**ALL MOVIE PASSES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED AS OF 8:48PM AUSTRALIAN EST, 14/02/2016**
This is something new for me: to mark Valentine’s Day, I have ten double passes to the movie Brooklyn to give away to Australian readers of this blog.
Brooklyn (watch the trailer here) is based on a novel by Colm Tóibín, the story of which is summarised on Tóibín‘s website:
It is Ireland in the early 1950s and for Eilis Lacey, as for so many young Irish girls, opportunities are scarce. So when her sister arranges for her to emigrate to New York, Eilis knows she must go, leaving behind her family and her home for the first time.
Arriving in a crowded lodging house in Brooklyn, Eilis can only be reminded of what she has sacrificed. She is far from home – and homesick. And just as she takes tentative steps towards friendship, and perhaps something more, Eilis receives news which sends her back to Ireland. There she will be confronted by a terrible dilemma – a devastating choice between duty and one great love.
Played by Saoirse Ronan in the film, Eilis’s story is about the divided heart of the immigrant. While I’ve never emigrated from my home in Australia, I can empathise, having spent more than seven years of my life in Southeast Asia. When I’m there, I miss my hometown of Melbourne. When in Melbourne, I miss being there. I’ve often described myself as having a divided heart.
The film of Brooklyn has been nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay, the latter written by novelist and screenwriter extraordinaire Nick Hornby.
If you’d like to see Brooklyn, I have ten double passes to give away, valid nationally in Australia (though check fine print for exclusions). All you need to do is leave a comment on this post to say why you’d like to see Brooklyn. Do you have a divided heart? Do you love great writing? Does the historical period appeal to you? Or would you simply enjoy seeing a great film for free?
Leave a comment, then email me your postal address via angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
First ten people to leave a comment win. (If you have trouble leaving a comment on this blog, try here)
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Angela Savage 
Oh, pick me! Pick me! I have this book on my shelf but haven’t managed to read it yet. I love the story idea as I’m partial to anything about the immigrant experience. This is the longest I’ve ever lived abroad (going on 16 years now) and I am permanently settled here yet still think of myself as “abroad”, which amuses my family. But whenever I go “home”, I feel like more of a visitor there now. 🙂
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You’re the perfect candidate for this movie, Nicole. Email me your postal address and I’ll send your double pass ASAP.
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Yes please
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Email me your postal address Steve: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
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Yes please! The film looks interesting. I am fond of migration stories and movies. Though some for reason I’m uncertain how similar the experiences of 1950s Irish migrating to New York would be to mine coming to Melbourne from Southeast Asia in the 1990s.
But then, we don’t always need to watch movies to see ourselves.
Thanks!
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I’d be interested to know how, if at all, the experiences in the film resonate with yours, Mark. Email me your postal address and I’ll send the movie pass: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
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Thank you, Angela, and done!
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My teenage daughter wants to see all the Best Picture nominees before the Oscars which has been getting pretty expensive… so seeing one for free will be a bonus 🙂
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Happy to support your daughter’s noble quest, Ross. Please email me your/her postal address: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
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I’m always up for a movie exploring relationships Add in the two locations of this one and I’m SOLD!
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Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it, Jennifer. Email me your postal address: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
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I’m a big fan of Saoirse Ronan and the trailer for this looks really good!
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Happy to send tickets to you, Amit. Please email me your postal address: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com
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This is the only one in this year’s Best Picture Oscar nominee which I haven’t seen and I’m looking forward to it!
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You have to complete the set, Aju! Please email me your postal address: angelasavageos(at)gmail.com and I’ll send you the pass.
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Thanks 🙂 Email sent.
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PASSES ALL CLAIMED NOW (7 here and 3 via Facebook). Thanks for playing everyone.
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Wow.. Happy valentine’s day to you too.
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What a great treat, Angela! I loved the book and have the DVD on pre-order. I hope all your winners enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed the book. Happy (belated) Valentine’s Day!
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Thanks FF. Will you do a book vs film review of this one? — I’d love to know what you think 🙂
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I’m planning to, though it’s ages since I read the book so I’m hoping I remember enough of the detail to do a proper comparison… 🙂
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How great that you had passes to Brooklyn. I can’t wait to see this in the States, especially since half of my family emigrated from Ireland, and I am not familiar with their experiences.
So, I look forward to your book vs movie reviews.
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I know, Kathy, how lucky was I?! I’m hoping to see the movie myself next week with my Mum. Both of us are the productive of Irish emigration, too.
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What’s the verdict on the movie?
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I loved it, Kathy. Beautifully written, acted and shot, it was also a refreshing take on the immigrant experience as joyful and exciting, rather than ‘only’ being about loss.
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OK. I’ll prioritize it. I’m just reading the New York Times article about the unsung role of women in the April 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland. Many women were involved, not only a leader, Constance Markievicz. The Times says 77 women were involved.
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