On Broadway (2007)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Dave McLaughlin

Writer:

Dave McLaughlin (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Stories matter.

Plot:

"On Broadway" is about a Boston playwright who stages a production of his work in the back of an Irish pub.

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Joey McIntyre	...	Jack O'Toole
Eliza Dushku	...	Lena Wilson
Mike O'Malley	...	Father Rolie O'Toole
Sean Lawlor	...	Martin O'Toole
Lance Greene	...	Billy O'Toole
Vincent Dowling	...	Augie Burke
Lucas Caleb Rooney	...	Neil Quinn
Jill Flint	...	Kate O'Toole
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kortney Adams	...	Sarah
Will Arnett	...	Tom
Jennifer Bertolon	...	Girl in Bar
Michael Bortone	...	Bar Patron
Andrew Connolly	...	Uncle Pete
Robert Farrelly	...	Old Guy
Peter Giles	...	Barry Cook
Will Harris	...	Young Billy
Joel B. Hayden	...	Bar Patron
Brian Horan	...	Cab Driver
Georgia Lyman	...	Nancy
Robert Masiello	...	Bar Patron
Annette Miller	...	Aunt Grace
Katherine Lee Murphy	...	Waitress
Ryan Murphy	...	Young Rollie
Dossy Peabody	...	Maggie Ryan
Robert Pirelli	...	Actor
Amy Poehler	...	Farrah
Alan Resnic	...	Bar Patron
M. Lynda Robinson	...	Delia #1
Kasey Ryan	...	College student at bar
Oscar Wahlberg	...	Young Neil
Robert Wahlberg	...	Kevin Sheehan
Bob Weekes	...	Himself
Jason Wise	...	Tap Dancer

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Picture Park

Superior film

On Broadway is the first film that I have seen that truly captures the intensity, rich tradition and beauty of Boston and its people.

It is a great story and it is incredibly believable. The shots of Boston are fantastic. There were so many moments that I smiled or laughed right out loud because the dialogue could easily have come from my own family, both past and present.

There were several scenes where the plot could have taken a turn towards something more risqué, violent or crude. But Dave McLaughlin did a fantastic job at implying intimacy and the tension that existed in the family without ever cheapening the film.

So many other film makers begin with a mediocre story and fill in the blanks with a bunch of "F'ing" this and "F'ing" that and as much sex as possible. He has an amazing story, great character development and he used "real" Boston shots.

Unlike so many other films set in Boston, all of the actors resisted the temptation to over emphasize the Boston accent. Again, it just felt natural.

The film portrays the city as physically beautiful, spirited and artistic. That's a far cry from the plethora of films in the past that portray us all as one dimensional drunken Red Sox loving/Yankee Hating jerks who can't "tawk" right. Don't get me wrong...the evil empire still must fall...but there's more to us than just that.

And contrary to what recent films would have you believe, we are not a bunch of gangsters or thugs. While those films may be entertaining, the story in On Broadway reminds us what loyalty, family and tradition really mean.

A great film that should not be missed.