Touchstone Pictures Presents was reporting on would make,” he continues. Veronica Guerin “That bravery and courage ultimately made an PRODUCTION INFORMATION enormous difference to her country—without her, it would be a different place.” In the mid-1990s, Dublin was nothing short One of Ireland’s top journalists during the of a war zone, with a few powerful drug lords 1990s, Guerin’s stories focused her nation’s battling for control. Their most fearsome opponent attention on the rising problem of heroin use in was not the police but the courageous journalist Dublin. Painting a vivid picture of a dangerous Veronica Guerin (CATE BLANCHETT), who covered world that perhaps many in the country had not the crime beat with unmatched intensity. As she yet focused upon, Guerin became the sworn investigated and exposed the “pushers,” enemy of the city’s underworld, ultimately balancing her home and family against her galvanizing the anti-drug forces and leading to responsibility to her readers and her country, she stronger drug laws in Ireland. “I like to tell stories became a national folk heroine to the people of about individuals who make a difference in the Ireland. Based on a true story, this powerful, world and are role models for future generations,” emotional film from producer Jerry Bruckheimer, Bruckheimer continues. “To me, that’s Veronica producer of “Pearl Harbor” and “Black Hawk Guerin. She is one of those people who changed Down,” and director Joel Schumacher (“Phone Ireland and the way people thought about drugs Booth,” “Bad Company,” “A Time to Kill,” and criminals. She is a person that other “Falling Down,” “Tigerland”), gives unique insight generations should know about.” into a fascinating and complex aspect of the Irish “I don’t think Veronica saw herself as being conflict and a poignant portrayal of a journalist anything unique underneath,” says Cate Blanchett, who risked everything in search of the truth. who plays the journalist. “I think she was The Touchstone Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer incredibly humble about what she was doing. I Films production “Veronica Guerin” was filmed on think that what made her unique was her location in and around Dublin. The film is directed humanity. But humans are flawed, and that’s what by Joel Schumacher. Screenplay by Carol Doyle makes them beautiful.” and Mary Agnes Donoghue. Story by Carol Doyle. “This is a global story,” says Schumacher. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Executive “The drug war is global and any story with a hero producers are Chad Oman, Mike Stenson and Ned or heroine is universal, regardless of whether it is Dowd. The film stars Academy Award® nominee period or contemporary or takes place in another Cate Blanchett, Gerard McSorley, Ciaran Hinds, country. Veronica Guerin’s story tells of someone and Academy Award® winner Brenda Fricker. who doesn’t back down, who does something that Buena Vista Pictures distributes. will be remembered.” “This is a story about personal courage,” ABOUT THE PRODUCTION echoes screenwriter Mary Agnes Donoghue. “Veronica Guerin said, ‘No, I’m not going to turn “The story of Veronica Guerin isn’t a small away.’ Afterwards, some people said she was a story. It isn’t meaningful just to people in Ireland. saint and brave; others say she was naïve and Her story shows the reason why people want to foolish. I don’t think she was any of those things. become journalists,” says Jerry Bruckheimer, I think she was someone who just took them on.” Leading the cast of “Veronica Guerin” is producer of “Veronica Guerin.” One of Hollywood’s ® top producers, Bruckheimer’s vast credits include Academy Award nominee Cate Blanchett. “Cate the recent films “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Blanchett was our only choice for Veronica,” says Curse of the Black Pearl,” “Remember the Joel Schumacher. “She’s so brilliant in the role Titans,” “Pearl Harbor,” and “Black Hawk Down.” that I don’t know whether I would have made the “This is somebody who couldn’t be film if she had said no—I didn’t have anybody else frightened, no matter what threats the people she in mind as a second choice.” 