Plot
In a London karaoke bar some time around 1987, Maggie Conlan, a woman with a troubled past, meets Paraguayan immigrant Jorge and has a drink with him. A flashback reveals that Maggie witnessed her father beating her mother, and she confesses to Jorge (whom she calls George) that her four children, all with different fathers, are in the care of social services. Maggie leaves but forgets her wallet, which Jorge returns to her after chasing down her bus. The pair go to a pizza restaurant, then return to Jorge's apartment, where Maggie tells Jorge about her experiences with her abusive, alcoholic ex-boyfriend Simon. In a flashback, Maggie and her children move into a women's refuge. Back in the present, the two begin to kiss but Maggie grows hysterical and attempts to storm out of Jorge's apartment, revealing her unresolved feelings of loss for her children. In a flashback, Maggie is singing in a club when she is called home by the bartender and discovers that there has been a fire at the refuge and her son Sean has been injured in the fire. Maggie goes to the hospital where she is interviewed by the police, who are concerned that Maggie left the children alone. She claims to have left the key with her friend Jill because of the rowdy children at the refuge, but Jill does not recall this. After the fire, Sean is placed in foster care. Maggie visits him and is micromanaging and rude to his foster mother, Mary, whom she accuses of trying to keep her son for herself. Maggie goes up and sees Sean, but causes him pain when she improperly tries to change his bandages.
Back in the present, Maggie and Jorge have sex. In another flashback, Maggie meets with a pair of social workers, who tell her that she needs to be assessed at a halfway house in order to have a chance at receiving Sean back, to which she is resistant. She eventually gives in and goes to the halfway house, but leaves almost immediately after seeing an altercation with another patient. Now a quasi-fugitive, Mairead says she cannot stay with her family, and Maggie says she cannot return to the refuge. This leads to her returning to Simon, with whom she plans to leave town and hide at Simon's sister's house. As they are leaving, a social worker confronts Maggie and tells her that she will lose her children if she flees the city, but Maggie leaves anyway. Simon insists that they stop and collect Maggie's government welfare check, but she fears that the authorities will find them. Simon kicks her out of the van and assaults her, and she leaves the children in Simon's van where they later taken by the police. Back in the present, Jorge reveals that he is a political refugee from Paraguay, and has not returned for fear he will be killed due to his dissident views. He also reveals that he has a wife back in Paraguay, but has been away so long that he is not sure whether or not they are still married.
At Maggie's court hearing, a testifying doctor says she believes that Maggie loves her children, but is not capable of properly caring for them, citing her history with Simon. Maggie begins to audibly protest, and runs out of the courtroom to tell Jorge that the court has taken all her children from her. Jorge, meanwhile, reveals that his visa has expired and he will stay in England as an illegal alien, tearing up his plane tickets and declaring his commitment to Maggie, who is later revealed to be pregnant with Jorge's child. The pair move into a new flat, where Jorge inadvertently meets their irascible neighbor, Mrs. Higgs. Jorge acquires an under-the-table job at a chicken restaurant, and returns home to Maggie, who has a breakdown when she sees an adoption advertisement in the newspaper for Sean. Maggie and Jorge get into a dispute with Mrs. Higgs, who makes racial comments about Jorge before the latter sprays her playfully with a garden hose. Maggie goes to the hospital and has the baby, but Jorge's supervisor docks him two days of pay despite him only missing one day for the birth of his child. A health visitor comes to enquire about the baby, but Maggie lies about her identity and refuses her entry. The health visitor returns later, revealing that she knows Maggie's children are in care, urging her to bring the baby to the clinic for a checkup. Mairead and her children come over to the flat, when the police and Social Services arrive (it is implied that Mrs. Higgs has revealed to Social Services that Maggie is trying not to be found) and take the baby under a place of safety order. Maggie grows visibly distraught and has to be restrained as the police take the baby.
Maggie interviews with a series of Social Services workers in order to keep the baby, but eventually grows tired of putting on a facade and explodes in the face of the third worker to interview them, revealing her long-seated hatred for Social Services based on her belief that they failed to remove her from her sexually abusive home as a young girl. At a new trial, Mrs. Higgs takes the stand and lies that Jorge has been physically abusive to Maggie. Jorge is examined as well, aspersions are cast on him being a violent refugee, and he is also questioned about his wife back in Paraguay. While Jorge takes a break from the proceedings, he is served with deportation papers after his employer reveals his status as an illegal immigrant as a form of retaliation. The court eventually declares that Maggie is an unfit mother due to her lack of self control, lack of intellect, and refusal to work with Social Services. Later, Jorge returns to the flat and reveals that he has been granted permission to remain in the country due to his good character. He reiterates his desire to stay with Maggie, who becomes hysterical and assaults Jorge, who walks out of the apartment before returning and reconciling with Maggie. Maggie becomes pregnant again, and after the baby is born, Social Services arrives and announces that they have another place of safety order to execute. Maggie attempts to throw herself out of the window, and is sedated as a response. The film cuts to Maggie and Jorge at home, where they have one final fight and reconciliation. The film ends with a title card over the last moments of footage:
Maggie and Jorge have had three more children whom they have been allowed to keep. They have been given no access to their first two daughters. Maggie says that she thinks every day of all her lost children.
Release
Reception
Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 67%, based on 9 reviews.[5]
In a review that awarded four stars out of four, critic Roger Ebert declared Crissy Rock’s performance "the strongest performance in any film of the last 12 months" and opined she should get an Oscar nomination.[6]
Awards and nominations
The film won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the 44th Berlin International Film Festival.[3] For her performance, Rock won the award for Best Actress at the 1994 Chicago International Film Festival.[7] She also won a London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year and was nominated for a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.[7] Ladybird, Ladybird received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at the 10th Independent Spirit Awards.[7]
Year-end lists
