 Upon its release in 1987 , the film was generally well received by critics . Rita <unk> , writing in The Washington Post suggested " It 's all rather <unk> , with its <unk> hero on his spiritual quest , the atmosphere <unk> , <unk> to dance with once and future truths . " Tom Hutchinson in the Mail on Sunday praised " a script whose delight is in the rounded reality of its characters " . Janet Maslin , writing in The New York Times praised O 'Connor 's direction , suggesting it lent the film " a strong sense of <unk> , as well as a spiritual quality more apparent in the look of the film than in its dialogue . " Desmond Ryan of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote " Rarely has the impossibility of love been more <unk> presented than in the scenes of <unk> hope between Firth and Richardson . 
