Ash Wednesday (2002 film)
Ash Wednesday is a 2002 crime drama film directed by and starring Edward Burns. The film also stars Elijah Wood, and Rosario Dawson. The film is set in the Hell's Kitchen of the early 1980s and is about a pair of Irish-American brothers who become embroiled in a conflict with the Irish mob.

Plot

Hell's Kitchen on Ash Wednesday, 1983; rumors are flying that Francis Sullivan's (Edward Burns) younger brother Sean (Elijah Wood), dead for three years, has reappeared. If he wasn't killed by rivals, then old scores still need settling, putting both Francis and Sean in danger. An upstart is pressuring the local mob boss, who's Francis's protector; Sean's wife, Grace (Rosario Dawson), believes she's a widow and has gotten on with her life, but Sean has come back for her. The parish priest, part of the initial deception, is frightened. Bad guys with guns are closing in. Can Francis get Sean and his wife out of the city, avoid a war between rival factions, and hold onto new-found morality? Will the cross of ashes on his forehead protect him?

Francis helps Sean reunite with Grace and his son, Sean Jr., and they head out of the city together in the back of a van, but Francis stays behind to stop Moran (Oliver Platt). The film closes with Francis wiping the cross of ashes from his forehead. When he steps outside of the pub minutes later, he is shot down. He dies and the sniper leaves the scene before the police arrives.

Cast
 Edward Burns as Francis Sullivan
 Elijah Wood as Sean Sullivan
 Rosario Dawson as Grace Quinonez
 Oliver Platt as Moran
 James Handy as Father Mahoney
 Brian Burns as Cousin Mike Moran
 Vincent Rubino as Vinny Boombata
 James Cummings as J.C.
 Pat McNamara as Murph
 John DiResta as Pete
 Malachy McCourt as Whitey
 Peter Gerety as Uncle Handy
 Brian Delate as Crazy George Cullen

Critical reception and box office
The film received a 29% "rotten" rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. The film was only released in two theaters and grossed less than $3,000.