forgotten what he has done so now its a race for the two bothers to keep each other safe and too get out of town before they both end up dead. that sums of this plot of really well done drama that should be seen by anyone that enjoys a good crime drama type film
Chosen 7

Good film, sad yet realistic ending.