Woman whose search for her son inspired the film Philomena slams U.S. Critic for branding movie 'anti-Catholic and anti-Republican'

• Philomena tells story of an Irish woman forced to give up her son by nuns
• It was inspired by the real life-story of Philomena Lee
  
• New York Post critic described it as '90 minutes of organised hate'
• But Ms Lee wrote to the paper claiming he was 'incorrect'

PUBLISHED: 09:03 EST, 6 December 2013 | UPDATED: 09:04 EST, 6 December 2013

Philomena Lee, who was forced to give up her three-year-old son for adoption wrote to the New York Post after its critic slammed a movie based on her life story

The woman whose search for the son she was forced to give up for adoption inspired the film Philomena has slammed a U.S. Critic who branded it 'anti-Catholic and anti-Republican'.
Philomena, which stars Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, tells the story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman who was forced by nuns to give up her three-year-old son Anthony having fallen pregnant as a teenager.
After keeping silent about her loss for 50 years she tells her story to journalist Martin Sixsmith, played by Coogan, and the pair travel to America in an attempt to trace Anthony. 
In a scathing review in the New York Post, Kyle Smith described the film as '90 minutes of organised hate', the sole purpose of which was to 'simultaneously attack Catholics and Republicans'.
He brands the key characters as a 'ninny and a jerk' and goes on to describe the film as 'a sugary slice of arsenic cake'.
But the review prompted Ms Lee to write to Smith in support of the film arguing that he had had missed the point entirely and pointing out that, despite her experience, she is a proud Catholic.
Ms Lee's letter, which was placed as full-page advert in the New York Times by the film's producer Harvey Weinstein, states the movie is supposed to be a 'testament to good things, not an attack'. 
She writes: 'Your review of the movie paints its story as being a condemnation of Catholicism and conservative views.
'It states that the relationship depicted between Mr. Martin Sixsmith and myself comes across as contrived and trite, and funny for all the wrong reasons. Forgive me for saying so, Kyle, but you are incorrect.

Judi Dench and Steve Coogan in a scene from the film Philomena, which was described in the New York Post as '90 minutes of organised hate'

'What Stephen Frears did with Martin’s book is something extraordinary and quite real. Stephen’s take on the story of Martin and me searching for my long lost son, who I hadn’t spoken of to a single soul in fifty years, has overwhelmingly spoken to those who have seen it in a very positive light.

'For that I am intensely grateful, not just because people the world over have watched the movie with open hearts and embraced me for coming forward with the truth after all this time.
'The story it tells has resonated with people not because it’s some mockery of ideas or institutions that they’re in disagreement with.

Philomena Lee poses with Judi Dench who played her in the film based on her hunt for her son Anthony who was given up for adoption when he was three-years-old

New trailer for Philomena starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan

'This is not a rally cry against the church or politics. In fact, despite some of the troubles that befell me as a young girl, I have always maintained a very strong hold on my faith.'
The film is based on Martin Sixsmith's book Philomena, which charts his and Ms Lee's four year hunt to trace Anthony.
He described the film, written by Coogan and director Stephen Frears as 'beautifully wrought' and 'steering a path between affecting pathos and laugh-out-loud humour'.

The film is based on the book Philomena, by journalist Martin Sixsmith

Speaking exclusively to the Mail earlier this year, Ms Lee explained how she was sent off to work in a Catholic laundry just eight weeks after giving birth.
She described heartbreaking moment that she found out her son was being given up for adoption from one of the few nuns she considered a friend.
She said: 'I didn’t even have a chance to give him a last cuddle. I saw his little face looking out of the back window of the black car that was taking him away. That’s never left me, that image, in all my years.
'I was there when they filmed that scene for the movie and it was exactly how I remembered it. The director Stephen Frears said: "What are you doing here today, are you mad?" I did shed a tear. Awful. Awful.
'After Anthony was taken, oh, I cried and caused a right carry on. The nuns told me to shut up and to stop being stupid and that I was lucky I had my baby adopted.'
The film has also prompted an angry response from the order of nuns, he Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in County Tipperary, who claim they were made to look like ‘villains’.
Sister Julie Rose, the order’s assistant congregational leader, said the film ‘does not tell the whole truth, and in many ways is very misleading’.