Tara Road (2005)

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writers:

Maeve Binchy (novel)
Cynthia Cidre (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes you must lose your life to find a new one...

Plot:

Two women -- one American, one Irish -- swap houses and alter the course of their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Motorcycle | Cellphone | Tombstone | Singing

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Olivia Williams	...	Ria
Andie MacDowell	...	Marilyn
Johnny Brennan	...	Brian
Iain Glen	...	Danny
Jennifer Buckley	...	Secretary
Stephen Rea	...	Colm
Virginia Cole	...	Mrs. Doyle
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Rosemary
Sarah Bolger	...	Annie
Eileen Colgan	...	Nora
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Andy
Alan Devlin	...	Barney
Enrique Fonseca	...	Limo Driver
Jia Francis	...	Heidi (as Jia Frances)
Brenda Fricker	...	Mona
Bronagh Gallagher	...	Polly
James Herrick	...	Hubie
Bosco Hogan	...	Accountant
Alison Hood	...	Pianist
Fran King	...	Busker
Chris Jaco Olckers	...	Dale
Chris Lawlor	...	Vagrant (as Christopher Lawlor)
Heike Makatsch	...	Bernadette
Jennifer McCann	...	Waitress
Mac McDonald	...	Jerry
Pat McGrath	...	Taxi Driver
Dearbhla Molloy	...	Finola
Leslie Mongezi	...	Henry
Sean Power	...	John
David Ten Velthuis	...	Zach
Ruby Wax	...	Carlotta
August Zirner	...	Greg

Directed by
Gillies MacKinnon

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Maeve Binchy		novel
Cynthia Cidre		writer
Shane Connaughton		screenplay

Produced by
James Atherton	....	executive producer
Chris Auty	....	executive producer
Jürgen Biefang	....	executive producer
Miron Blumental	....	producer
Bill Godfrey	....	executive producer
Michael Henry	....	executive producer
Herbert G. Kloiber	....	executive producer
Des Martin	....	line producer
AnneMarie Naughton	....	executive producer
Brigid Olen	....	producer: SA
Noel Pearson	....	producer
Sarah Radclyffe	....	producer

Original Music by
John Keane

Cinematography by
John de Borman

Film Editing by
Pia Di Ciaula

Casting by
Frank Moiselle
Nuala Moiselle
Cornelia von Braun

Production Design by
Derek Wallace

Art Direction by
Irene O'Brien

Costume Design by
Lorna Marie Mugan

Makeup Department
Dee Corcoran	....	key hair stylist
Ailbhe Lemass	....	key makeup artist
Ailbhe Lemass	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Clare Maclean	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Agnew	....	first assistant director
Sandra Corbally	....	third assistant director
Catherine Dunne	....	second assistant director
Ronan O'Leary	....	second unit director: South Africa

Art Department
Michael Higgins	....	stand-by art director
Rene Knol	....	chargehand dressing props
Eamonn O'Higgins	....	property master

Sound Department
Matthew Gough	....	sound re-recording mixer
Howard Halsall	....	dialogue editor
Jacques Leroide	....	foley editor
Gerard Loret	....	sound editor
Karl Merren	....	sound recordist
Colin Miller	....	supervising sound editor
Adrian Rhodes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jamie Roden	....	adr mixer

Special Effects by
Kevin Byrne	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Tim Caplan	....	visual effects supervisor
James Cattell	....	digital compositor
Joe Cork	....	digital compositor
Bronwyn Edwards	....	lead compositor
Mark Richardson	....	digital compositor: Lola Visual Effects

Stunts
John Smith	....	utility stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Alan Butler	....	assistant camera
Barry Conroy	....	grip
David Grennan	....	focus puller
Norbert Kitshoff	....	remote camera technician
Guy Micheletti	....	key grip
Alastair Rae	....	steadicam operator

Casting Department
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany

Editorial Department
John Kennedy	....	on-line editor
Karoline Moser	....	first assistant editor
Mark Wright	....	negative cutter

Transportation Department
Peter Ndifon	....	transport manager

Other crew
Rebecca Farhall	....	coordinator: UK
Brendan Gunn	....	dialogue coach
John Kennedy	....	title designer
Gerry Lundberg	....	publicist
Linda McEvoy	....	legal and business executive
Roger Phillips	....	end titles
Florian Stiege	....	chaperone: Mrs. MacDowell
Michael Swan	....	assistant location manager
Anne Warter	....	extras coordinator
Anna Webster	....	assistant to producer
Kathleen Weir	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Noel Pearson Productions
• Pageturner Productions
• Sarah Radclyffe Productions Limited
• Pageturner Productions Limited (in association with)
• Ferndale Films
• Surefire Film Productions

Distributors

• Concorde Filmverleih (2005-2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Concorde Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (retail)
• EuroVideo (2006) (Germany) (DVD) (rental)
• FS Film Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• First Look International (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• RCV Film Distribution (2006) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cutting Edge  negative cutting
• De Lane Lea  sound post-production
• Movitech Camera Rentals  camera equipment provided by
• Remote Camera Systems  remote camera systems

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some sensuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Finland:K-3 | Sweden:Btl | Australia:PG | USA:PG | UK:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:6 | Germany:o.Al. | Ireland:12A

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Noel Pearson Productions

Trivia:

Maeve Binchy, author of the novel on which the movie is based, makes an uncredited cameo as a restaurant patron. She can be glimpsed seated at the end of the bar, right after the scene where Ria offers to take the job advertised at the restaurant cashier's counter.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Tara Road' (2005) (TV)

Awkward adaptation

One of Maeve Binchey's most popular novels, complete with a useful American angle, this was an obvious choice for the big screen. However, the story of two women (one Irish, one American) who house-swap makes for a difficult transition in practice. Quite a long novel, it also compresses awkwardly, losing much of its charm and intelligence along the way. The film is not helped by lack-lustre central performances. MacDowell seems out of practice, and Williams (almost invariably seen hitherto in starchy British roles) does not make a convincing Irish housewife. Her emoting seems brittle (even shrill) and she seems uncomfortable with emotion generally. Overall the film looks good and is well filmed, but does not hold the attention except perhaps for die-hard Binchey fans, many of whom will be disappointed at the inevitable over-simplification.