YMMV / Philomena

• Alternate Character Interpretation: When Sister Hildegard asked Philomena if she had pulled down her knickers, was she simply trying to confirm that Philomena had engaged in sexual relations and thus was pregnant? Or was she trying to figure out whether Philomena had engaged in sex consensually (by pulling down her own knickers), or if it was coerced (if the "lovable rogue" who sired her baby had pulled them himself, it may not have been entirely consensual) and thus Philomena would merit a lesser penalty and possibly prosecution of the baby's father.
• Genius Bonus: The fact that in 2004, the youngest nun is a young black immigrant woman whereas in flashbacks, all the nuns, young and old, are white Irish. Few people who aren’t Irish would recognise the truth of this: since the 1990s, fewer and fewer Irish-born people are joining the church.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Since the release of the film attention on the Catholic Church in Ireland and their handling of young mothers and their children intensified; Irish historian Catherine Corless was responsible for the discovery of a horrific mass grave, having pursued the death certificates for a number of children. By contrast, heartbreaking as Philomena and Anthony/Michael's plight is, they were vaguely lucky by comparison.
• Moment of Awesome: Martin's The Reason You Suck speech to Sister Hildegard.
• Moral Event Horizon: Is it the nuns denying Philomena medical attention or pain relief during her breech birth? Knowing both she and her son were looking for each other but lying to Philomena that they don't know where he is and to Michael - a dying man - that his mother abandoned him and is untraceable? Or Sister Hildegard defending and showing no remorse for the avoidable deaths of mothers - some as young as 14 - and babies in childbirth because the babies were conceived out of wedlock? Take your pick.
• Stoic Woobie: Philomena.
• Tear Jerker: Philomena sobbing as she helplessly watches Anthony get taken away.
  • Martin finding out that Anthony/Michael is dead, and Philomena's reaction to it.
  Philomena: That's him, that's my Anthony. ...He's dead, isn't he?
• The Woobie: Philomena and Anthony/Michael.

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