Devil's Own (1997)
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29% of critics liked it
(34 reviews) -
45% of users liked it
(42,214 ratings)
A policeman plays Good Samaritan to a visitor from Ireland, only to discover that he has a potentially deadly secret. Belfast-born Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) saw his father gunned down by enemy soldiers at the age of eight, and when he grew up he joined the Irish Republican Army, determined that… More A policeman plays Good Samaritan to a visitor from Ireland, only to discover that he has a potentially deadly secret. Belfast-born Frankie McGuire (Brad Pitt) saw his father gunned down by enemy soldiers at the age of eight, and when he grew up he joined the Irish Republican Army, determined that one day his father's death would be avenged. An especially ruthless "volunteer," Frankie is responsible for the death of 13 British soldiers and 11 policemen. After a particularly bloody battle, Frankie sails to the United States in a ragged tugboat he has restored; with a huge bundle of cash, Frankie intends to buy a stock of Stinger missiles from an underground arms dealer in America, Billy Burke (Treat Williams). Upon arrival in New York, Frankie is met by a judge who is sympathetic to the IRA's cause and who arranges a place for him to stay. Using the name Rory Devaney, Frankie moves into the home of Tom O'Meara (Harrison Ford), a scrupulously honest cop. Tom is already in the midst of a personal crisis; his friend and partner Edwin Diaz (Ruben Blades) recently shot a man that he knew was unarmed in the line of duty, and while Edwin wants Tom to help him cover up the matter, Tom's conscience will not allow it. When Tom begins to realize that "Rory" is not simply a man running from the violence of his homeland, he's torn between his sympathy for Frankie's tragic childhood and his desire to see justice served and prevent needless death in Ireland. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Alan J. Pakula
- Written By
- David Cohen, Vincent Patrick, Kevin Jarre
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Mar 26, 1997 Wide
- Studio
- Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
Presents itself as being about Something Important, whereas in fact it is really about nothing very much at all.
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Bill Chambers, Film Freak Central
Finally just another schoolmarmish prestige piece touting America's moral superiority
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James Plath, Movie Metropolis
A disappointing entry in the IRA thriller sub-genre. Ford and Pitt try their best, but Pitt was miscast and both were betrayed by a mediocre scrpt.
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
What's left is a lot of moral grappling, not all of which has one iota of relevance to the plot.
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Michael Dequina, TheMovieReport.com
A cobbled-together mess of conflicting tones.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Harrison Ford
as Tom O'Meara
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Brad Pitt
as Frankie McGuire
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Margaret Colin
as Sheila O'Meara
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Ruben Blades
as Edwin Diaz
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Treat Williams
as Billy Burke
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George Hearn
as Peter Fitzsimmons
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Mitchell Ryan
as Chief Jim Kelly
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Natascha McElhone
as Megan Doherty
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Debbon Ayer
as tour guide
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Martin Dunne
as Frankie's father
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Baxter Harris
as customs agent
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Simon Jones
as Harry Sloan
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Brendan Kelly
as Teddy
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Damien Leake
as Art Fisher (FBI)
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Malachy McCourt
as bishop
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David O'Hara
as Martin MacDuff
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Jonathan Peck
as Jerry
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Patrick Reynolds
as Irish musicians
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Gregory Salata
as Tony
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Greg Stebner
as uniformed cop
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David Wilmot
as Dessie
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William Paulson
as detective
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Bill Hoag
as trucker
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Kevin Nagle
as thug
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Peggy Shay
as Aunt Birdie
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Victor Slezak
as Evan Stanley (FBI)
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Gabrielle Reidy
as Frankie's mother
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Hassan Johnson
as teenager
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Paul Ronan
as Sean Phelan
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Anthony Brophy
as Gerard
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Julia Stiles
as Bridget O'Meara
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Scott Nicholson
as rookie cop
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Ashley Carin
as Morgan O'Meara
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Rob McElhenney
as Kevin
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Joseph Dandry
as Joey the bartender
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Mya Michaels
as Hispanic woman
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Shane Dunne
as young Frankie
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Samantha Conroy
as Frankie's sister
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Six to Ramos
as Hispanic man
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Jessica Marie Kavanagh
as Hispanic girl
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Jack McKillop
as Jack Fitzsimmons
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Mac Orange
as the maid
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Marian Tomas Griffin
as cousin Eileen
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Danielle McGovern
as Brooke
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Ciaran O'Reilly
as Father Canlon
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Donald J. Meade
as Irish musicians
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Peter Rufli
as Irish musicians
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Mario Polit
as young Dominican
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Chance Kelly
as masked burglar
