The Commitments (1991)

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers (WGA):

Roddy Doyle (novel)
Dick Clement (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

28 August 1991 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Music

Tagline:

They Had Absolutely Nothing. But They Were Willing To Risk It All.

Plot:

The travails of Jimmy Rabbitte to form the "World's Hardest Working Band," The Commitments, and bring soul music to the people of Dublin, Ireland.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Ireland | Blues | Friendship | Music Club

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Robert Arkins	...	Jimmy Rabbitte
Michael Aherne	...	Steven Clifford
Angeline Ball	...	Imelda Quirke
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Natalie Murphy (as Maria Doyle)
Dave Finnegan	...	Mickah Wallace
Bronagh Gallagher	...	Bernie McGloughlin
Félim Gormley	...	Dean Fay
Glen Hansard	...	Outspan Foster
Dick Massey	...	Billy Mooney
Johnny Murphy	...	Joey 'The Lips' Fagan
Ken McCluskey	...	Derek Scully (as Kenneth McCluskey)
Andrew Strong	...	Deco Cuffe
Colm Meaney	...	Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.
Anne Kent	...	Mrs. Rabbitte
Andrea Corr	...	Sharon Rabbitte
Gerard Cassoni	...	Darren Rabbitte
Ruth Fairclough	...	Rabbitte Twin
Lindsay Fairclough	...	Rabbitte Twin
Michael O'Reilly	...	Greg
Liam Carney	...	Duffy
Ger Ryan	...	Pawnbroker
Mark O'Regan	...	Father Molloy
Phelim Drew	...	Roddy Craig the Reporter
Sean Hughes	...	Dave Machin from Eejit Records
Philip Bredin	...	Ray
Aoife Lawless	...	Imelda's Sister
Lance Daly	...	Kid with Harmonica
Conor Malone	...	Protest Song Singer
Jezz Bell	...	Heavy Metal Singer
Colm MacConiomare	...	Fiddler Auditioner (as Colm Mac Con Iomaire)
Emily Dawson	...	Punk Girl Singer
Dave Kane	...	Coconuts Trio
Kristel Harris	...	Coconuts Trio
Maria Place	...	Coconuts Trio
Brian MacAodha	...	Uileann Pipe Player (as Brian Mac Aodha)
Tricia Smith	...	Les Miserables Singer
Canice William	...	Smiths' Song Singer
Patrick Foy	...	Cajun Trio
Allan Murray	...	Cajun Trio (as Alan Murray)
Jody Campbell	...	Cajun Trio
Eanna MacLiam	...	Failed Drug Buyer (as Eanna Mac Liam)
Philomena Kavanagh	...	Rabbittes' Neighbor
Peter Rowen	...	Shy Skateboard Auditioner
Eamon O'Connor	...	Only De Lonely Singer
Maura O'Malley	...	Joey's Mother
Blaise Smith	...	Pool Hall Manager
Derek Herbert	...	Duffy's Sidekick
Owen O'Gorman	...	Duffy's Sidekick
Pat Leavy	...	Unemployment Official
John Cronin	...	Kid with Horse
Rynagh O'Grady	...	Bernie's Mother
Sheila Flitton	...	Church Cleaner
Michael Bolger	...	Community Centre Kid
Mick Nolan	...	Imelda's Father
Eileen Reid	...	Imelda's Mother
Bob Navan	...	Regency Pub Barman
Derek Duggan	...	Photographer
Paddy O'Connor	...	Rock Salmon Man
Jim Corr	...	Avant-Garde-A-Clue Band
Larry Hogan	...	Avant-Garde-A-Clue Band
Bernard Keelan	...	Avant-Garde-A-Clue Band
Ronan Hardiman	...	Dance Hall Manager
Mikel Murfi	...	Music Journalist
Josylen Lyons	...	Deco's Fan
Winston Dennis	...	Man in Limousine
Alan Parker	...	Eejit Record Producer
Paul Bushnell	...	Avant-Garde-A-Clue Band / Eejit Engineer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Caroline Corr	...	Extra (uncredited)
Sharon Corr	...	Fiddle Player (uncredited)
Alan Howley	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Mark Leahy	...	Wedding Guest (uncredited)
Martin O'Malley	...	Young Priest (uncredited)

