Ash Wednesday

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Ash Wednesday

R

2002

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

25%

Tomatometer

16 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

On Ash Wednesday in 1983, three years after he was supposedly killed by rival mobsters, Sean (Elijah Wood) returns to the Hell's Kitchen section of New York City, much to the dismay of those who wanted him dead. Not only does his return put his own life in danger, it also threatens the lives of his wife, Grace (Rosario Dawson), and his brother, Francis (Edward Burns). Sean's criminal past catches up with him as he works to protect Francis, Grace and the son he left behind.

Antonia Quirke

London Evening Standard

This might have been a good film if Burns (writer, director, producer) had tried harder.

Dec 20, 2017

Full Review

Laura Sinagra

Village Voice

With more swagger than Saint Pat on Snake Day, Edward Burns struts around 1983 Hell's Kitchen in search of a Sopranos audition.

Mar 24, 2011

Full Review

Jamie Russell

BBC.com

Rated: 2/5

Apr 20, 2004

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Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

Rated: 2/5

Jan 17, 2006

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 14, 2005

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...unlike [Scorsese's Mean Streets], Ash Wednesday is essentially devoid of interesting characters or even a halfway intriguing plot.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 30, 2003

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Audience Member

Great acting, intelligent writing. And quality story telling by Ed Burns. Has a very film noir quality about it. Sort of wish it was shot in black and white.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

a very well done directorial debut of ed burns

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

Has to be my all time favorite movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

bradley p

Extremely slow pacing with a dull story.The score is overbearing and Oliver Platt as a gangster is laughable. Elijah Wood's underacting on top of all of this makes Ash Wednesday a mediocre film at best. Skip it.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A very decent gangster flick.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Audience Member

This is an under-rated Edward Burns classic. It's his story, directed by him and depicted in New York.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Edward Burns

Director

Edward Burns

Francis Sullivan

Elijah Wood

Sean Sullivan

Rosario Dawson

Grace Quinonez

Oliver Platt

Moran

Pat McNamara

Murph

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Synopsis

On Ash Wednesday in 1983, three years after he was supposedly killed by rival mobsters, Sean (Elijah Wood) returns to the Hell's Kitchen section of New York City, much to the dismay of those who wanted him dead. Not only does his return put his own life in danger, it also threatens the lives of his wife, Grace (Rosario Dawson), and his brother, Francis (Edward Burns). Sean's criminal past catches up with him as he works to protect Francis, Grace and the son he left behind.

Director: Edward Burns
Producer: Edward Burns, Margot Bridger, Aaron Lubin
Screenwriter: Edward Burns
Production Co: IFC Productions, Marlboro Road Gang
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.9K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround