Stella Days (2011) User Reviews

A glimpse of a bygone era, set in 1950's rural Ireland

[grainne_mulcahy · 7/10 · 13 April 2012]

I took my Mum to see this film, never imagining I would enjoy it as much as I did.

Martin Sheen is commendable as the world weary Fr. Daniel Barry - a man living with the legacy of a vocation thrust upon him as a young boy by ambitious parents. The film offers a snapshot of life in claustrophobic, rural 1950's Ireland, with overlaying themes of longing, control and unfulfilled desires - set against the backdrop of an oppressive status quo.

Recommended - but don't expect to emerge from the cinema bellowing with laughter.

Martin Sheen gives another good performance in the independent drama Stella Days

[tavm · 7/10 · 18 February 2013]

Just watched this independent film starring Martin Sheen on Netflix disc with my mom. We both pretty much enjoyed this drama about Sheen as a priest finding himself stuck in Ireland instead of going back to Rome when a bishop inquires him about building a new church. In order to get some funds in order, however, Sheen suggests a cinema which meets some opposition from a politician who decries the "American filth" invading the Irish populace during the not-so-modern '50s timeline as the public is also starting to get used to some electric appliances. There's more to this drama but I'll stop there and just say that while I didn't always know what was going on initially, by the end, I think I understood enough. So on that note, Stella Days is recommended.

weak slow story, much more potential

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 8 October 2013]

Father Daniel Barry (Martin Sheen) hopes to enlighten the masses by opening a movie theatre. It's a '50s small town Ireland where traditions are still paramount. The bishop is eager to built churches, and he's against the immorality of Hollywood. Money is tight, and the collection plate is light.

Martin Sheen's presence is all that's holding up this movie. Stephen Rea plays the bad guy who opposes the theatre for its immorality. There are a few stories about the townfolks. The characters are all rather meek and the actors relatively pedestrian.

If the movie theatre is the driving force, then its climax is utterly underwhelming. I won't spoil it, but it's not much of a climax. Of all the characters/stories/scenes, the most memorable is the old woman who ask Father Barry to bless her electricity. The questions she asked are so poignant, and Martin Sheen's interaction with her is incredible. If the rest of the movie was just as good, then this would be amazing. But it's not and the movie crawl along to a whisper of an ending.

A priest who is a film buff tries to open a cinema in 1950s Ireland

[jarlath-lavelle · 3/10 · 7 March 2012]

I saw this recently in a sneak preview,I was expecting a bit more from the story and the cast but I was disappointed with both.It started off at a slow pace and stayed that way.That is not always a bad thing in a film,some can be wonderful and slow moving for example Spring,Summer,Autumn,Winter and Spring(2003)dir:Ki-duk Kim,but it would have been good to see it get out of 2nd gear.Martin Sheen could have phoned in his performance with the effort he put in to it and Stephen Rea played the part of... Stephen Rea,surprise that. The cinema was half full and it was a free show,which says a lot.People were laughing at a lot of the customs of Irish people and the influence of the church which was at the height of it's power in Ireland at that time.This saddened me as I was born,reared and still live in that land.Go see it if you want to have a look at rural Ireland in 1956 as the production values were excellent and very accurate.The sad thing about a freebie is that you cannot ask for your money back,but in a recession I cant say no as I paid 13.20euros the day before to see Hugo in 3D in the same cinema. J.Lavelle - Dublin,Ireland 2012

A quiet journey

[tpurcell202 · 8/10 · 9 March 2012]

In short this is not the fastest movie in the world, but it is not supposed to be. It is a very Irish film dealing with very Irish issues of the time. Knowing what we do now of the times then there is always a potentially dark side to this movie. but thanks to O'Sulllivan this never happens. Sheehan plays a priest placed in a rural Irish Parish after years in Rome and the US. Hoping to return to Rome his dreams are dashed when the local Bishop (Tom Hickey) tells him he is staying in the town and is charged with building a new church.

Not being the best fund raiser in the world he gets nowhere until the new teacher, fresh from the big city (Dublin) gives him the idea.What follows is a very understated master class in the study of belonging, faith (in yourself, dreams and Him), loneliness and finding your place in life. The humour is calm, Stephen Rea plays his usual quiet dark self, here he plays the part of the local politician he is how conservative he makes the Bishop look radical.

