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went on to say "As a recovering alcoholic myself I am totally aware of the need for publicity for this subject, but I totally object to anyone using my family to do it — especially since the three main characters in this drama are dead and can’t defend themselves." Barbara McNarry, the sister of George Best, said that the film's portrayal of alcoholism showed a "simplistic and limited understanding of this complex disease".
362:, a recent drama that was also set in Northern Ireland. He said that the film "remained penned in by biographical fidelity" and "it somehow seemed smaller than the tale it was telling...it consciously offered the back-story to a larger and better-known melodrama...it never seemed entirely sure what to do with the material it had."
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s Damian
Thompson wrote that it was a "gloomy drama" in terms of the material it was dealing with but "the recreation of late-Sixties Belfast was accurate and...intelligently subdued" and described Michelle Fairley's portrayal of Ann Best as "magnificent, pulling off the difficult trick of conveying
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There was also controversy over how accurately events are portrayed, despite the fact that real game footage and interviews are used within the film. Tom Payne was quoted in an interview saying "It's meant to be based on real events but there are some parts which are made for TV". He also said that
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in which she said "Everyone declined to participate in . The family was asked but we weren't prepared to give the BBC any information on my mum's alcoholism." Julia told the newspaper that she was also a recovering alcoholic and would have found it very difficult to allow the film to be made. She
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before the age of 40. However she became so addicted that it killed her within 10 years. The film focuses upon how much this was influenced by her son's fame and also whether she had an effect on her son, who died in 2005 from organ failure.
329:, gave it 3 stars out of 5 said of Tom Payne's performance "Tom Payne as George surprised early on by emphasising his shyness and naivety but he did not grow sufficiently to convince us that he had the charisma and stature of a fifth
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wrote that it was a "much hyped drama, but one thing is for sure that the compelling story of the boy from
Belfast who went on to become a world class footy player - will always be in the nation's hearts."
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The film has been met with controversy, with claims from the Best family that the writers and producers had not been given permission to make the film. George Best's sister gave an interview to the
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he had done much reading to prepare for the role but "as far as the family are concerned, they were unconnected to the film".
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The film looks at the later life of George Best's mother, Ann, who became an alcoholic despite having never touched
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was extremely critical of the film, calling it "an intrusive film that failed to tell the full story".
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that would ultimately lead to her death at the age of 54. The film was originally broadcast on
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The film received a mixed response from television critics. Andrew Billen, writing in
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appearing as his father Dickie. Des McAleer was also featured as the
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on 26 April 2009, receiving ratings of 2.74 million viewers.
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the hidden drunkenness of the respectable woman alcoholic."
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18:2009 British TV series or programme
744:. Belfast Telegraph. 27 April 2009
706:Thompson, Damian (24 April 2009).
591:"Best drama 'simplistic' - sister"
446:"'Best' drama to screen on BBC NI"
414:"BBC Two to air George Best drama"
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450:Irish Film and Television Network
676:Billen, Andrew (27 April 2009).
655:British Broadcasting Corporation
601:British Broadcasting Corporation
526:Sutcliffe, Tom (27 April 2009).
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424:British Broadcasting Corporation
393:British Broadcasting Corporation
289:Bronagh Taggart as Ruby Emerson
645:"Mixed reaction to Best drama"
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213:playing his mother Ann and
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768:Best: His Mother's Son
778:Review, Leicester Mercury
808:British television films
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359:Five Minutes of Heaven
191:Best: His Mother's Son
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793:2009 television films
185:BBC Northern Ireland
137:BBC Northern Ireland
716:The Daily Telegraph
341:The Daily Telegraph
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286:as Steve Fullaway
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35:Comedy drama
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476:Digital Spy
300:Controversy
259:as Ann Best
252:George Best
173:George Best
74:Des McAleer
51:Directed by
798:2009 films
787:Categories
714:. London:
684:. London:
375:References
279:Matt Busby
229:Background
223:Matt Busby
177:alcoholism
164:is a 2009
150:2009-04-26
119:90 minutes
103:Colin Barr
95:Production
54:Colin Barr
41:Written by
686:The Times
326:The Times
319:Reception
248:Tom Payne
207:Tom Payne
63:Tom Payne
748:27 April
726:27 April
691:27 April
661:27 April
650:BBC News
629:27 April
607:27 April
596:BBC News
575:27 April
540:27 April
536:. London
508:27 April
482:27 April
456:27 April
430:27 April
419:BBC News
398:27 April
100:Producer
59:Starring
235:alcohol
199:Belfast
181:BBC Two
148: (
143:Release
133:BBC Two
129:Network
90:English
331:Beatle
108:Editor
31:Genre
773:IMDb
750:2009
728:2009
693:2009
663:2009
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609:2009
577:2009
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365:The
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