Directed by
Alan Parker

Writing credits (WGA)
Roddy Doyle		(novel)
Dick Clement		(screenplay) &
Ian La Frenais		(screenplay) and
Roddy Doyle		(screenplay)

Produced by
Marc Abraham	....	co-producer
Armyan Bernstein	....	executive producer
Dick Clement	....	co-producer
Souter Harris	....	executive producer
Ian La Frenais	....	co-producer
Lynda Myles	....	producer
Roger Randall-Cutler	....	producer
Tom Rosenberg	....	executive producer
David Wimbury	....	line producer

Original Music by
Wilson Pickett

Cinematography by
Gale Tattersall

Film Editing by
Gerry Hambling

Casting by
John Hubbard
Ros Hubbard

Production Design by
Brian Morris

Art Direction by
Arden Gantly
Mark Geraghty

Set Decoration by
Karen Brookes

Costume Design by
Penny Rose

Makeup Department
Carole Dunne	....	hair stylist
Peter Frampton	....	makeup supervisor
Aaron Glynn	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Laurie Borg	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Paul Barnes	....	third assistant director
Brendan Geraghty	....	daily third assistant director
Cliff Lanning	....	third assistant director
Adam Lee	....	trainee assistant director
Belinda McCullagh	....	trainee assistant director
Gerry Toomey	....	second assistant director
Mickey Walsh	....	co-second assistant director (as Mick Walsh)
Bill Westley	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Tommy Allen	....	property master
Tommy Bassett	....	construction manager
Paul Fleming	....	stand-by painter
Linda Hederman	....	art department assistant
Pascal Jones	....	stand-by rigger
Nuala McKernan	....	stand-by prop
Vivion O'Brien	....	stand-by carpenter
Eamonn O'Higgins	....	dressing props master
Jimmy O'Meara	....	stand-by stagehand (as James O'Meara)
Ronnie Skinner	....	property buyer
Derek Wallace	....	chargehand prop

Sound Department
Robbie Adams	....	assistant sound engineer
Jack Armstrong	....	boom operator
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Allan Brereton	....	boom operator
Clayton Collins	....	sound editor
Terry Cromer	....	multi-track crew
Julian Douglas	....	multi-track crew
Leonard Green	....	assistant sound editor
Eddy Joseph	....	supervising sound editor
Tim Martin	....	set recording engineer
Chuck Michael	....	foley editor
Nash Michael	....	assistant sound editor
Andy Nelson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Joe O'Herlihy	....	sound consultant
Steve Pederson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Perry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jim Phelan	....	multi-track crew
Troy Porter	....	foley mixer
Ted Swanscott	....	adr recordist
Clive Winter	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Maurice Foley	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Edward J. Adcock	....	second camera operator
David Appleby	....	still photographer
Ciarán Barry	....	camera trainee
Peter Bloor	....	gaffer
Donal Caulfield	....	camera trainee
Con Dempsey	....	chargehand electrician
Brendan Galvin	....	clapper loader
Jim Jolliffe	....	camera trainee
Eddie Knight	....	best boy
John Maguire	....	camera trainee
Alan McPherson	....	best boy
Stewart Monteith	....	rigging gaffer
John Murphy	....	grip
Eamonn O'Keeffe	....	focus puller
Mike Roberts	....	camera operator (as Michael Roberts)

Casting Department
Rachel Fallon	....	casting assistant
Jessica Felton	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Maeve Paterson	....	wardrobe mistress
Ann Stokes	....	wardrobe assistant
Ian Weatherly	....	wardrobe assistant (as Ian Weatherley)
Janty Yates	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Dale Caldwell	....	color timer
Carolyne Chauncey	....	first assistant editor
James Cozza	....	second assistant editor
Dermot Diskin	....	second assistant editor
Al Hansen	....	lab post-production coordinator
Isobel Stephenson	....	second assistant editor

Music Department
Conor Brady	....	musician
Fran Breehan	....	musician
Paul Bushnell	....	music arranger
Ronan Dooney	....	musician
Eamonn Flynn	....	musician
Barbara Galawan	....	music liaison: Dublin (as Barbara Galavan)
Carl Geraghty	....	musician
John Hughes	....	music coordinator
Kevin Killen	....	music mixer
G. Marq Roswell	....	music supervisor (as G. Mark Roswell)