This is not the fastest movie in the world, but it brings you along with it. The performances wheel you in Martin Sheehan is every bit as great as ever, whether it is a young captain, the President of the United States or the local parish priest.

This is a feel good story, told well. If you liked The Playboys (Gillies McKinnon, 1992) or Cinema Paridiso (Giuseppe Tornatore, 1988) then you will like this one.

Village priest in 1950's Ireland wants to open Cinema despite opposition from Church and Politician.

[mgtheaven · 8/10 · 24 February 2012]

Fr Daniel Barry (Martin Sheen) ,a man of the World having served in America and Rome , who has a passion for Cinema , Music and Language is left to languish in a rural community in Co Tipperary in the 1950's. The Bishop is encouraging his Parish Priests to gather funds to build new churches in every Parish. Fr Barry is more inclined to set up a Cinema in the local hall, going so far as plundering the church building fund to do so. The film has a number of different issues going on, such as the Priest's own doubts about his vocation as he was sent by his parents to the priesthood, the rural electrification of Ireland in the 1950's, the effects of the necessary emigration of young Irish men in that era to send money home to families to survive and the power of the Church and the Politicians in the fledgling Irish State. The cast is a strong one. Martin Sheen , as Fr Barry, is resigned to life in the Village, his only beacons of light being the arrival of a young teacher in the village,( well played by Trystran Gravelle, ) full of encouragement and passion, though this falls apart when he indulges in passions of another king with his young landlady (Marcella Plunkett). Tom Hickey shines out as the Bishop with "A countryman's love of concrete", drooling over his church building project, as does Stephen Rea as the rural Politician with a dedicated opposition to "Hollywood Filth". The main fault of the Film is that it takes on a few too many themes at the same time. Despite that, it is still a worthwhile film. It is a valid look at 1950's Ireland, sometimes sentimental and quite often humorous!

Well worth watching at least twice

[tjquinn-15301 · 8/10 · 25 June 2015]

I came to Stella Days because it was filmed in Fethard, Co Tipperary, Ireland - my Father's birthplace. And because I loved Martin Sheen in The West Wing. In this little film (or fillum as they say in Ireland) Sheen plays a jaded Roman Catholic Priest, perhaps an older version of the Type played by Bing Crosbie back in the day. But this is. Much more serious film than the initial whimsy might suggest, meditating on the struggle between the Church and Ireland's fledging democracy. And perhaps darker still, the manner in which the main character came to be a priest in the first place - as a 12 year old he had no choice when sent to the Seminary.

There is serious stuff here. The film also shows Ireland in the 1950s, a time when my parents were growing up. It is also filmed in Fethard which is where my partner and I watched it for the second time having spent the evening in the wonderful McCarthy's Hotel which features considerably in the proceedings. Maybe I'm slightly biased, but I think this film is a treasure, and would gladly watch over again.

Underrated film

[philipfoxe · 8/10 · 14 June 2012]

This is an excellent film which really should have a wider audience. I saw it (free) at the 2012 Listowel Writers Week in County Kerry, and the still very rural atmosphere helped me to travel back in time. I really wish the film had been longer as it tries, quite successfully, to set the tenor of the period(the 50s) At that time, Ireland was a priest- ridden impoverished hole. I remember as I was a kid at the time and the level of poverty was terrible. The themes are will drawn. Martin Sheen is a decent actor and they cobble a background to explain his American accent. He makes a fair stab of it but it needs an Irish actor to give it pathos. The film is shot in Fethard in Tipperary and it gives it a realistic setting. Seen through the eyes of a young boy, whose alcoholic father's absence is so poignant, the film possibly should have been more tragic. The priest struggles to give some value to his hopeless life and his nemesis in the Bishop played by the late Tom Hickey reminded me of the marvellous Father Ted series, but only in so far as Fr Ted was completely credible. The Stephen Rae characterl who has political ambitions, is not overplayed, and his opposition to cinematic filth quite credible. He feels the priest naive as he feels he doesn't get'how things really work' and that politics and power require you to sell your soul. He of course has not compunction in the matter. The young and idealistic schoolteacher, whose career is saved by the priest, gaily waltzes off into the future to 'get involved in politics'. This is not so much a narrative as a slice of life from a harsh time. As the priest says 'I thought I would find some meaning here. But its just poor-and damp'

