Five Minutes of Heaven
Encyclopedia
Five Minutes of Heaven is a British/Irish film directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel
from a script by Guy Hibbert
. The film was premiered on January 19, 2009 at the 25th Sundance Film Festival
where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award for Oliver Hirschbiegel, and the World Cinema Screenwriting Award for Guy Hibbert. It was broadcast on BBC Two
on 5 April 2009, and also had an international theatrical release.
The first part reconstructs the historical killing of 19-year-old Jim Griffin by 17-year-old Alistair Little in 1975, and the second part depicts a fictional meeting between Little and Jim's brother Joe 33 years later.
, Northern Ireland
, 1975. The Northern Irish Troubles are underway, with the Irish Republican Army
targeting British loyalists and the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force exacting revenge on Catholics they claim are militant republicans. Alistair Little, 17, is the leader of a UVF cell, eager to be blooded. He and his gang are given the go-ahead to kill a young Catholic man, James Griffin, as a reprisal and a warning to others. When the hit is carried out, Joe Griffin - the 8-year old little brother of the target - watches in horror as his brother is killed. Little goes to prison for 12 years.
Thirty-three years after the murder, Little and Joe Griffin are to meet, on camera, with a view to reconciliation. Little has served his sentence, and peace may have been agreed to in Northern Ireland, but Joe Griffin is not coming on the program for a handshake. Unbeknownst to the production team, he intends to murder his brother’s killer during the filmed meeting. However, he becomes emotional just before the meeting and demands that the cameras be removed, scuppering the project.
Later, Little agrees to meet Griffin in the latter's old house. Griffin attempts to stab Little, jumping him from behind. Little tackles Griffin, and both fall through a window, ending up the lying together on the outside pavement. The two are injured, and Little tells Griffin to "get rid of me" and tell his family that he killed him off because he is "nothing" and wants Griffin to live his life with his daughters.
Little is speaking metaphorically, and means for Griffin to kill Little off in his head, in so doing they can both move on. Griffin very shakily lights up a cigarette as Little pulls himself up against a wall and limps down the road. Soon after, Griffin attends a group sharing. He shares to the group that he wants to be a good father for his daughters and he cries. In the end, he calls Little to tell him, "we're finished."
, as Hibbert did not want television executives to interfere with the script. BBC Four abandoned the project when they could not provide a bigger budget. To get more money for the film, independent production company Big Fish Films brought in other financial backers, including Northern Ireland Screen, and the film was eventually commissioned by Controller of BBC Two
Roly Keating, and BBC Controller of Fiction Jane Tranter
.
Filming was done on location in Belfast
, Dundonald
, Lurgan
, Glenarm
and Newtownards
for four weeks from May to June 2008. Nesbitt met Griffin before filming began but Neeson decided to wait until after it had concluded before meeting Little; he said "I didn't want to see him before because I didn't want to be reminded of the physical differences between us and I didn't want to get that cluttered up in my head."
This was also the first time that two of Northern Ireland's top actors, Liam Neeson
and James Nesbitt
, had starred in a film together.
on 19 January 2009. It won in the World Cinema Directed Award: Dramatic, and World Cinema Screenwriting Award categories. It received its Irish premiere at the 2009 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
on 21 February 2009. A screening was given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
in London on 23 March 2009. It was followed by a question-and-answer session with Hirschbiegel, Hibbert and Nesbitt. It was broadcast on BBC Two in England, Scotland and Wales on 5 April 2009 and on BBC One Northern Ireland
on 13 April. Pathé
holds worldwide theatrical distribution rights.
IFC Films
signed a deal to distribute the film in the United States from August 2009, theatrically, through its video on demand
service, and exclusively through Blockbuster retailers. The film opened at the Angelika Film Center
in New York on 21 August 2009. It took $5,200 in box office receipts on its first weekend.
called it "very good at stating the obvious but fails to bring new insight to this age-old morality tale". He cited the scenes featuring Mark Davison (as the young Little) and Anamaria Marinca
(as a television producer) as "the only time the movie sparks to life". Dennis Harvey for Variety
was complimentary of Hibbert's screenplay and of Neeson's acting.
Padraic Geoghegan of RTÉ Entertainment criticized the lack of screen-time given to Griffin's family, and for not showing how Little came to be helping others like him in the present-day scenes. Geoghegan praised the flashback scenes, Hirschbeigel's direction, and Neeson and Nesbitt's acting. The Irish Times
Michael Dwyer rated the film four out of five stars. Of the acting, he wrote,
Andrew Johnston for Culture Northern Ireland wrote,
Oliver Hirschbiegel
Oliver Hirschbiegel is a German film director. His works include Das Experiment and the Oscar nominated Der Untergang.- Career :...
from a script by Guy Hibbert
Guy Hibbert
Guy Hibbert is an award-winning screenwriter. He wrote the 2009 film Five Minutes of Heaven. This film was premiered at the 25th Sundance Film Festival, where Hibbert won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award.-External links:...
