Black Irish (2007)

Director:

Brad Gann

Writer (WGA):

Brad Gann (written by)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You can't choose family.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Life And Death | Teenage Boy | Irish | Baseball | Catholic

Awards:

10 wins

Cast

Michael Angarano	...	Cole McKay
Brendan Gleeson	...	Desmond McKay
Tom Guiry	...	Terry McKay
Melissa Leo	...	Margaret McKay
Emily VanCamp	...	Kathleen McKay
Michael Rispoli	...	Joey
Francis Capra	...	Anthony
Finn Curtin	...	Coach Mahoney
Scott Winters	...	Doctor
Frank T. Wells	...	Father Magruder
Wilson Better	...	Graves
Bonnie Dennison	...	Maria
Michael McCarthy	...	Maria's Father
Joanna Herrington	...	Maria's Mother
Kevin Chapman	...	Officer Pierce
Bates Wilder	...	Officer Cowen
Joe McEachern	...	Officer Gianelli
Caryn Andrea Lindsey	...	Pregnant Girl #1
Erica Lynn Prance	...	Pregnant Girl #2
Tom Kemp	...	Priest
Stacy Fischer	...	Sister Mary Elise
Mark S. Cartier	...	Teacher
John Fiore	...	Tommy Orsini
Peter Darrigo	...	Track Buddy #2
Joseph Zamparelli	...	Track Buddy #1 (as Joseph Zamparelli Jr.)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joseph Bianchi-Coppola	...	Hoodlum (uncredited)
Sandra Blaney	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Christopher Connolly	...	Detective (uncredited)
Desiree April Connolly	...	Mourner (uncredited)
Steven Paul Davis	...	Valet #1 (uncredited)
Nicholas DiRamio	...	Extra (uncredited)
Shawn Doherty	...	Valet #2 (uncredited)
Alicia Dupuis	...	Grieving Family Member (uncredited)
William Christopher Ellis	...	Busboy / Student (uncredited)
Steve Flynn	...	Stolen Car Victim (uncredited)
Diane Halling	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Mike Houston	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
David Ian	...	Priest (uncredited)
Michael Timothy Kennedy	...	Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Andrea Lyman	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Kevin O'Donnell	...	Fired Busboy (uncredited)
Carmel O'Reilly	...	Sister Agatha (uncredited)
Michael J. Peluso	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Patrick Pitu	...	Boy on Bus (uncredited)
Stream	...	Dinner Guest (uncredited)
Daniel Lee White	...	Extra (uncredited)
Donna Wong	...	Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Peter Ziobro	...	Bus Stop Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Brad Gann

Writing credits (WGA)
Brad Gann		(written by)

Produced by
Geraldine Crean	....	executive producer
Kelly Crean	....	producer
Shahen Derderian	....	executive producer
Benjamin C. Dewey	....	line producer (as Ben Dewey)
Mark Donadio	....	producer
Gwen Field	....	executive producer
Aaron Fishman	....	co-executive producer (as Aaron Fischman)
Sayda Foell	....	associate producer
Jon H. Freis	....	co-executive producer (as Jon Freis)
Brad Gann	....	producer
Julie Hall	....	co-executive producer
Parker Hall	....	co-executive producer
J. Todd Harris	....	producer
Frederick Johntz	....	associate producer
Barry Levy	....	executive producer
Gal Lipkin	....	co-executive producer
John MacNeil	....	co-executive producer
Miriam Marcus	....	executive producer
Laray Mayfield	....	associate producer
Jeffrey Orenstein	....	producer
Marc Toberoff	....	executive producer

Original Music by
John Frizzell		(original score by)

Cinematography by
Michael Fimognari		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andrea Bottigliero

