The Butcher Boy (1998)

This little piggy laughed all the way home!

Francie and Joe live the usual playful, fantasy filled childhoods of normal boys. However, with a violent, alcoholic father and a manic depressive, suicidal mother the pressure on Francie to grow up are immense. When Francie's world turns to madness, he tries to counter it with further insanity, with dire consequences.

Comedy Drama friendship suicide based on novel or book pig boarding school angel difficult childhood dark comedy insane asylum alcoholism murder ireland

Heads up

Suicide or self-harm
Harm to children
Addiction
Bleak ending

Log it

Sign in to log this.

Character

Prestige, overwhelming, bleak and character-led.

unpretentiousprestige
cooloverwhelming
warmbleak
character-ledplot-driven
effortlessdemanding

Who loves it, who doesn't

No profiled raters yet.

Where do you stand?

Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.

“Is The Butcher Boy emotionally manipulative?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is this Neil Jordan's best work?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.
“Is the book better?”
Sign in to answer.
Be the first to answer.