Before Pierce Brosnan became James Bond, he participated in a variety of cinematic projects; however, since inheriting the 007 mantle from Timothy Dalton, he has largely been typecast as a secret agent/action hero type. His participation in Bruce Beresford's Evelyn allows him to slip out of the role that has lately been his bread-and-butter, and get back to the kinds of things he once did. For Beresford, whose resume virtually defines uneven, this is one of his high points. Evelyn is a shamelessly uplifting motion picture that attains its feel-good status by forging a deep emotional connection between the undertrodden protagonist and the audience.

The bulk of the film transpires during 1954 in Dublin, and concerns a court case that resulted in sweeping changes being made to Irish custody laws. Evelyn bears the "based on a true story" label, but, considering the flow of the narrative, my guess is that only the bare-bones facts remain. I don't mind when a screenwriter takes a fair amount of artistic license with the historical record, and the strength of Paul Pender's script argues that he and Beresford made the right choices.

Desmond Doyle (Brosnan) is an average working-class Irishman, who happens to be out of work at the moment because of an employment shortage. His wife chooses this moment to run off with her wealthy lover, leaving Desmond alone to support his two young sons and his only daughter, Evelyn (Sophie Vavasseur). However, because Desmond has no job, the courts take his children away from him, placing his sons in a Catholic Boys' Home and Evelyn in a convent. Eventually, Desmond rights his financial situation, but discovers that he cannot regain custody of his children without his wife's consent - and she is nowhere to be found. So he rounds up a legal team comprised of local three local lawyers (Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, and Alan Bates) with the intention of fighting the church and the government. With the support of those three men and a local woman, Bernadette (Julianna Margulies), he goes to battle to retrieve Evelyn and her brothers. (There is a romantic rivalry between Quinn's character and Desmond for Bernadette. Fortunately, the contest is friendly and free of the usual bickering and squabbling that often accompanies this kind of subplot.)

At first glance, Evelyn appears to be yet another in a long line of anti-Catholic motion pictures, but, before the Church gets into an uproar, they should consider the entire film. Yes, there is a nun who beats a child (actually not all that uncommon during the 1950s), but she is balanced out by several caring, considerate sisters. In fact, for the most part, the portrayal of the Church is positive. Evelyn's condemnation is reserved primarily for the Irish courts.

The film's root theme - a father's love for his children - is a proven cinematic favorite, and Beresford develops it perfectly. Evelyn offers plenty of lighthearted humor and gently manipulative melodrama, but the climactic moment seems to come from the heart. The performances of Brosnan and Vavasseur are on the mark, and the tactic of using a sports commentator to provide a running "play-by-play" of the courtroom action is a nice twist. It's easy to view this kind of movie with cynicism, but, as long as you're not too jaded, the film's ample good will should draw you in. I believe that virtually everyone who sees this motion picture will enjoy it. The question is: is Pierce Brosnan a big enough box office draw to ensure that Evelyn will get the kind of exposure it deserves, or will it only find an audience once it reaches video store shelves?