Casting by
Laray Mayfield

Production Design by
Sharon Lomofsky

Set Decoration by
Danica Chipman

Costume Design by
Virginia Johnson

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Cecchini	....	hair department head
Trish Seeney	....	makeup department head
Sherryn Smith	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Ben Dewey	....	unit production manager
Emily Hoge	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Blazina	....	second assistant director
Paul Epstein	....	first assistant director
Nan Sandle	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Noah Dubreuil	....	property master
Jennifer Engel	....	leadman
Wayne Kimball	....	assistant property master
John F. O'Neil	....	on-set dresser
Mario Presterone	....	set dresser
Christopher Sawtelle	....	set dresser
Barb Seidl	....	art coordinator
Lisa Shaftel	....	lead scenic artist
Alex Wayne	....	assistant to lead man

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer: predubs
Jeremy Dominick	....	boom operator
Mark Ettel	....	sound effects mixer
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound designer
Paula Fairfield	....	sound effects editor
Nelson Ferreira	....	sound effects editor
Robert Fitzgerald	....	adr supervisor
Robert Fitzgerald	....	dialogue editor
Greg Jefferson	....	adr mixer
Kevin S. Parker	....	boom operator
Paul Ratajczak	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nathan Robitaille	....	sound effects editor
David J. Schwartz	....	sound mixer
Jarrett Simon	....	boom operator
Steven Utt	....	adr recordist

Stunts
Roy Farfel	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Beth Anderson	....	camera loader
Matt Ardine	....	grip
Tiffany Aug	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Robert Clark	....	electrician
Steve Drellich	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Geoff Eads	....	grip
Claire Folger	....	still photographer
Maria Luisa Gambale	....	first assistant camera
Jordan Garretson	....	key grip
Amanda Hannan	....	grip
Matt Harrington	....	grip
Mike Henry	....	best boy grip
Elizabeth Heslep	....	second assistant camera
Christian J. Hollyer	....	second assistant camera
Guy Holt	....	rigging gaffer
Dan Hutchinson	....	best boy electric
David Kane	....	grip
Mike Law	....	electrician
Robert Maffei	....	camera operator: documentary
Zac Miller	....	additional grip
Ryan Nelsen	....	camera intern
Adam Peabody	....	grip
Casey Van Maanen	....	additional electrician
Tim Wattez	....	electrician
Fletcher Wolfe	....	camera intern

Casting Department
Melissa Paradice	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Elizabeth Clifford	....	wardrobe supervisor
Clinton E. O'Dell	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Don Broida	....	first assistant editor
Julia Grove	....	apprentice editor
Michael Helm	....	assistant editor
Sara Rostami	....	post-production production assistant
John M. Vitale	....	assistant editor
Brendan Walsh	....	assistant editor
Lee Wimer	....	color timer

Music Department
Michael Baber	....	music editor
Brian Ross	....	music supervisor
Sharon Smith	....	music editor
Frederik Wiedmann	....	composer: additional music

Other crew
Nicole Anderson	....	key craft service
David Becker	....	second unit coordinator
Will Chandler	....	key production assistant
Eric Conover	....	stand-in: Brendan Gleeson
Derek Cunningham	....	production assistant
Jeff Dionne	....	assistant location manager
Suzanne Friedline	....	adr voice
John Gates	....	location manager
Zack Gorman	....	production assistant
David Haskell	....	production assistant
Erica Kramer	....	production assistant
Jarret LeMaster	....	on-set voices: adr loop group
Amy Loeber	....	location assistant
James MacDonald	....	set medic
Robert Maffei	....	location assistant
Claudine Marrotte	....	production assistant (as Claudine Ouellette)
Nathan McGarigal	....	production assistant
Maria Mulhall	....	production assistant
Heather Murphy	....	extras coordinator
Sean Murphy	....	production secretary
David Pereira	....	location assistant
Ruth Phelps	....	stand-in
Robin Reitman	....	production accountant
Jillian Roache	....	production assistant
Teddy Saunders	....	production assistant (as Ted Saunders)
Dewey Schultz	....	set production assistant (as Dwight E. Schultz)
Jessica Singer	....	production assistant
George Sloan	....	production assistant
Maureen Sullivan Mauk	....	extras coordinator/pa (as Maureen Sullivan)
Mark F. Williams	....	office coordinator: Los Angeles
Donna Wong	....	stand-in: female
Kevin Young	....	production assistant

