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Rita has a nice little part, playing 'Mrs. Lee' opposite Jess
Conrad as Barney, her son. We first see her in
Court where she sits nervously watching the proceedings, but the
best scene comes when the film flashes back to previous events.
Barney is at home with Mum and Dad (Henry Mcgee), busily shining
his shoes for a night out with the lads. Rita nags him: "Oh
hurry up will yer Barney, I want you to take this shopping over
to Ginger's Mum". Barney carries on, complaining
that he doesn't have time. Rita accidently steps on his shoes,
and Barney has a go at her: "Ere ook out, Gawd Blimey,
look what you' ve done to my new shoes". Rita shouts
back at him "well you leave them all over the place
Barney, I ain't got eyes in the back of me head now have I ?".
Barney snaps back, and Dad lets slip that his Mum had
stepped on them before. Annoyed, Barney asks, "Have you trod
on these before?". Rita replies "Oh shut up, I'll
give yer one" and makes a jesture to hit him before
telling him again, "Take this shopping over to Mrs.
Thompson". He tells her that she's got a liberty
after treading on his shoes, but Rita does not relent, "Go
on Barney, my legs ain't up to it". He grumbles about
working all day as he continues to get ready. His Dad makes a
jibe about his shoes and the two start to squabble. Rita is making
tea and tells him again, "Oh take the shopping Barney".
Dad is sitting drinking Guiness and asks Rita if the doctor had
called into see Mrs C., and Rita replies, "Yeah, no
wonder anybody being ill, breathing the kind of air yer get round
ere" as she carries on making tea. "They
say it's cancer", Dad replies gloomily. "Oh yer
a right happy pair you are" Barney tells his parents,
Rita pours hot water into the kettle nagging Barney once more,"Take
the shopping will yer Barney".This time Barney says
he will, admires his shoes one more time and tries to get his
Dad to lend him some money, while Rita watches silently. Barney
finally leaves, taking the shopping with him.
In the last of Rita's scenes she is back at the Court where she
is sitting with all the other boys' parents, and as her 17 year
old son's full name, "Brian Harold Lee", is called out
and he pleads "guilty" to the crime, Rita holds back
the tears. After the life sentence is pronounced, Rita gets up
slowly, almost in tears, and leaves the gallery.
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