Black Irish (2007)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Brad Gann

Writer (WGA):

Brad Gann (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You can't choose family.

Plot:

A teenage boy (Angarano) longs to win the attention of his emotionally distant father.

Plot Keywords:

Life And Death | Irish | Catholic | Baseball | Brother Brother Relationship

Awards:

10 wins

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 11	12:35 AM	TMC
Sat. Nov. 14	5:45 PM	TMC

Cast

Michael Angarano	...	Cole McKay
Brendan Gleeson	...	Desmond McKay
Tom Guiry	...	Terry McKay
Melissa Leo	...	Margaret McKay
Emily VanCamp	...	Kathleen McKay
Michael Rispoli	...	Joey
Finn Curtin	...	Coach
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ken Arpino	...	Valet
Wilson Better	...	Graves
Francis Capra	...	Anthony
Mark S. Cartier	...	Mr. Quint
A.J. Coppola	...	Hoodlum
Peter Darrigo	...	Track Buddy #1
Steven Paul Davis	...	Valet #1
Jeffrey DelliColli	...	Restaurant Cook
Bonnie Dennison	...	Donna O'Leary
William Christopher Ellis	...	Busboy / Student (as William Ellis)
John Fiore	...	Orsini
Steve Flynn	...	Stolen car victim
Ryan Healey	...	Baseball Player Charging Mound
Joanna Herrington	...	Mrs. O'Leary
David Ian	...	Priest
Tom Kemp	...	Priest
Caryn Andrea Lindsey	...	Pregnant Girly #1
Andrea Lyman	...	Nurse
Dave Matt	...	Valet
Joe McEachern	...	Cop
Kate Murphy	...	Restaurant Patron
Kevin O'Donnell	...	Fired Busboy
Carmel O'Reilly	...	Sister Agatha
Danielle Perry	...	Sister Mary Elise
David Rasner	...	Various Voices (voice)
Harvey Soolman	...	Umpire
Frank T. Wells	...	Father Magruder
Bates Wilder	...	Officer Cowen
Scott Winters	...	Doctor
Joseph Zamparelli	...	Track Buddy #2
Peter Ziobro	...	Bus Stop Patron

MPAA:

Rated R for some language and brief violence.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Creanspeak Funding

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the scene in the McKay's living room where the Father is comparing life to baseball while watching the game, the first shots of the game are the Red Sox playing at Yankee Stadium, while the later shots in the conversation show the Red Sox paying home at Fenway Park.

Quotes:

Desmond McKay: [Hits his son] Don't ever humiliate me like that again! You understand?

One of the best movies of the year

If you want a traditional story, with a main conflict, a villain, a hero, and a resolution, you may not enjoy this movie. But as an independent coming-of-age movie, I found it to be excellent.

The characters all demonstrate great depth, as other reviews have said. The acting is wonderful. This movie captures life - growing up - in south Boston. There is pregnancy. There is cancer. There is baseball. There is theft. But the movie is not about any one of those things. It is about humanity and living.

Other movies this year have done a better job in building tension. Other movies have been funnier. Other movies have included more commentary - a better moral - about human life. But no movie has captured the essential roller coaster of life better than this movie.

The twists, while not as shocking as others, are more real. The sadness of the movie comes in part from your familiarity with the situations. I highly recommend this movie and I hope you choose to watch it and enjoy it.