. The film was premiered on January 19, 2009 at the 25th Sundance Film Festival
where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award for Oliver Hirschbiegel, and the World Cinema Screenwriting Award for Guy Hibbert. It was broadcast on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
on 5 April 2009, and also had an international theatrical release.
The first part reconstructs the historical killing of 19-year-old Jim Griffin by 17-year-old Alistair Little in 1975, and the second part depicts a fictional meeting between Little and Jim's brother Joe 33 years later.
Plot
LurganLurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, 1975. The Northern Irish Troubles are underway, with the Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
targeting British loyalists and the loyalist Ulster Volunteer Force exacting revenge on Catholics they claim are militant republicans. Alistair Little, 17, is the leader of a UVF cell, eager to be blooded. He and his gang are given the go-ahead to kill a young Catholic man, James Griffin, as a reprisal and a warning to others. When the hit is carried out, Joe Griffin - the 8-year old little brother of the target - watches in horror as his brother is killed. Little goes to prison for 12 years.
Thirty-three years after the murder, Little and Joe Griffin are to meet, on camera, with a view to reconciliation. Little has served his sentence, and peace may have been agreed to in Northern Ireland, but Joe Griffin is not coming on the program for a handshake. Unbeknownst to the production team, he intends to murder his brother’s killer during the filmed meeting. However, he becomes emotional just before the meeting and demands that the cameras be removed, scuppering the project.
Later, Little agrees to meet Griffin in the latter's old house. Griffin attempts to stab Little, jumping him from behind. Little tackles Griffin, and both fall through a window, ending up the lying together on the outside pavement. The two are injured, and Little tells Griffin to "get rid of me" and tell his family that he killed him off because he is "nothing" and wants Griffin to live his life with his daughters.
Little is speaking metaphorically, and means for Griffin to kill Little off in his head, in so doing they can both move on. Griffin very shakily lights up a cigarette as Little pulls himself up against a wall and limps down the road. Soon after, Griffin attends a group sharing. He shares to the group that he wants to be a good father for his daughters and he cries. In the end, he calls Little to tell him, "we're finished."
Cast
(in order of appearance)- Young Alistair - Mark Davison
- Andy - Diarmund Noyes
- Alistair's Mum - Niamh CusackNiamh CusackNiamh Cusack is an Irish actress. The daughter of late Irish actor Cyril Cusack, she is the sister of Sinéad Cusack and Sorcha Cusack, and half sister of Catherine Cusack. Cusack played Dr Kate Rowan in the television drama series Heartbeat...
- Stuart - Matthew McElhinney
- Dave - Conor MacNeillConor MacNeillConor MacNeill is an actor from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who has appeared on stage, film and TV.-Biography:MacNeill was born in West Belfast....
- Alistair's Dad - Paul Garret
- Young Joe - Kevin O' Neill
- Jim - Gerard Jordan
- Joe's Mum - Paula McFetridge
- Adult Joe - James NesbittJames NesbittJames Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
- Joe's Chauffeur - Barry McEvoy
- Adult Alistair - Liam NeesonLiam NeesonLiam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
- Alistair's Chauffeur - Richard Orr
Production
Five Minutes of Heaven was originally commissioned by BBC FourBBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
, as Hibbert did not want television executives to interfere with the script. BBC Four abandoned the project when they could not provide a bigger budget. To get more money for the film, independent production company Big Fish Films brought in other financial backers, including Northern Ireland Screen, and the film was eventually commissioned by Controller of BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
Roly Keating, and BBC Controller of Fiction Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter is an English television executive who has been the executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's Los Angeles base since January 2009...
.
Filming was done on location in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
, Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
, Glenarm
Glenarm
Glenarm is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies on the North Channel coast north of the town of Larne and the village of Ballygalley, and south of the village of Carnlough. It had a population of 582 people in the 2001 Census. Glenarm takes it name from the glen in which it lies,...
and Newtownards
Newtownards
Newtownards is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. Newtownards is the largest town in the Borough of Ards. According to the 2001 Census, it has a population of 27,821 people in...
for four weeks from May to June 2008. Nesbitt met Griffin before filming began but Neeson decided to wait until after it had concluded before meeting Little; he said "I didn't want to see him before because I didn't want to be reminded of the physical differences between us and I didn't want to get that cluttered up in my head."
This was also the first time that two of Northern Ireland's top actors, Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson
Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les...
and James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt
James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster...
, had starred in a film together.
