Despite what some critics claimed, this adaptation of Frank
McCourt’s memoir about growing up destitute in Ireland retains the sly humor that enabled the author to survive his childhood (you’ll find it staring right at you when you look into the frowning face of Joe Breen, who plays McCourt as a little boy). At once grand and gut-wrenching, Angela’s Ashes may not transcend its source material, but that’s not always easy when you’re dealing with a Pulitzer Prize-winning book.