The Boys from County Clare (2003)

Director:

John Irvin

Writer:

Nicholas Adams (written by)

Release Date:

12 September 2003 (Canada)

Genre:

Comedy | Music | Romance

Tagline:

Listen to your heart.

Plot:

Jimmy McMahon (Meany) and his group of Liverpudlians plot to win the annual Ceili music competition in Ireland.

Plot Keywords:

Band | Competition | Musician | Ireland | Shamrock

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Bernard Hill	...	John Joe
Charlotte Bradley	...	Maisie
Andrea Corr	...	Anne
Stephen Brennan	...	Miko
Eamonn Owens	...	Pat
Malachy Bourke	...	Ben
Brendan O'Hare	...	Brendan
Ian Shaw	...	Johnny
Leslie Bingham	...	Leslie
Colm Meaney	...	Jimmy
Shaun Evans	...	Teddy
Philip Barantini	...	Alex
Frank Twomey	...	Roger
Emmet Kirwan	...	Clive
Noel Bridgeman	...	Drummer

Also Known As:

The Boys & Girl from County Clare (USA)
The Great Ceili War (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexuality and nudity.

Runtime:

Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:90 min

Country:

Ireland | UK | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:15A | Finland:K-7 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | UK:15 | USA:R | USA:R (certificate #39781)

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Isle of Man Film Commission

Trivia:

An Irish music competition such as the one portrayed in the film is called a "fleadh" (pronounced like "flahhh"). However, nobody uses this word in the movie.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: At various times throughout the film (notably in the pub and during the ceilidh band competition) when we see Anne (Andrea Corr) playing fiddle, her bow is moving but her fingers are not.

Quotes:

Anne: Is that all You ever think about, Music?
John Joe: Well when you've got the music, you've got friends for life, thats why I'm never lonely. Remember that.

Movie Connections:

References The Mission (1986)

Soundtrack:

The Irish Washerwoman

Superb Film, But Not For Everyone

The Boys & Girl From County Clare is a charming little film, brilliantly written and acted, and it did something very few films have managed to do: it exceeded my expectations. Even after driving two hours to a small theatre near Boston and after months of anticipation, it still managed to blow me away.

I knew Colm Meaney would put in a great performance, so I knew I would enjoy his character. As with many, however, I was more interested in how Andrea Corr would perform, in her role as young Anne. It wasn't a very substantial part, but it was enough to showcase an awful lot of talent. I very much hope to see more of her on the big screen in the future.

However, as with may independent films, The Boys & Girl From County Clare is not for everyone. I think you have to either be a fan of Ireland, a fan of Irish culture, a fan of Irish music, or a fan of one of the actors (or a combination of the four) to really enjoy this film. It isn't a film that panders to the lowest common denominator and it isn't a film expecting to bring home the big bucks. Obviously, a film such as this isn't going to please everyone, but if you fall into one of the groups I mentioned earlier in this paragraph, it should please you.

It certainly pleased me. Not only am I fan of Ireland, Irish culture and Irish music, I am also a fan of Colm Meaney and Andrea Corr. So really, I shouldn't have been surprised to find The Boys & Girls From County Clare such an engrossing, fun film. But I was surprised. I suppose that is saying something about the film, eh?

So, if you like all things Irish or you want proof that Andrea Corr has acting chops, go see this film. You won't be disappointed.