The Butcher Boy (1997)

79% of critics liked it
(58 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(5,729 ratings)

Neil Jordan directed this adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel about a boy's struggles with violence and mental illness. Francie Brady (Eamonn Owens) is a young boy growing up in Dublin in the early 1960s, where his life is dominated by his active imagination and his best friend Joe (Alan Boyle).… More Neil Jordan directed this adaptation of Patrick McCabe's novel about a boy's struggles with violence and mental illness. Francie Brady (Eamonn Owens) is a young boy growing up in Dublin in the early 1960s, where his life is dominated by his active imagination and his best friend Joe (Alan Boyle). But beneath this benign surface lurks a troubled soul; his father (Stephen Rea) is an embittered alcoholic, his mother (Aisling O'Sullivan) is emotionally unstable and periodically ends up in the local mental hospital (or as she calls it, "the garage," because it's where they take you when you break down), and their next-door neighbor, Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw) often rants that the Bradys are "pigs" not fit to live with. For all their troubles, Francie fiercely loves his parents, and he can't abide Mrs. Nugent's insults. But his playful childhood pranks begin to advance into more destructive and menacing behavior, which leads him to his own stay in "the garage." Branded a lunatic by the community and shorn of his only close friendship when Joe takes up with Mrs. Nugent's son, Francie soon reaches the point of collapse. With nowhere to go, Francie takes an especially awful job as a butcher's assistant, and his overactive imagination goes into overdrive, flooding his mind with images of alien takeover, atomic apocalypse, and the Virgin Mary (Sinead O'Connor) that lead him further down the path toward shocking acts of violence. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed By: Neil Jordan
Written By: Patrick McCabe, Neil Jordan
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 13, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Feb 13, 2007
Studio: Warner Bros.

Critic Reviews

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader
Director Neil Jordan and Patrick McCabe adapted McCabe's novel for this bland 1998 shocker that fails miserably as satire, character study, and anything else it might have aspired to.
Emanuel Levy, Variety
Neil Jordan's most accomplished and brilliant film to date, Butcher Boy is satisfying as faithful literary adaptation and inense cinematic experience that brings to mind in theme Kubrick's equally brilliant Cloakwork Orange.
David Denby, New York Magazine
I find myself in an embarrassing position: I think this is a great movie, but I'm not sure.
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
Instead of bathing his story in the warm, lyrical glow of an Irish lament, Jordan mixes domestic tragedy with fierce gallows humor and the stark horror of a Goya painting.
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Jordan is remarkable in his ability to reveal people's inner lives and the interaction between everyday life and an individual's imagination and driving passions.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
The movie held me outside; I didn't connect in the way I wanted to, and by the end I was out of sympathy with the material.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Neil Jordan's most startlingly original, emotionally disturbing, and technically accomplished film, sort of a career summation.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Owens' remarkable, high-pitched performance and Jordan's lush, visionary style are perfectly suited to the material.
, Film4
Intensely colourful, but somehow soulless.
Chris Barsanti, Filmcritic.com
A horrific tale of madness and abuse told with pop-eyed color and giddy humor.
Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Though the movie sometimes looks as if the authentic Irish wit, colour and blarney has been filtered through the sensibility of a Buñuel or Polanski, Jordan never allows the surreal/expressionist aspects to dominate.
Brandon Judell, Entertainment Asylum
The film almost immediately loses the major asset of the novel: its language. Possibly a quarter of the movie is incomprehensible to the American ear.
Merle Bertrand, Film Threat
The film's horrific conclusion is as uncompromising as it is inevitable and, unfortunately, ever-more topical.
Laura Clifford, Reeling Reviews
The Butcher Boy manages to present scenes of violence and despair within a carnival atmosphere, yet still touches us, largely due to Jordan's assured hand in directing this complex tale.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
The Butcher Boy reveals how a soul's future, in the early stages of development, is highly influenced by love, or the lack of it.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
What makes the film so disturbing is that it charts much of what happens in the normal course of growing up -- filtered through the main character's warped sense of reality.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

