Hutchinson - The Devil's Own

At the very beginning of The Devil’s Own, we see how important family is to Frankie McGuire, as he sets out to sea with his fisherman father in the opening scene. Unfortunately, in the very next scene, we see that family bond ripped from Frankie, as his father is gunned down right in front of him at the dinner table. Suddenly, Frankie’s whole world comes crashing down around him, and his Irish pride and desire for revenge flares deep within him. Cut to twenty years later, an older Frankie is now a hero of the IRA, shooting people, bombing people, and destroying families left and right – even members of his own team are dying for the cause. It isn’t until Frankie arrives in America that we see any real sense of human value and life bubble within him. By living with Tom O’Meara and his family, some of Frankie – or rather “Rory’s” – walls have come down. He has allowed himself to be taken in by Tom’s family, physically and emotionally. He attends Tom’s daughter’s confirmation, as a member of the family. At the after party, he is treated as just that, a member of the family. When Tom is asked to take a picture with Eddie, Tom grabs “Rory” and pulls him in, including him and solidifying his place in the family. Rory at first appears baffled, but quickly smiles and poses for the picture, enjoying himself. For the rest of the scene, Rory dances with the daughters and actively participates in the normal family function. He is no longer the cold, detached killer leading a secret gun-running mission – he is an accepted, fun, loving and beloved member of the O’Meara family. Finally, since the death of his father, Frankie McGuire has opened up and found a family. He is part of a common family occurrence. He has purpose, something worth fighting for, aside from his Irish Pride. The O'Meara family remind him of why he started fighting in the first place.