Release
Five Minutes of Heaven premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival2009 Sundance Film Festival
The 2009 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 15, 2009 until January 25 in Park City, Utah. It was the 25th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival.-Award winners:*Grand Jury Prize: Documentary - We Live in Public...
on 19 January 2009. It won in the World Cinema Directed Award: Dramatic, and World Cinema Screenwriting Award categories. It received its Irish premiere at the 2009 Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
Jameson Dublin International Film Festival
The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival is a film festival that is held annually in February over the course of ten days in Dublin, Republic of Ireland-History:The Jameson Dublin International Film Festival was established in 2003...
on 21 February 2009. A screening was given by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
in London on 23 March 2009. It was followed by a question-and-answer session with Hirschbiegel, Hibbert and Nesbitt. It was broadcast on BBC Two in England, Scotland and Wales on 5 April 2009 and on BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Northern Ireland is the national variation for BBC Northern Ireland of the network BBC One service broadcast by the BBC. The service is broadcast in Northern Ireland from Broadcasting House in Belfast...
on 13 April. Pathé
Pathé
Pathé or Pathé Frères is the name of various French businesses founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France.-History:...
holds worldwide theatrical distribution rights.
IFC Films
IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film distribution company based in New York, owned by AMC Networks. It distributes independent films and documentaries under the IFC Films, Sundance Selects and IFC Midnight. It operates the IFC Center....
signed a deal to distribute the film in the United States from August 2009, theatrically, through its video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
service, and exclusively through Blockbuster retailers. The film opened at the Angelika Film Center
Angelika Film Center
Angelika Film Center is a movie theater chain in the United States that features independent and foreign films. It operates theaters in New York City and Texas. Its headquarters are in New York City.-History:...
in New York on 21 August 2009. It took $5,200 in box office receipts on its first weekend.
Reception
After Five Minutes of Heavens Sundance screenings, Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
called it "very good at stating the obvious but fails to bring new insight to this age-old morality tale". He cited the scenes featuring Mark Davison (as the young Little) and Anamaria Marinca
Anamaria Marinca
Anamaria Marinca is a Romanian actress. She made her debut with the Channel 4 film Sex Traffic, for which she won British Academy Television Award for Best Actress...
(as a television producer) as "the only time the movie sparks to life". Dennis Harvey for Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
was complimentary of Hibbert's screenplay and of Neeson's acting.
Padraic Geoghegan of RTÉ Entertainment criticized the lack of screen-time given to Griffin's family, and for not showing how Little came to be helping others like him in the present-day scenes. Geoghegan praised the flashback scenes, Hirschbeigel's direction, and Neeson and Nesbitt's acting. The Irish Times
The Irish Times
The Irish Times is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Kevin O'Sullivan who succeeded Geraldine Kennedy in 2011; the deputy editor is Paul O'Neill. The Irish Times is considered to be Ireland's newspaper of record, and is published every day except Sundays...
Michael Dwyer rated the film four out of five stars. Of the acting, he wrote,
Andrew Johnston for Culture Northern Ireland wrote,
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Sundance Film Festival Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new... |
World Cinema, Directed: Dramatic | Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel is a German film director. His works include Das Experiment and the Oscar nominated Der Untergang.- Career :... |
Won |
| World Cinema, Screenwriting | Guy Hibbert Guy Hibbert Guy Hibbert is an award-winning screenwriter. He wrote the 2009 film Five Minutes of Heaven. This film was premiered at the 25th Sundance Film Festival, where Hibbert won the World Cinema Screenwriting Award.-External links:... |
Won | ||
| Grand Jury Prize | Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel Oliver Hirschbiegel is a German film director. His works include Das Experiment and the Oscar nominated Der Untergang.- Career :... |
Nominated | ||
| 2010 | Irish Film and Television Academy Awards | Single Drama/Drama Serial | Eoin O'Callaghan | Won |
| Actor in a Lead Role: Television | Liam Neeson Liam Neeson Liam John Neeson, OBE is an Irish actor who has been nominated for an Oscar, a BAFTA and three Golden Globe Awards.He has starred in a number of notable roles including Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List, Michael Collins in Michael Collins, Peyton Westlake in Darkman, Jean Valjean in Les... |
Nominated | ||
| Director of Photography | Ruairí O'Brien | Nominated | ||
| Royal Television Society Programme Awards Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world... |
Best Single Drama | Five Minutes of Heaven | Won | |
| Best Writer (Drama) | Guy Hibbert | Nominated | ||
| Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Broadcasting Press Guild The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally.... |
Best Single Drama | Five Minutes of Heaven | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | James Nesbitt James Nesbitt James Nesbitt is a Northern Irish actor. Born in Ballymena, County Antrim, Nesbitt grew up in the nearby village of Broughshane, before moving to Coleraine, County Londonderry. He wanted to become a teacher like his father, so he began a degree in French at the University of Ulster... |
Nominated | ||
| British Academy Television Craft Awards British Academy Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:... |
Writer | Guy Hibbert | Won | |
| British Academy Television Awards British Academy Television Awards The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:... |
Best Single Drama | Guy Hibbert, Oliver Hirschbiegel, Eoin O'Callaghan, Stephen Wright | Nominated |
Further reading
- Sharrock, David (18 March 2009). "The ex-UVF man Alistair Little: 'I'd have got on a bus and killed everyone'". The Times (Times Newspapers).
- Staff (January 2009). "An interview with Guy Hibbert". UK Writer (Writers' Guild of Great Britain).
External links
- Official website
- DVD Review at DVD Resurrections.com