'I thought I would find some meaning here. But its just poor-and damp'

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 26 June 2012]

Martin Sheen has landed a role that shows off his considerable talents in this small scale, sensitive and informed film from Tribeca. Based on a novel by Michael Doorley adapted for the screen by Antoine O. Flatharta and directed with sensitivity by Thaddeus O'Sullivan, the story takes place in Ireland of 1956, and the film opens with an introduction to bringing electricity into a very small town whose people have done very well without the new-fangled things, thank you very much.

The priest of the town is Fr. Daniel Barry (Martin Sheen), a loving man who hears confessions, makes his rounds offering oils of last rites to please one elderly ill patient and caring for his flock in a very human manner, is a man of the World having the Church both in America and Rome, who has a passion for Cinema , Music and Language is left to languish in a rural community after being replaced in Rome by a younger priest with greater credentials for scholarship. The Parish Bishop (Tom Hickey) has decided his parish needs a new, modern, concrete church and he burdens the parish priests to raise the funds for the project. There is a politician in the town - Brendan (Stephen Rea) - who vies for power with Fr. Barry, seeking political clout to reign in the filthy temptations of the world from his followers. Fr. Barry, on the other hand, devises a method for raising funds (and catering to his love for picture shows) by building a cinema. He is supported by a new young schoolteacher Tim (Trystan Gravelle, a young Welsh actor of great potential) - Fr. Barry overrode Brendan, further alienating himself. Tim finds room and board with a local young mother Elaine (Amy Huberman) whose alcoholic abusive husband is off to London leaving their young son Joey (Joseph O'Sllivan) without the nurturing of a father. The tale pits the worldly priest against the power hungry fundamentalist politicians and the significant people of the story are at first injured and then find a manner of redemption. In the end the 'bringing of light' to the little town in Tipperary via electricity and modern times merely reveals a path for conscientious folk to escape it all.

The cast is very strong, the musical score by Nicholas Hooper, and the countryside of Ireland is gorgeous. This is a little film with a big message that flies like a lark in the sky. Try to catch it!

Grady Harp

A superb gem that I missed discovering

[tm-sheehan · 8/10 · 22 July 2021]

My Review "Stella Days " My Rating 8.5 /10. Streaming on Prime

I really appreciate a friend on Terryard for recommending this fine Irish film from 2011 as it certainly went under my radar The film had special resonance with me for a number of reasons my Dad was a local suburban film projectionist in the mid 1950's and my early education was in the Roman Catholic school system of that era which I'm sure and hope is less fear based and less doctrinal today than back then when young children were taught to be Godfearing and compliant to church teachings .He used to put in special screenings for the nuns only select titles of course like The Bells of St Mary's or Going My Way .

This is a delightful 2011 film with a lot of substance as well as nostalgia by Thaddeus O'Sullivan and starring Martin Sheen as a Roman Catholic priest in rural Irelandduring the mid-1950s.

The film is based on the book Stella Days: The Life and Times of a Rural Irish Cinema, written by Michael Doorley, which concerns the true story of how a small cinema came into being in the town of Borrisokane in County Tipperary. Filming took place in the town of Fethard rather than Borrisokane.

Lead actor Martin Sheen's mother was born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, and it was during a family reunion in memory of her that Sheen was gifted with a copy of the book the film is based on.

Martin Sheen gives another one of his fine characterisations as Father Daniel Barry a dedicated and progressive Priest with more academic qualifications for his local Bishops liking Bishop Hegarty played by Tom Hickey regards any introduction to American Film culture as not suitable or necessary for the little Irish hamlet that is just coming to terms with the connection of electricity. Father Daniel is hoping to return to Rome to complete his studies but the Bishop wants him to stay and raise funds for a new church . At first The Bishop is furious that Father Daniel wants to promote the evils of Hollywood and the outside world by opening a Picture Show Cinema named "The Stella "after the celestial Star . Bishop Hegarty goes to great lengths to publish a fire and brimstone sermon highlighting the evils of Hollywood movies the lust and the crime .

