Widows' Peak (1994)

Director:

John Irvin

Writers:

Hugh Leonard (story)
Hugh Leonard (screenplay)

Release Date:

13 May 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Scandal, seduction, blackmail and murder. Thank heavens their husbands aren't alive!

Plot:

Edwina has just moved into the neighborhood known as "Widows' Peak," so called due to the prevalent marital status of the residents...

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Ireland | Period Piece | Rural Setting | New Girl In Town

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Mia Farrow	...	Miss Katherine O'Hare / Clancy
Joan Plowright	...	Mrs. Doyle-Counihan
Natasha Richardson	...	Mrs. Edwina Broome
Adrian Dunbar	...	Godfrey Doyle-Counihan
Jim Broadbent	...	Con Clancy, Kilshannon Dentist
Anne Kent	...	Miss Grubb, Doyle-Counihan's Maid / Driver
John Kavanagh	...	Canon Murtagh
Rynagh O'Grady	...	Maddie O'Hara, Broome's Maid
Gerard McSorley	...	Gaffney, Lawyer
Michael James Ford	...	Lieutenant Rokesby
Garrett Keogh	...	Grogan, Realtor
Britta Smith	...	Mrs. Colgan
Sheila Flitton	...	Mrs. Mulrooney
Marie Conmee	...	Mrs. Lawless
Ingrid Craigie	...	Mrs. Purdieu

Runtime:

Spain:102 min | UK:101 min | USA:101 min | Argentina:102 min | Canada:102 min (Ontario)

Country:

UK | Ireland

Language:

Irish Gaelic | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Germany:6 (bw) | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Ballyknockan, Valleymount, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

British Screen Productions

Trivia:

The movie's writer, Irish playwright Hugh Leonard, originally wrote the part of Miss O'Hare especially for Maureen O'Sullivan, but she gracefully reneged because of her advanced age and dwindling stamina. Her daughter Mia Farrow ultimately took over the role

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Just after Edwina and Godfrey have sat down on the blanket for a picnic, you can see the top of a modern car driving by in the background.

Movie Connections:

References The Big Parade (1925)

Soundtrack:

Mother Machree

Good acting, implausible ending

This is billed as a suspense/comedy, but is really lacking in comedy. The acting is fairly good, but the script forces us to accept numerous incidents of inexplicably outrageous behaviour from the characters culminating in an ending that my wife and I anticipated, but may be a surprise to some. While the ending reveals the characters' hidden motivations, it is paper thin. We really don't care what happens to the characters anyway, so the ending fails to deliver its punch to the viewer.