Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is a 2002 American crime drama film written, directed, and starring Edward Burns, alongside Elijah Wood and Rosario Dawson. 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. Plot Hell's Kitchen on Ash Wednesday, 1983: As rumors are flying that Francis Sullivan's (Edward Burns) younger brother Sean (Elijah Wood) who has been presumed dead for three years, has appeared out of nowhere. It was rumored that the old killers might take a second stab at Francis's and Sean's life. An upstart approaches the local mob boss, who is Francis's protector for a hit job. Sean's wife, Grace (Rosario Dawson), believed she was a widow for three years until Sean showed up again. The parish priest who was deceived initially, is feeling anxious. As enemies with guns are closing in, Francis needs to get Sean and his wife out of the city. Can Francis avoid a war between rival factions, and hold onto a new found morality? At the end of the film, Francis helps Sean reunite with Grace and his son, Sean Jr., as they head out of the city together in the back of a van. But Francis decides to stay back to stop Moran (Oliver Platt). The film closes with Francis wiping the cross of ashes from his forehead. The final credit consists of Francis being killed by a gunshot, while stepping outside the pub as the sniper who killed him leaves the scene before the police arrives.