Philomena is only a book.
Philomena is a 2013 British drama film directed by Stephen Frears , based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by journalist Martin Sixsmith . The film was co-produced in the United States and the United Kingdom . It was also awarded the People 's Choice Award Runner-Up prize at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival . The film was nominated in four categories at the 86th Academy Awards : Best Picture , Best Adapted Screenplay for Coogan and Pope , Best Actress for Dench , and Best Original Score for Desplat . Philomena Lee ( born 24 March 1933 ) is an Irish woman whose life was chronicled in the 2009 book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee by Martin Sixsmith .