Ladybird Ladybird

1994 1h 41m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 108

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Maggie has had four children, by four different fathers, removed by social services because of a previous violent relationship. When she meets Jorge, a gentle Latin American refugee, she gradually sees her chance for happiness, but her past still haunts her.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Crissy Rock
Maggie Conlan
Vladimir Vega
Jorge
Sandie Lavelle
Mairead
Mauricio Venegas
Adrian
Ray Winstone
Simon
Clare Perkins
Jill
Jason Stracey
Sean
Luke Brown
Mickey

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ken Loach
Writers: Rona Munro
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ken Loach, shot by Barry Ackroyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jonathan Morris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Crissy Rock and Vladimir Vega and Sandie Lavelle carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0110296 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ken Loach directs. Barry Ackroyd behind the camera. George Fenton scores. Jonathan Morris cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 0% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
232 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Ken Loach, shot by Barry Ackroyd. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by George Fenton. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jonathan Morris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Crissy Rock and Vladimir Vega and Sandie Lavelle carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0110296 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Barry Ackroyd
Original score: George Fenton
Editing: Jonathan Morris
Production design: Jonathan Morris
Makeup / hair: Anne Spiers
Runtime: 101 min · 1h 41m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $39,000,000
Box office: $152,457
Return: 0% of budget
Original language: EN
IMDB: Ladybird Ladybird (1994)

Also by

Ken Loach

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Kenneth Axel Carlsson2014-12-29
★ 8/10
Maggie meets George at a bar. He has fallen for her while she was singing, and wants to know everything about her life. He finally gets her sad story, how the authorities took her four children (after one of them was burned badly when she was out working), how the man she was with continously beat her. Her life was a tragic one, and of course she doesn't trust anyone. George, by the way, is from Paraguay and has a tragic story of his own. He is a man with a strong will, and believes that he can change Maggie and give her the life that she deserves. Two times, Maggie and George makes a baby, and both times the authorities comes to take them away. Imagine how you would react to having 6 children removed from you, now imagine how Maggie and George reacts. It is a heartbreaking story, and sadly, a true one. Ken Loach is a master of showing us how life really is. He doesn't want to sugarcoat anything, he just wants us to realize that these people are real, that they are our neighbours and friends, the people we pass on the street, see in the supermarket. He also wants to show us how wrong the system is (I think), and how little they care for the parents and, ultimately, the children. I mean, sure, if the kids were actually beaten or abused, they would need to be removed right away, but in this movie, there is no evidence to suggest that. So aren't the kids better off with their real parents? Throughout the movie, Maggie gets worse (only barely hanging on to her sanity), as the system strip her of all dignity, we even learn that she was abused as a kid, and placed at an institution. You have to love a real life drama, to love this movie. There is no wonderland here to hide in, and even though the end suggests that Maggie and George finally got to keep three children (and become a family), there is no happy ending here. It is unbearable to watch at times, but only because the actors does a great job at making this seem real. Life can be unbearable. Last words... don't be intimidated by the story. This is no action movie, but you'll definitely be the better person for watching it.

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