Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

My Left Foot Blu-ray Movie Review

A film about a man consigned to a wheelchair that will make you want to stand up and cheer.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 11, 2015

In our modern technological age, it's become pat for expectant mothers to undergo genetic testing to determine if their developing babies have any abnormalities that need to be addressed. It's a double edged sword of course, for if there are issues to be addressed, that can put parents in the unenviable position of having to decide how to handle things going forward. Maybe it’s a good thing in an odd kind of way, then, that the Brown family had no inkling even for a brief moment of peace after their son Christy was born in 1932 in Ireland that the little boy was afflicted with an almost completely debilitating case of cerebral palsy. For Christy, despite his disabilities, became a soaring example of the human spirit overcoming “mere” physical obstacles. Able to only really control the extremities of his left leg and foot, Christy managed to become a best selling author and acclaimed artist. His book My Left Foot became a sensation in the early fifties and provided Brown with a cushion of financial comfort that he and his family had never known in his early years. While the film takes certain liberties with Christy’s story, it’s an amazingly visceral piece that packs an incredible emotional wallop, providing Daniel Day-Lewis with one of his most iconic roles (not to mention the first of his ever expanding shelf of Academy Awards). While occasionally a bit too pat for its own good, My Left Foot is nonetheless a thrilling tribute to a man who refused to let physical infirmity stand (no pun intended) in his way.

My Left Foot doles out Christy’s story courtesy a series of flashbacks ostensibly culled from his autobiography, set against a “current day” set of interstitials set at a huge celebration where an important new relationship in Christy’s life is in its nascent stages. The film quickly details the heartbreak mixed with resolve that Bridget (Brenda Fricker, Academy Award Winner for this performance) and Paddy (Ray McAnally) Brown experience when their son Christy is born with cerebral palsy. Paddy even takes on a bully of sorts at the local pub, letting it be known that the new Brown son will be raised at home and not be put in some kind of institution.

The first 25 minutes or so of the film offer a compelling overview of Christy as an adult (Daniel Day Lewis) while also providing some touching scenes of Christy as a young boy (an absolutely riveting performance by Hugh O’Conor). Two events quickly show that Christy is not the drooling idiot the neighbors and maybe even his own father think he is. A newly pregnant Bridget passes out one day, falling down the family home’s narrow staircase. Christy manages to drag himself downstairs and kick on the door until help comes, though the neighbor who finds them takes credit for the rescue. Later, at around the 26 minute mark, in a scene which is guaranteed to melt even the hardest heart and bring a tear to even the most jaded eye, Christy struggles mightily with a piece of chalk “grasped” in his left toes and manages to scratch out the word “Mother” on the floor. Suddenly his father becomes Christy’s champion, taking him down to that same neighborhood pub to announce to the world that Christy is a “real Brown.”

Daniel Day Lewis takes over the role at the age of seventeen, though by that time the Browns have already weathered more trauma than most families have to in a lifetime. The troubles keep coming, almost at a Job level, something that the film tends to slather on rather thickly to make it abundantly clear that there is an indomitable spirit in the Browns that will simply not give in to the vagaries of fate. While Christy is the prime example, this same spirit is shown in an equal amount in Bridget especially, and it’s her calm but forceful attitude that tends to salve wounds all around.

The adult Christy begins to enjoy renown as an artist and there’s an awkward one sided romance that develops in the young man when he falls for a therapist (Fiona Shaw) who takes a special interest in him. Another romantic interest comes courtesy of a nurse named Mary (Ruth McCabe) in what amounts to bookending segments. It’s here that My Left Foot perhaps plays a little fast and loose with some of the more disturbing elements of the real life Christy’s story, for while he enjoyed remarkable success as a writer and an artist, from some published reports his personal life was not exactly the stuff of “happily ever after.”

My Left Foot is an unabashed celebration of the triumph of the human spirit and as such can be forgiven for some of its more patently manipulative moments. It’s hard to really argue with the film’s contrivances when one is confronted with the awe inspiring majesty of the performances of Day Lewis and Fricker (not to manage the large and brilliantly excellent supporting cast). While director Jim Sheridan plays things toward the second balcony on occasion, the film’s emotions ring so true that a certain amount of hyperbolism never seriously mars the proceedings. There may in fact be just a wee bit o’ blarney in this telling of Christy’s story, but the riches of the Irish soul have rarely ever been so magically detailed.

My Left Foot Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

My Left Foot is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films and Miramax with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Lionsgate did not detail whether this was sourced from the master utilized for the British release from a couple of years ago that my colleague Dr. Svet Atanasov reviewed, though a cursory comparison of the screenshots suggests these two releases are very similar if not identical. That said, I'm a little less pleased with the appearance of this release than Svet evidently was. While there is some fine grain apparent (very fine at times), it also appears that there has been some high frequency filtering applied to the release, something that mitigates detail, occasionally giving a waxy sheen to surfaces and making the film look gauzily soft. On the plus side, there is detail quite apparent, to the point that even the individual hairs protruding from Christy's foot can be clearly delineated, and colors, while a bit pale, are generally accurate, especially with regard to greens and blues. Flesh tones are a bit on the pink side, as can be seen in the screenshots. There are no issues with image instability. Contrast is a bit anemic at times, but never overly problematic. There are some isolated issues with a very light dusting of compression artifacts, though again they're not hugely problematic.

My Left Foot Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

My Left Foot's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is surprisingly robust, offering excellent support for the sometimes raucous sounds of the Brown household and neighborhood as well as Elmer Bernstein's score. (For you musically minded, listen to one of Bernstein's chief motives, one that plays under the main menu of the Blu-ray disc. It's hilariously similar to John Williams' Indiana Jones theme, though Bernstein "dresses" the melody completely differently, making it a totally unique experience.) Fidelity is excellent and there are no problems of any kind to report.

My Left Foot Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Real Christy Brown (480i; 4:39) gives a brief but really interesting look at Christy courtesy of archival photos and even home movies.


• An Inspirational Story: The Making of My Left Foot (480i; 10:12) is more of a traditional EPK with interviews, but it also includes a few more peeks at the real Christy.


• My Left Foot Photo Gallery (1080p; 13:49) presents an interesting slide show with accompanying text, so have your pause button handy if you're not a fast reader.


• My Left Foot Reviews presents reprints of the theatrical reviews by David Denby (New York Magazine), Pauline Kael (The New Yorker), Elvis Mitchell (LA Weekly) and Charles Champlin (Los Angeles Times).

My Left Foot Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anyone wanting a textbook example of superb film acting need look no further than My Left Foot. Daniel Day Lewis and Brenda Fricker are both absolutely mercurial in demanding roles, and few will make it through this film without feeling like they've weathered an emotional gauntlet right along with the fortitudinous Brown family. The video here is watchable if not optimal, and the audio is fine. The supplementary material from the old DVD has been ported over and with caveats noted My Left Foot comes Highly recommended.