It is amazing to see how the story of Christy Brown develops as much as a story of a common person. It is incredible because Christy has a rare condition, that allows him to have total control of only one part of his body: his left foot, obviously. But, oh, what that feet can do. It provides Christy a way to save his mother, who had a heart attack and it's by his use that he can prove he is not a retard, as his family seemed to think (save for his mother, who always believed in him). Through the use of his foot, he can play soccer, pick up fights, make beautiful paintings, put records on, etc. So, when he gets the ability to use his voice and be comprehended, nothing would be more natural than his want to write a book about his tribulated (and sometimes very funny and enjoyable) life.
What saves this movie from mediocrity and from a heart-warming, tearful rating is the smart directing from Jim Sheridan and the masterful acting of Daniel Day Lewis (awarded with an Academy Award). Christy Brown is not a suffering person, full of complexes and problems. He grows up pretty well and is loved by the people that surround him. He is a normal person, prisoned in his disfunctional body, that sometimes allows himself to say "fuck off" and to be rather unpleasant. The strongest scene is when he finds out that his nurse (to whom he is madly in love) is going to marry soon. Then, he is responsible for a shameful, disturbing jealousy scene, really hard to watch.
Sometimes funny, sometimes emotioning and sometimes reflexive, this movie is a very good production, somehow different from the other movies of this kind.