The Butcher Boy bridges the gap between rebellious child and psychopath as if it were a normality. That is quite a feat for any director and/or actor, so Jordan and Owens both did really well. I'm a big fan of Jordan's anyway, his visual flare and seamless balance of… More
The Butcher Boy bridges the gap between rebellious child and psychopath as if it were a normality. That is quite a feat for any director and/or actor, so Jordan and Owens both did really well. I'm a big fan of Jordan's anyway, his visual flare and seamless balance of ordinary and extraordinary is always a pleasure. This is a much darker film than I anticipated but to pack in so much story and so many contrasting visuals (Old Irish town and countryside/50's style Sci-fi/Post apocalyptic earth etc) takes real talent. He's a very overlooked director in my mind, everyone knows and loves most of his films but just don't realise they were all directed by the same guy. Anyway, highly recommended.
Michael S

Sharp and snappy dialogue, surprising emotional weight, and the perfect and crucial casting of Eamoon Owens (who completely owns the screen) create an unforgettable character study; dark, funny, and full of life. Unique to it's core, and one of Jordan 's best films.
Luke B

Jordan's whimsical but dark presentation of a boy gradually becoming psychotic is perfectly disturbing. It captures both the fun and naiveness of childhood, but also details the simple slip from mischievous trouble making into something far less wholesome. Owens gives an amazing… More
Jordan's whimsical but dark presentation of a boy gradually becoming psychotic is perfectly disturbing. It captures both the fun and naiveness of childhood, but also details the simple slip from mischievous trouble making into something far less wholesome. Owens gives an amazing performance, he plays it as a child the entire time. One of the most disturbing things is that he doesn't act disturbed. It's a child playing games, feeling betrayed and ultimately doing the only sensible (in his mind) thing to counteract the events in his life. A wonderful mix of a movie, that should have reached it's conclusion sooner.
El Hombre I

Neil Jordan's 1997 film The Butcher Boy has striking similarities to Truffaut's The 400 Blows as well as Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, though with much more satire if that's possible. Even if it's nowhere close to being as brilliant as those mentioned,… More
Neil Jordan's 1997 film The Butcher Boy has striking similarities to Truffaut's The 400 Blows as well as Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, though with much more satire if that's possible. Even if it's nowhere close to being as brilliant as those mentioned, Jordan's film is very good. Possibly the most cheerful film ever made about abusive childhoods, alienation, sexual abuse, madness and murder and should be noted for the simple fact of being the first film in the renaissance of Irish cinema during the 1990s not to be centered around sectarian violence. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=butcherboy2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/butcherboy2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Joey N

I don't like writing about films I watch for class.
William G

Only barely more compelling than obnoxious.
Quinto W

Eamonn Owens give such a powerful and committed performance, I would sometimes wonder if he was playing a character or just being himself. He truly makes this dark, twisted film stand-out.
Daisy M

The butcher boy was the story of a boy who turned into madness. The voice-over in present of this man who told his story of his youth in an Irish village in the early 60s. His father was a drunk, his mother was mentally ill, so it was nothing strange why the boy was behaving like that… More
The butcher boy was the story of a boy who turned into madness. The voice-over in present of this man who told his story of his youth in an Irish village in the early 60s. His father was a drunk, his mother was mentally ill, so it was nothing strange why the boy was behaving like that and the thing was, he did not know he was going crazy. He believed this was his normal life, even all his actions made him look like schizophrenic or a psychopath. Neil Jordan directed this movie with beautiful imagination. The movie portrayed dark, sad and even terrifying scenes in sometimes funny ways. Eamonn Owens fantastic performance made this movie a definitely must see.
Linda K

THE BUTCHER BOY is not a children's film. It tackles many issues of the modern and traditional vision of Ireland. It is certainly not an easy film to understand, because of the historical content and the heavy Irish accent. But overall, the film is very interesting and… More
THE BUTCHER BOY is not a children's film. It tackles many issues of the modern and traditional vision of Ireland. It is certainly not an easy film to understand, because of the historical content and the heavy Irish accent. But overall, the film is very interesting and disturbing at times. if you dont get into the story, well at least you will enjoy the astonishing performance by the little boy who plays the lead role. He could be hilarious and disturbing. As a young boy, his imagination and hallucination are all he has despite his miserable life. Certainly a film not to miss!