Irish Movies That Make One Smile

 

It was St. Patrick’s Day this past Tuesday so I thought I would carry it through for today’s pick of movies. There re quite a few movies that take place in Ireland or involving Irish people on a foreign land. I wanted to have movies that can make you smile since this world is just one big F@# up. We need movies that make one forget reality sometimes…

1. THE QUIET MAN-1952

This is a John Ford classic, who loved his Irish heritage, that includes many of his group that are Irish like Victor McLaglen, The wonderful Barry FitzGerald and the luminous, Maureen O’Hara. This stars John Wayne( who should have been nominated for a Best Actor Oscar) as a former boxer, who killed a man when in the ring, who leaves his career and his home behind to start a new life in Ireland taking over his mom’s former home. He meets the fellow people in town including the fiery Mary Kate, played by O’Hara,  who is equally enamoured by the tall Wayne. Her brother refuses to give her, her dowry resulting in much conflagration between Wayne, O’Hara and McLaglen. The townsfolk can see a storm brewing which results in a humdinger of a climax involving Wayne dragging O’Hara through the hills to her brother. The ensuing fight is so great and so much fun to watch. It sounds so wrong to say I love it when Wayne drags O’Hara from the train station to her brother, but…I love It! I find that scene as 2 people who are equal to each other, matching wits and taking no prisoners which is sexy. Ok, I said it, I guess I am weird. This is a must see film in my opinion

2. DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE-1959

This is a fun Disney film that co-stars a young Sean Connery as the love interest to the pretty Janet Munro, the daughter of the main character, Darby, played by Albert Sharpe. Darby is the head caretaker to an estate who spins yarns to anyone who listens, that he can see leprechauns and fairy people, etc… When he is replaced by the young, rugged Sean, Darby decides to find the King of the leprechauns but, instead of him catching the King, the leprechauns catch Darby and bring him inside their mountain where the king of the leprechauns is happy to keep Darby with them. Darby outwits the crafty leprechauns and escapes plus he nabs the King and now is granted 3 wishes. What will poor Darby wish for and will he blow it and wish 4 times which will negate his other wishes? This is a sweet, endearing film that is just a fun movie to watch especially when we hear Sean Connery sing.

3. WAKING NED DEVINE-1998

This is a hilarious film that takes place in a small Irish village( actually filmed on the Isle of Man)  with 2 friends, played so brilliantly by Ian Bannon ( who died in a car accident a year after this movie came out) and David Kelly who almost steals the picture, who find out that someone in their tiny village won the lottery. They go on a hunt to find out who won and find him. A man who died of shock after finding out he won! The 2 devise a plan to keep the lottery money with one of them playing the winner, Ned. They must engage the entire town to on their plan when the lottery people come to confirm that Kelly is Ned. The only nemesis is an old wart of a woman who hates everyone and everything and might very well tattle. This is so funny from Kelly, naked as a jay bird, riding a motorcycle to a hog farmer, played by James Nesbitt, who loves the pretty village girl and she loves him but for one thing….he smells of pigs. It was the sleeper hit of the summer and it is another must see film.

Which Irish films can you think of?