In Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, a transgender protagonist navigates the Troubles in 1970s Ireland.
In short: Cillian Murphy stars as Patricia Kitten Braden, a foundling who leaves her small Irish town for London to find her mother. Set against the backdrop of the 1970s Troubles, the film explores identity and resilience through a character who remains unrequited in her search for belonging and connection.
Directed by Neil Jordan and co-written with Patrick McCabe, the 2005 film adapts McCabe’s 1998 novel. The narrative follows Patrick Braden, who renames herself Kitten and embraces her identity as a transgender woman despite the hostility of her foster family and the conservative environment of 1950s Tyrellin. Her journey is marked by a search for her birth mother, Eily Bergin, leading her from rural Ireland to the complexities of London.
The film distinguishes itself from its source material through significant character shifts. While the novel’s protagonist, Pussy, is depicted as highly sexual, the film’s Kitten is never shown engaging in sexual behavior. Her relationships with men remain flirtatious and unconsummated, emphasizing her yearning rather than physical intimacy. This creative choice by Jordan and McCabe highlights the character's emotional vulnerability as she navigates political violence, including brushes with the IRA and police suspicion.
Critical reception of the film was mixed, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 58% approval rating from 123 critics and Metacritic assigning a score of 59 out of 100. Despite the polarized reviews, Cillian Murphy’s performance received acclaim, earning him the 2007 IFTA Award for Best Actor and a Golden Globe nomination. Jordan and McCabe also secured IFTA wins for Best Director and Best Script, respectively.
The film contains thematic echoes of Jordan’s earlier work, The Crying Game, particularly in a scene involving actor Stephen Rea. However, the interaction subverts expectations; whereas the earlier film features a character unaware of his partner's gender, Kitten explicitly discloses her identity to Rea’s character, Bertie, who reveals he already knew. This moment underscores the film's focus on honesty and the protagonist's persistent, if often painful, quest for self-acceptance.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Breakfast on Pluto (film)
- Also: Wikidata — Breakfast on Pluto · CC0
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