In 1952, an Irish teenager named Philomena became pregnant out of wedlock. Her horrified family abandoned her and sent her to a convent in Roscrea, Tipperary, where, along with other girls in the same predicament, she was regarded as a “fallen woman.” In compensation for the nuns taking her in and looking after her through childbirth, Philomena was forced to work in the convent laundry for years. She was only allowed access to her son, Anthony, for an hour each day. But when he was three and a half, Anthony was taken from the convent against her will — the nuns at Roscrea sold him for adoption to an American family. Philomena spent many years trying to find out the whereabouts about her son. On what would have been Anthony’s 50th birthday, she finally told her daughter Jane about her older brother and what had happened to her at the convent.
Through a lucky set of circumstances, Philomena and Jane met Martin Sixsmith, an ex-BBC foreign correspondent and former director of communications for Tony Blair’s government. When Philomena told Martin about her long search for her son, he realized that hers was a remarkable story. He arranged for the two of them to visit the United States to find out what happened to Anthony. Together, these two very different people embarked on an extraordinary road trip, learning a lot from each other and finding laughter and joy in a quest that was often underpinned with great sadness. Philomena, directed by Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Launderette, Dangerous Liasons, The Queen), stars Dame Judi Dench as Philomena Lee and Steve Coogan as Martin Sixmith. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the real-life Philomena Lee (now 80), her daughter, Jane, and actress Sophie Kennedy Clark, who plays the young Philomena in the flashback scenes.
Danny Miller: Philomena, I so admire your courage in going public with this very personal and traumatic episode. Did you have any reservations about Stephen Frears making a film version of Martin Sixsmith’s book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee?
Philomena Lee: No, not at that point. I did have some reservations originally before Martin wrote his book, but then I decided that it had to be published. There are so many women out there who suffered like I did and, like me, they kept it secret for many years. One of the main reasons I was glad that the film was being made is that I knew it would bring more awareness to this subject and to help change the laws that, in Ireland, still don’t give these children a right to find out who their mothers are.
It had to have been a thrill to have Judi Dench, one of the greatest actresses in the English language, playing you on the screen!
It was surreal. I simply could not believe it — how lucky could one woman be? She is such a lovely, beautiful lady.
Sophie, what was it like playing the younger version of Philomena?
Sophie Kennedy Clark: I read the script and felt very strongly that I wanted to be a part of this amazing story. But when I heard that the older Philomena was being played by Judi Dench, I thought, “Well, that’s it, I don’t have a chance in the world!” I was sure they were going to give the part to someone who was a big star or at least very established. I was completely amazed when I got the part since I had convinced myself that I wasn’t going to. I guess that was a bit of self-preservation! But Stephen definitely gave me a run for my money during the audition process.
Your scenes are certainly the most traumatic ones in the film.
Yes! I am not a mother and I’ve never lost a child, so trying to get to those places and to understand this bond that I haven’t experienced — I knew that was going to be the biggest challenge. I talked to my own mother about it but it was really when I met Philomena that I began to understand. She explained it so well. These girls went into the convent with no family and no money — they were completely stripped of their identities, even given different names. And then they were worked to the bone in the laundry for no money which was a form of slavery. The only identity they had left was being a mother, but then one day their child would be taken away from them without any notice. Philomena was left with absolutely nothing, but she still couldn’t leave.
Were there a lot of cases where these mothers were eventually able to reunite with their lost children?
Jane Libberton: Yes, there are some cases where they did manage to find each other, but, believe me, it was with no help from the state or the church. That is a long process that takes many years and is often unsuccessful.
Philomena: When I told Jane about Anthony after fifty years, she started working on it straight away, but she kept coming up against a brick wall, going round and round and round in circles until finally Martin came on the scene and helped us a great deal.
The relationship between you and Martin in the film is just delightful. Are you two still friends?
Oh yes, Martin is such a lovely man — as is Steve Coogan who plays him in the film. He’s fantastic!
Jane: But I don’t think Martin is as cynical in real life as Steve is in the movie!
Philomena: No, he’s not! And I’m not quite the simpleton that they make me out to be!
I wondered when you make a film like this if there’s a certain amount of fictionalizing you have to do.
