The Eclipse (2009)

In a seaside Irish town, a widower sparks with a visiting horror novelist while he also begins to believe he is seeing ghosts.

Director:

Conor McPherson

Writers:

Conor McPherson (screenplay), Billy Roche (story and screenplay)

Stars:

Ciarán Hinds, Iben Hjejle, Aidan Quinn

5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Roche	...	Jim Belton
Éanna Hardwicke	...	Thomas Farr (as Eanna Hardwicke)
Hannah Lynch	...	Sarah Farr
Ciarán Hinds	...	Michael Farr
Mac	...	Ringo the Dog
Avian Egan	...	Eleanor Farr
Aidan Quinn	...	Nicholas Holden
Hilary O'Shaughnessy	...	TV Interviewer
Jim Norton	...	Malachy
Nuala Casey De Backer	...	Festival Organiser
Sarah Murphy	...	Festival Volunteer
Iben Hjejle	...	Lena Morrell
Mia Quinn	...	Ghost Girl
Declan Nash	...	Man in Hotel Bar
Valerie Spelman	...	Jenny Sewell

Storyline

Having lost his beloved wife to cancer, the dejected widower and father of two, Michael Farr, is still struggling to find his feet in the Irish seaport town of Cobh. To keep his mind occupied, Michael volunteers for the picturesque town's annual literary festival, transporting famous authors such as the self-centred American novelist, Nicholas Holden, and the quiet British ghost-story writer, Lena Morelle, to various events. Once, those two polar opposites had a meaningless fling; however--even though Nicholas is still eager to pick up where they left off--more and more, Lena finds herself attracted to the sombre Michael, whose father-in-law's eerie ghost haunts him in the dead of night. Is this dreadful apparition a tangible manifestation created by a wounded soul?

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Plot Keywords:

widower | ghost | novelist | irish | kiss | 

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Taglines:

If there is life after death - love lives on

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some disturbing images

User Reviews

An atypical blend of genres that ultimately satisfies.

"Then she knew. She knew that she was seeing a ghost, and she realized for perhaps the first time in her life, that she too would die. That her husband would die. And that her children would die. She knew in that moment, that she was looking at reality."

The Eclipse is a tough movie to describe. It's an odd Irish mixture of a supernatural thriller and a family drama, that is very slow-paced. The entire movie occurs in a relatively short time frame, and not much appears to "happen", though it really does.

Ciaran Hinds stars as a father of two who's recently lost his wife, and is charged with attending to a supernatural fiction writer (Iben Hjejle) who has come to Ireland for a literary festival. He begins to have either dreams or visions of his dead father (who's actually still alive), as he slowly draws closer to the female writer.

That's hardly a serviceable summary, but this movie is difficult to summarize. As I said, it's slow-paced; but that suits the movie. I never found it dull or boring. I can't really think of anything to compare it to. It's a very adult drama, that deals with death and loneliness without being depressing or sappy. Don't watch it expecting a horror movie, or a typical romance, or...well, the best thing to do would be to not expect anything specific, at all. Watch The Eclipse with a completely open mind. Be assured, though, that it has a lot to offer. It's one of the more "genuine" movies that I've seen in quite a while. Maybe once you've watched it, you can describe it better than I can.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 April 2010 (Australia)

Also Known As:

The Eclipse

Filming Locations:

Cobh, County Cork, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,207, 28 March 2010

Gross USA:

$133,411

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$159,852

Company Credits

Production Co:

Treasure Entertainment, Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), Broadcasting Commission of Ireland

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1