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Small Things like These, the 2024 historical drama directed by Tim Mielants, shines a light on a harrowing chapter of Ireland’s past, raising questions about its basis on real events. This adaptation of Claire Keegan's 2021 novel takes audiences into 1980s Ireland, where the social institutions known as the Magdalene laundries concealed dark secrets for over two centuries.
With Cillian Murphy as both producer and lead actor, Small Things like These captures a story of moral courage in a small town and brings attention to the systemic abuses many women faced within these institutions.
Although Small Things like These is inspired by the real historical events surrounding Ireland's Magdalene laundries, the characters and the specific storyline in the film are fictional.
The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 15, 2024, and was subsequently released in Ireland and the UK in November, as a co-production between Ireland and Belgium.
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It not only showcases a talented cast, including Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Emily Watson, Clare Dunne, and Helen Behan but also delivers a narrative inspired by the injustices that took place within the Magdalene laundries.
Exploring in detail about Small Things like These being based on a true story
While Small Things like These is not based on a specific true story, its themes and context are drawn from the grim history of Ireland's Magdalene laundries, which operated from the 18th century, up until the final closure in 1996.
These laundries were ostensibly set up to house women deemed fallen by society, often unmarried mothers, orphaned girls, or those considered too rebellious or promiscuous. Initially framed as charitable institutions, the laundries became places of forced labor and abuse for the women who had nowhere else to turn.
Under the guise of rehabilitation, the women in Magdalene laundries were subjected to harsh, unpaid work, cleaning laundry for the local community, government, and even private clients.
The novel and film's protagonist, Bill Furlong, is a coal merchant who unwittingly becomes aware of the injustices within a local convent when he finds a young girl, Sarah, locked in a shed in freezing temperatures.
This fictional character’s discoveries and moral struggle are reflective of the real-world incidents that were finally exposed in the 1990s when a mass grave containing the remains of 155 women was uncovered at a former laundry site.
Leading to public outcry, this shocking discovery resulted in a deeper examination of the lives endured by the Magdalene women and the silent suffering that many of them endured for decades.
What were the scandals of Ireland's Magdalene laundries about in Small Things like These?
The Magdalene laundries are infamous for stories of mistreatment and abuse. Despite whispers and rumors, it was not until the late 20th century that evidence of the appalling conditions began to surface. The women, often abandoned by their families, were subjected to grueling labor under the strict control of the nuns who managed these facilities.
Reports by survivors reveal that some were deprived of food, beaten for poor performance, and kept in solitary confinement as punishment. The laundries were shrouded in secrecy, and their operations went largely unquestioned, due to the influence and authority that the Catholic Church wielded over Irish society.
One of the most shocking revelations was the practice of forced adoptions, in which children born to unmarried women in the laundries were taken away and placed with adoptive families, often without the mothers' consent.
The laundry institutions’ isolation from public scrutiny allowed these practices to continue until the 1990s, when survivors’ testimonies and investigative reporting brought the abuses to light.
Further, in 1993, the discovery of unmarked graves at a Dublin laundry facility became a catalyst for change, eventually leading the Irish government to issue a formal apology in 2013 and provide some restitution to the survivors.
Plot summary of Small Things like These
In Small Things like These, Bill Furlong, portrayed by Cillian Murphy, is a coal merchant and a father living a modest life in New Ross, a small Irish town, in the days leading up to Christmas 1985.
Haunted by memories of his own past, as the child of an unmarried mother who narrowly escaped the Magdalene system, Bill becomes deeply disturbed when he encounters Sarah, a young girl confined within the convent’s coal shed.
His interactions with Sarah and the threats he receives from the Mother Superior, played by Emily Watson, underscore the convent’s hold over the community and its concealed mistreatment of vulnerable women.
As Bill grapples with the potential consequences of exposing the convent’s secrets, he faces mounting pressure from those around him, including friends who urge him to protect his family by staying silent.
The story presents Bill’s eventual decision to intervene as a symbol of moral courage, in defiance of societal pressures to turn a blind eye. The movie ends with Bill choosing to rescue Sarah, carrying her to the safety of his own home as a quiet act of resistance against the cruelty he has uncovered.
The official synopsis of the film reads:
"In 1985, Bill Furlong, a devoted father, uncovers disturbing secrets at the local convent; as he investigates, he discovers shocking truths about his own past and life."
Cast details of Small Things like These
The cast of Small Things like These brings emotional depth to this powerful drama. Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Bill captures the emotional weight of a character torn between personal safety and doing what is right.
Emily Watson plays the steely Sister Mary, whose presence symbolizes the influence of the Church over the community. Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Clare Dunne, and Helen Behan further add depth to the town’s characters, each reflecting different responses to the convent’s dark reality.
Directed by Tim Mielants, the movie carefully balances fictional storytelling with historical context, making a strong statement on the importance of confronting institutional abuse.
Interested viewers can watch Small Things like These on the Lionsgate app with an active subscription.
