Breakfast on Pluto

Eily Bergin made the heartbreaking decision to abandon her infant son on the doorstep of the local parochial house where his father, Father Liam, lived. While the film doesn't reveal explicit details about her reasoning, the context suggests she felt unable to raise the child alone, particularly given the secrecy surrounding the priest's involvement and the social stigma of having a child outside of marriage in 1970s Ireland.

Lawrence's father earlier notes that Eily resembled actress Mitzi Gaynor, hinting at her glamorous past and suggesting she may have come from a background unsuited to single motherhood.

When Kitten confesses about her identity struggles and asks about her mother during confession, Father Liam rebuffs her, telling her to leave and refusing to engage with her questions. This rejection stems from his inability to acknowledge his past relationship with Eily and the existence of an illegitimate child, choosing instead to maintain his position within the church and community rather than confront his hidden past.

This moment echoes the earlier scene where Lawrence's father compares Eily to Mitzi Gaynor, a comparison that indirectly connects Patrick to his origins Father Liam refuses to acknowledge.

After joining glam rock band Billy Hatchet and the Mohawks, Kitten developed a crush on the charismatic leader Billy, who offered her shelter in his trailer. She later discovered that Billy was entangled with the IRA and was hiding firearms in their mobile home. Her involvement was primarily romantic rather than political, she was drawn to Billy personally and remained somewhat oblivious to the danger surrounding his activities.

The band's name 'Billy Hatchet and the Mohawks' hints at Billy's violent associations from the start, though Kitten initially sees only the glamour of the rock-and-roll lifestyle.

Kitten discarded a cache of guns into a lake after losing her friend Lawrence in a police action following a botched IRA operation. This act marked a significant shift in her worldview, she had been indifferent to the political violence surrounding her, but Lawrence's death forced her to confront the real consequences of the IRA's actions and reject involvement in their cause.

This moment directly follows the tragedy of Lawrence's death, showing how personal loss transformed Kitten's passive acceptance of the violence around her.

Lawrence was killed during a police action following a botched IRA operation. His death serves as a pivotal moment in the film, forcing Kitten to reconsider her detachment from the political turmoil around her and setting her on a path toward rejecting violence entirely.

Irwin's earlier involvement with the IRA had already created tension with Charlie, foreshadowing the tragic consequences that would later claim Lawrence's life.

While working on the streets, Kitten faced a violent attack but managed to escape a near-fatal encounter by using her perfume, Chanel No. 5, as a weapon. She sprayed the attacker with the fragrance, creating a distraction that allowed her to flee to safety.

This survival moment comes during Kitten's most desperate period of homelessness in London, highlighting her resourcefulness in the face of danger.

The Phantom Lady is a story Kitten writes in her notebook about someone lost in the sprawling city, a metaphor for her own connection with her estranged mother Eily. When she shares this story with magician Bertie Vaughan, it reveals her deep longing to find her mother and understand her own origins. Bertie's interest in the story leads him to offer her a role in his magic act, essentially helping her transform her personal narrative into a performance.

The Phantom Lady metaphor threads through Kitten's journey from Ireland to London, representing her persistent hope of reuniting with Eily despite numerous obstacles.

When Charlie discovered Kitten living with magician Bertie Vaughan, it created a rift in their friendship. Charlie's negative reaction stemmed from discovering Kitten had kept her transgender identity hidden from him, and perhaps also from the sudden change in Kitten's circumstances after she'd been struggling with homelessness. The tension reflects the complexity of Kitten's relationships and the challenges of reconciling her new life with old friendships.

This conflict arises shortly after Kitten reveals her transgender identity to Bertie, suggesting Charlie may have felt betrayed by not being trusted with this personal information earlier.

Kitten attended a club frequented by British soldiers where an IRA bombing occurred. Despite being innocent, she was arrested as a suspected terrorist simply for being present at the scene. During her detention, she endured inhumane treatment and penned a dramatic statement about her innocence, which was later illustrated in a comedic fantasy film spoof within the movie, depicting her getting swallowed by a whale, as a satirical representation of her ordeal.

This traumatic event follows directly from Kitten's continued indifference to the political violence around her, demonstrating how the IRA conflict eventually reached her regardless of her stance.

After her release, one of Kitten's interrogators came to her aid, bringing her to a peep show where she underwent a striking transformation into a blonde. This same interrogator, who turned out to be her estranged father Father Liam, gave her the key to locating Eily, providing the crucial information she needed to finally find her mother.

Father Liam's act of giving the key echoes his earlier refusal in the confessional, showing his gradual, if still cautious, acknowledgment of his daughter.

When Kitten discovered her younger half-brother, also named Patrick, and finally met Eily, she fainted upon seeing her mother. This overwhelming emotional response stemmed from the intensity of finally confronting the woman she'd searched for throughout her entire life, the culmination of years of longing, abandonment, and hope.

The fainting moment represents the emotional weight of her entire journey finally catching up with her after years of searching.

After fainting and regaining consciousness, Kitten chose not to reveal her true identity during her encounter with Eily. This decision reflects the complex emotional state of finally achieving her goal, she had spent her life searching for her mother, but actually confronting that reunion proved more complicated than she'd imagined. She wasn't ready to share her full story, including her transition and everything she'd endured.

This unresolved choice continues the film's theme of unfulfilled longing, leaving the reunion suspended in bittersweet uncertainty.

The parish house was firebombed after Kitten and the pregnant Charlie moved in with Father Liam. The townspeople's outrage at a priest living with a young woman (whom they didn't know was his daughter) and another woman sparked the violent attack, forcing Kitten and Charlie to flee to London for their safety.

This violent conclusion reflects the ongoing intolerance and judgment that has followed Kitten throughout her life, from her foster family's reaction to her identity to the community's reaction to her presence in the priest's home.

Irwin was killed by the IRA before the film's final act. His death is referenced as part of the tragedy that brings Kitten back to care for pregnant Charlie and attempt to reconnect with her father. This loss adds to the film's exploration of how the IRA's violence affected ordinary people, including those on the periphery of the conflict.

Irwin's earlier involvement with the IRA had already caused tension with Charlie, and his fate underscores the film's message about the devastating consequences of political violence.

The ending is bittersweet: Kitten encounters a pregnant Eily alongside the little Patrick at a medical office in London where Charlie is receiving postnatal care. Kitten greets them warmly but continues to keep her identity secret, leaving their reunion suspended in unresolved longing. She has found her mother but cannot yet bring herself to fully reconnect, achieving a form of closure marked by hope for the future but lingering questions about whether they will truly reunite.

The final scene mirrors the opening abandonment, another doorstep moment, but now Kitten is the one choosing to leave, maintaining the cyclical nature of abandonment and search that defines her journey.