Oh yes! Crikey, they did make me out to be a bit of a dumb-cluck!
But you’re so smart in the ways that really count. Were there any other parts of the film that you took issue with?
Jane: There were a few bits, initially. Mum didn’t like the part when the nun was yelling at the young Philomena about pulling down her knickers. She was uncomfortable with that conversation.
Philomena: Yes, at my age, I was. And some of the jokes just make me seem a little silly. But with Judi playing me, she made it all seem very funny, so it’s okay! I’ve seen the film several times and I always laugh out loud at those parts.
If someone is going to take liberties with your character, let it be Dame Judi Dench!
Exactly! I’m quite happy with the film now.
What happened to you was such a nightmare, it’s remarkable to see how you found your way toward forgiveness.
Oh, it took me a long time. I did lose my religion for quite a while afterwards. My son was taken away so quickly a week before Christmas. Suddenly he was just gone — after three and half years of being with him every day.
Sophie: Her one hour of happiness. There was something about that lack of being in control and not being able to question or fight back that really hit home with me.
Was it hard to film those traumatic scenes? They are so well done but they are painful to watch.
Definitely. But I felt like I owed it to Philomena as well as all the women who are not having movies made about them. Stephen Frears brought out these animalistic responses in me such as in the scene where I’m having a breech birth and the nun is coming at me with forceps. The way that happened was medieval and many of the girls died in childbirth which the nuns then said was penance for their sins. I really felt a weight on my shoulders to get it right for Philomena and for those other women. That gave me a kind of drive that brought something out of me I didn’t know was there including when Philomena finds out that her son is being taken away for good. I will always be grateful for getting to play this part.
It’s so horrible the way that happened. And then to have to stay there at Roscrea afterwards and continue working in those miserable conditions.
Philomena: I worked at the laundry for three and a half years to “pay them back” for my keep. I remember every second of it even though I’m now 80 years old.
Jane: The women could leave sooner if their families were able to pay a hundred pounds which Mum’s certainly couldn’t.
Your parents were in no position to help out?
Philomena: No, not at all. My mother died when I was six years old. There were six of us, three boys and three girls. My father kept the three boys and put the three of us girls into a convent school in Limerick. I stayed there from the ages of six to 18. I had nothing but nuns and religion. When you’re that age, you believe every single thing they tell you. And when I finally left there at 18, I had one night of romance with Anthony’s father that landed me at the convent in Roscrea.
Is the convent still operating?
Yes, but it isn’t a mother and baby home anymore, that closed in the 1970s. Now it’s a school for people with learning disabilities.
Has anyone involved with the convent commented on the film?
Oh, yes, they’re denying it all!
Jane: There was an article just last week in the Irish Times quoting one of the sisters saying they never took money for any of those babies.
How can they say that? Isn’t there a ton of evidence showing all the money that changed hands?
There is! But the convent’s official records were burned in a “mysterious” fire. Even though Sister Hildegard was recorded in an interview in the 1980s saying that she burned them herself. But they’re now saying it was an accident and that none of those things happened.
Needless to say, if the people at the convent are not taking any responsibility, I assume no one at a higher level in the Catholic Church is admitting to anything.
No, nobody.
That’s unfortunate — especially at a time when they seem to be acknowledging some of the Church’s past errors. Do you hold out any hope that there will come a time when they accept responsibility for what they did?
Philomena: I think there is some hope. They did finally apologize to the Magdalene girls which was a different institution in Ireland where similar things happened. I think it’s very important that these stories are told, they need to be brought out into the public.
Sophie, after talking to Philomena and Judi Dench, did you try to emulate parts of their personalities or physical characteristics when you were playing the younger version of Philomena?
Sophie: It was so helpful getting to spend time with Philomena and Judi, but when I talked to Stephen about whether he wanted me to emulate them in my role, he said no. Philomena kept this part of her life a secret for 50 years. She evolved quite a bit from the girl who never questioned the way she was treated. And as you can see in the film, the older Philomena gives Martin a real run for his money — she’s quite feisty! I think she had to become a different person to survive what had happened to her so many years earlier.
Philomena, directed by Stephen Frears and starring Judi Dench, Steve Coogan and Sophie Kennedy Clark, is playing in select cities.