Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)

Synopsis: Ken Loach's films have often been critical of the indifference of the enormous bureaucracies that permeate British life, but in this film he displays a tone of evenhandedness in dealing with an... Ken Loach's films have often been critical of the indifference of the enormous bureaucracies that permeate British life, but in this film he displays a tone of evenhandedness in dealing with an extremely complex and painful subject. Former stand-up comic Crissy Rock, in her film debut, stars in this true-life portrait of Maggie Conlan, a passionate working-class woman who has had four children by four different husbands, most of whom have abused her, continuing a pattern begun in her own childhood. Despite her tremendous love for her children, she's undone by an inability to care responsibly for them, as well as a volcanic temper. Because of her negligence, one of her children is seriously injured and all four have been taken away by social services. Yet she's lucky enough to meet Jorge (Vladimir Vega), a kindhearted Paraguayan immigrant who sympathizes with her suffering and loves her in spite of her difficult nature. LADYBIRD, LADYBIRD is an extraordinarily wrenching film on the painful subject of child custody, at times almost unbearable in its intensity, yet also an undeniably rewarding viewing experience for its sheer honesty. [More]

Starring: Crissy Rock, Vladimir Vega, Ray Winstone, Sandie Lavelle

Starring: Crissy Rock, Vladimir Vega, Ray Winstone, Sandie Lavelle

Director: Ken Loach

Director: Ken Loach

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