Reception
The reception of the film has been generally good. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes show a 79% rating and an average rating of 7.5/10. Andrew O'Hehir at Salon Entertainment says "Neil Jordan's sweetly tragicomic movie" has "elaborate fantasy sequences feel like irrelevant amusements." He also praises the film as "a compelling exploration of the permeable border between normal childhood and full-on insanity." Jeffrey M. Anderson at Combustible Celluloid calls the film "a roller-coaster ride for your brain. It's the most alive and deeply-felt movie I've seen in 1998." Emanuel Levy at Variety says it is "Neil Jordan's most accomplished and brilliant film to date."
Owens' performance was hailed unanimously; as such, he was awarded a Special Mention at the Berlin Film Festival in 1998.
The cumulative box office according to Variety is $1,963,654.
Read more about this topic: The Butcher Boy (1997 Film)
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