8 “She is a tour-de-force,” says Jerry everyone’s varying opinions of her lies the truth of Bruckheimer. “She did an enormous amount of who Veronica Guerin was.’’ research. It’s a great actress who has the ability to Together with the help of Joel Schumacher, do that.” Blanchett pieced together a portrait of Veronica When she was approached for the part, the Guerin as the story of a tough, uncompromising Australian-born actress knew very little about the journalist: someone who was not a saint, just Irish journalist. But during the course of her someone who was appalled by what was research, Blanchett unearthed a “complex, happening in their hometown where criminals passionate and extraordinary human being,” she were flooding the streets with heroin and getting says. away with murder. “Veronica had a very strong “I never make a judgment on any of the sense of moral outrage at the impotence of the characters I play,” Blanchett continues. “I don’t justice system to actually convict the people who fall in love with them just as I don’t despise them. were patently guilty,” Blanchett says. There is no value in doing that. I think it is very Once Blanchett was cast, the filmmakers easy, with the wisdom of hindsight, for people who turned to Guerin’s home country to round out the don’t participate, those on the sidelines, to ensemble. “Veronica Guerin” was made on moralize about the people who are at the center of location in Dublin with a largely Irish cast. “It’s life. Something Veronica once said in an interview, really been an eye-opener,” says Bruckheimer. I find inspiring: ‘You can’t solve a problem until “There are so many brilliant Irish stage and film you understand it.’ That was one of the keys to her actors who don’t really get exposure in America. character for me.” I’ve seen many actors that I want to work with Blanchett spent a month in Dublin prior to again.” the shooting of the movie, meeting friends and “The city has some great architecture, but colleagues of Veronica Guerin and talking to family more importantly, it has one of the finest stables members. She studied news footage of the of actors and actresses in the world,” Joel journalist, read Guerin’s articles from the archives, Schumacher says. listened to radio interviews, and perfected her Throughout her career as a crime reporter, Dublin accent. Piece by piece, she came closer Guerin steered a dangerous passage between her and closer to understanding Veronica Guerin’s work and her family life. “There is a very loving, motivation, determination, and commitment to a strong home life established in the movie so that cause. “She was a people person and she had a there is so much at stake, so much that could be strong belief in her ability to reason with people. lost,” says Barry Barnes, who plays Veronica’s In one of the interviews she said everybody has a husband, Graham. “Veronica weighs this, but human side, that they have a family, which can’t stop doing what she is doing.” humanizes them. So she had this very strong In the film, Guerin is aware of her belief, which ultimately led her into very responsibilities to her husband, Graham, her dangerous places, that she could reason her way mother, Bernadette, and her son, Cathal. But she out of any situation.” also has a job to do. “Graham sees what’s going In preparing to play Veronica Guerin, on, obviously knows how dangerous it is, but Blanchett had to look at a series of complex realizes that he can’t stop Veronica,” Barnes says. relationships. “Veronica was a phenomenal life “He sees that she is obsessed with her work and is force. I met so many people who were touched by not going to stop for anything. He possibly could her, who felt intimate with her or that she had give her an ultimatum, but I think he might be changed them in some way. She was controversial afraid that he might lose her. The other choice is and there were many opinions, speculations, and to accept that she is going to do it and try, to some rumors about her and her work and that is extent, to keep away from the edge of the cliff.” incredible for me as an actor. Somewhere between For Barnes, the gender role-reversal was an important lure to the role. “We have seen 9 hundreds of films where there’s a man who takes built up a gang of efficient, brutal criminals and on the bad guys and there’s a woman who fears for had quietly amassed a small fortune through his his safety. We, the audience, experience a lot of drug operations. He was also a man with a very our concerns for him through her. It’s not often violent streak. that you see a reversal of that, which is exactly Gilligan abhorred any connection with what this film is about.’’ journalists or the media. Despite repeated Another major influence in Veronica Guerin’s requests by Guerin, he refused to be interviewed life was her mother, Bernadette, who is played by and he repeatedly warned Traynor to stay away Academy Award®-winning actress Brenda Fricker. from the journalist. The last thing Gilligan wanted Always proud of her bold, fearless daughter, was his name in print. Bernie still urged Veronica to realize that Gerard McSorley plays the crime boss.