Ash Wednesday is a 2002 American crime drama film written and directed by Edward Burns. It stars Burns alongside Elijah Wood and Rosario Dawson.[1] The film is set in the early 1980s in New York City's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood and tells the story of a pair of Irish-American brothers who become embroiled in a conflict with the Irish mob.
In Hell's Kitchen on Ash Wednesday in 1983, rumors are spreading that Francis Sullivan's (Edward Burns) younger brother Sean (Elijah Wood), who has been presumed dead for three years, has reappeared. However, when it seems that Sean's life might be in danger again, Francis helps to get Sean and his wife Grace (Rosario Dawson) out of the city while avoiding a war between rival factions. However, Francis stays back to stop Moran (Oliver Platt). The film closes with Francis wiping the cross of ashes from his forehead before stepping outside the pub and being killed by a gunshot.
The film holds a 25% "rotten" rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes based on an aggregate score of 16 reviews.[2] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 40 out of 100 based on 7 critics, indicating mixed or average reviews.[3] The film was released in two theaters and grossed less than $3,000.