Thanks
Finn Curtin	....	very special thanks
Peter Stormare	....	very special thanks

Production Companies

• Creanspeak Funding (finishing funds)
• Creanspeak Productions
• Falcon Film Funding
• Intellectual Properties Worldwide (I)
• Moody Independent
• Purple Princess Productions

Distributors

• Gravitas Ventures (2008) (USA) (TV) (VOD)
• Creanspeak Productions (2006) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Anywhere Road Entertainment (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Cinemax (2009) (Hungary) (TV)
• Eagle Films (2007) (non-USA) (all media) (Middle East)
• Palisades Pictures (2007) (USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• Creanspeak Funding  finishing funds
• Vocal Yokels  loop group

Also Known As:

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:[Tricks the dog to run away] Who's the king now, eh? Who's the king?

Movie Connections:

References "The Brady Bunch" (1969)

Great slice of life film

"Black Irish" is a great film because it has an affection for its setting and its characters. Despite having some tough subject material, it left me with a somewhat warm and fuzzy feeling.

Normally when writing a review, it is customary to give a short synopsis of the plot to let readers know if it is a film that they would be interested in seeing. But "Black Irish" isn't that kind of movie. It's all about the characters, the McKay family. The McKay's aren't doing very well. In fact, their family is more or less in shambles. Katie (Emily VanCamp) is pregnant and unmarried, which causes much friction between her and her mother Margret (Melissa Leo). Terry (Tom Guiry) is a violent, out-of-control menace who is about to end up in prison, or dead, which ever comes first. Desmond (Brendan Gleeson) is struggling to earn enough money for his family while drowning his sorrows in alcohol (one of which being a tragic secret). Margret is trying to save face by believing this family is "normal," which it is not. Caught in the middle of it all is Cole (Michael Angarano), who's merely trying to stay afloat.

Therein lies its problem. Movies that sacrifice plot for characters are not bad, provided that its characters are interesting enough and portrayed with good performances (which "Black Irish" is filled with). But Brad Gann doesn't see his movie that way (which is kind of surprising, seeing as he wrote and directed it). It seems as if he made the film to have some underlying story or theme to connect the stories (other than the fact that all of the principal characters are related). Problem is, there isn't any.

Not that this makes "Black Irish" a bad film. It's actually very good. Credit goes to Gann for creating a great sense of atmosphere, and knowing the meaning of the word "subtlety," and how to use it. Nothing is heavy-handed like a sledgehammer as in mainstream films, yet it's not infinitesimally subtle like some of those intellectual films on the opposite end of the spectrum. "Black Irish" is smack dab in the middle.

The performances are great all around. The best performances go to Michael Angarano and Brendan Gleeson. Angarano is perfect as the conflicted, young man who is our window into the McKay family. The subtlety in his performance matches perfectly with Gann's approach. Cole is our window into what's left of the McKay family. Angarano plays Cole not as a film character, but as a normal kid. It's not easy to do, and because (when done well) it is so like real life, the performances often go unrecognized. Brendan Gleeson is great, too. He shows more dramatic skill than he's been able to in other, more mainstream roles. Desmond is a man who has lost everything, but is trying to do what he can, even if that means sinking to levels that are just tragic. The scenes he shares with Angarano are some of the film's best; his discussions about the birds and the bees are laugh-out-loud hilarious (which is especially surprising since this is not a comedy). The other actors are great as well, especially Tom Guiry as the "out-of-control" Terry, whom everyone seems to have given up on. This is interesting because while this hurts Terry (but doesn't show this to anyone), he doesn't know how to stop his downward spiral. You know the mark of a talented actor if they can create a good performance out of an undeveloped character, which is the case with the other members of the family (minus Cole and Desmond), if only slightly.

"Black Irish" is a great film to watch, and it's a shame that it didn't get a wider distribution, because it's really a great movie. Imperfect, but still well worth a watch.

My rating: PG-13 for some language and a scene of brief violence.