Transportation Department
Dan Breen	....	action vehicles

Other crew
Cate Arbeid	....	production coordinator
Libbie Barr	....	script supervisor
Allen Burry	....	publicist
Valerie Craig	....	production coordinator
Amy Hubbard	....	production assistant
Patrick Isherwood	....	production accountant
Hugh Linehan	....	location assistant
Sarah Lucraft	....	assistant accountant
Lisa Moran	....	assistant: Alan Parker
Tara Mullen	....	production assistant
Anneliese O'Callaghan	....	production assistant
Martin O'Malley	....	location manager
Reuben Seid	....	production assistant
Libby Shearon	....	publicist
Sophie Thornley	....	assistant to producers
Robert Walpole	....	location assistant
Mary Montiforte	....	production accountant (uncredited)
Sam Montiforte	....	post-production accountant (uncredited)

Thanks
Mavis Ascott	....	thanks (as Mavis Ascot)
Thomas A. Bliss	....	thanks (as Tom Bliss)
Lisa Clarkson	....	thanks
Liz Gordon	....	thanks
Frances Kapelle	....	thanks
Paul McGuinness	....	thanks
Sona Partayan	....	thanks
Ronnie Pearce	....	thanks
Rob Strong	....	thanks
Jonathan Weisgal	....	special thanks
Violet Williams	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Beacon Communications
• Dirty Hands Productions
• First Film Company

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (1991) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Les Films Ariane (1991) (France) (theatrical)
• Monopole-Pathé (1991) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2002) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2004) (Japan) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment Japan (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• LK-TEL (1992) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Entertainment (2006) (Japan) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Hubbard Casting  casting
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | USA

Language:

English | Irish Gaelic

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Peru:14 | Australia:M | Finland:K-8 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Beacon Communications

Trivia:

The first of Roddy Doyle's so-called "Barrytown Trilogy" about the lives of the Rabbitt family. The remaining two books, The Snapper (1993) (TV) and The Van (1996) were also made into films starring Colm Meaney as Jimmy Rabbitt, Sr.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When some members of the group are talking about some famous Rock Stars have died, "Outspan" mentions Eliot "Mama" Cass' cause of death as a heart attack. The others correct him by saying it was by choking on her own vomit but it was indeed due to a heart attack.

Quotes:

Steve Clifford:[in confessional] Used to, when I studied I would sing hymns, but now all I can sing is "When A Man Loves A Woman" by Marvin Gaye
Father Molloy:Percy Sledge.
Steve Clifford:What?
Father Molloy:It was Percy Sledge did that particular song. I have the album.
Steve Clifford:Oh...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Schmidteinander: Episode #2.5" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Try A Little Tenderness

"You raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons!"

My one line summary consists of the most profound statement in the movie. "Jimmy "The Lips" Fagin telling "Brother Rabbitte" what he has achieved, when Jimmy thinks he has achieved "Nuttin'".That being said, I am overjoyed at the amount of people giving their wonderful comments about my favorite movie of all time.I can't tell you all the people I've turned on to this movie. I remember I didn't see the movie when it first came out, then they came out with some god-awful TV series kinda based on the movie (Americanized, of course),which,thank god, met a quick & merciful death. I bought the VHS version, then the Laserdisc version, then the DVD, and am now awaiting the 2 disc special DVD, just released, to come in the mail.I have watched this film countless times & never get tired of it. I've even pretty much deciphered the dialogue(try reading the book sometime,if you think the movie is hard to understand!)One of my most prized possessions is a "Commitments" Promotional kit consisting of a "Making of" tape and a booklet about the movie in a photo-illustrated 6x15 box that I bought from a long-closed video store about 10 yrs ago. I also found the ellusive "Commitments Vol.2" CD in a "cut-out" bin about the same time.Anyway,I love the movie, and the whole premise of taking a bunch of unknown,talented, singers & musicians,with pretty much no hope of rising above their surroundings individually,and put them together to form "The Hardest Working Band in Show Business".To me, the highlight & peak of the band(and movie) was when they played "Try a Little Tenderness". It still gives me goosebumps & brings a mist to my eyes,whenever I see it.I'm still in love with Natalie & Imelda!! And Deco(Andrew Strong) only being 16yrs old!!I always hoped there would be a "Part 2", but as Joey said to Jimmy(after the band broke up) "The success of the band was irrelevent.You raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure, we could have been successful, & made albums & stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way...it's poetry". What a wonderful philosophy. That whole scene will never leave my mind.