This plays right into the hands of Father Daniel's adversary miserable mealy mouthed Mayor Brendan McSweeney (Stephen Rea) and sets up the conflict of interests However when it's apparent that Father Daniel's project has the potential to become a much bigger fundraiser than was expected Bishop Hegarty has to reconsider his strategy. There's a hilarious scene when the Bishop walks in to "The Stella" during a test run for the new projector when a sample film clip is being shown of the famous beach love scene from "Here to Eternity" He hauls the Father Daniel over the coals telling him that The Holy Church must retain its power and influence over the people of the village but raising funds to build the new Church is most important.

The Production team headed by Production Designer Anna Rackard ,Art Director Aeveen Fleming and Costume Designer Judith Williams are to be applauded for the sets ,costumes and props used to give an authenticity to the era and the general feel of this movie.

The script by Antoine O. Flatharta an Irish playwright and Screenwriter has done justice to the original memoir by Michael Doorley and written an intelligent script that in the wrong hands could have been schmaltzy and over sentimental story telling .

The film not only depicts a time in Ireland long before their breakthrough and historic Same Sex Marriage Equality Vote in 2015. As Bishop Hegarty says "Mother Church mustn't lose its influence and control over the people of Ireland thank God it has.

The film also depicts the power of men over their wives when women had little choice but obey even at the cost of physical abuse by a drunken husband and the Church would just stand by the man telling the woman to obey. The movie also shows the plight of many young men in their early teens or younger that were recruited to the Priesthood without any life experience leaving their families behind to boast that their son had a calling to God and had joined the seminary.

This film was a real delight for this movie goer and it's a great companion movie to the 2002 Irish movie "The Magdalene Sisters " and the wonderful 2013 film "Philomena" starring Dame Judi Dench thank you Denise for recommending it.

Heaven allows all that

[dbdumonteil · 20 August 2014]

The main character,played by Martin Sheen ,is the most interesting;too bad they focused on his passion for cinema and his will to have a movie theater ,in spite of the well-meanings from his flock .The question of his faith is much more important:when the old lady passes away ,he realizes that she was not a true believer ,and flashbacks about the priest's childhood show that he did not feel a vocation for priesthood (he tells it so:"God never called me" ).It was his mother's dream (and selfishness),not his.

But this side of the priest (which is ,all in all,essential) is too underwritten .The other parts are cardboard ,particularly Stephen Rea's grumpy notable.The young teacher is more endearing but his affair with his (married with a kid) landlady is quite derivative ,even if he compares her to Jane Wyman in " All that heaven allows" -thus we learn that the story takes place after 1955,whereas the hints at Rex Ingram's "four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" and " The prisoner of Zenda" ,could make us believe the action happened much earlier.(though they were remade later)

Besides ,the choice (by chance?) of "from here to eternity" ( 1953) is not what you call a smart one to test the equipment;and it includes the famous scene when Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr (mistaken for Liz Taylor!) have an adulterous relationship at that! See it for Martin Sheen's moments of doubt and fear.

Lacks Imagination

[pruiett · 4 June 2014]

Two stars. This story was a profane look at the Catholic Church. It contained unnecessary language and sexual content, both of which indicate to me a lack of imagination on the part of the writers. There were no virtuous messages gained from this movie. Pictures in the 30s and 40s were able to be captivating without language or sex. Why do modern writers and producers lack the ability to present a story without salacious content. As I was always told, when a person uses vulgarity or obscenity to express themselves, it is an indication that they lack the ability to communicate intelligently.

The priest has no biblical Christian values to share with the audience. Martin Sheen is supposedly a Roman Catholic in real life. He makes the priesthood look like nothing more than a new-age, "god within you" sort of role. He overlooks and actually condones the sexual immorality of a parishioner, and sides with the adulterers as if they are the heroes of the story. The movie uses profanity that I know was not common in the 1950s. Just overall a lackluster, meaningless movie.