Sir, – Shane Hegarty (Weekend Review, October 13th) appraises Lenny Abrahamson’s What Richard Did, while expressing misgivings about the plight of the Murphy family and the occasion of their son’s death that gave rise to the film. This powerful and nuanced moral tale is of course mapped on to a very real event, at the heart of which lies the sensibilities of the Murphy family and their enduring hurt.
As publisher of the original work, Bad Day in Blackrock, from which the film derives (and to which in spirit it is impressively faithful), we sent a copy of the original narrative to the Murphy family, via an intermediary, at their request, and received word that in their eyes the interpretation was an acceptable one.
Let others now make their judgments. – Yours, etc,