Credited cast: | |||
Jodie Whittaker | ... | Ruth | |
Richard Dormer | ... | Terri Hooley | |
Liam Cunningham | ... | Davy | |
Adrian Dunbar | ... | Andy | |
Killian Scott | ... | Ronnie Matthews | |
Kerr Logan | ... | Feargal Sharky | |
David Wilmot | ... | Eric | |
Dylan Moran | ... | Pat | |
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Michael Colgan | ... | Dave |
Karl Johnson | ... | George | |
Conor MacNeill | ... | Schoolboy Executive | |
Andrew Simpson | ... | Getty | |
Mark Ryder | ... | Greg Cowan | |
Ruth McCabe | ... | Mavis | |
Patrick O'Kane | ... | Hatchet |
In 1970s Belfast, Terri Hooley is an idealistic rocker who finds himself caught in the middle of Northern Ireland's bitter Troubles. Seeing a parallel in the chaos with Jamaica, Hooley opens a record shop, Good Vibrations, to help bring reggae music to his city to help encourage some harmony. However, Hooley soon discovers a new music genre, punk rock, and is inspired by its youthful vitality to become an important record producer and promoter of the local scene. In doing so, Hooley would struggle both with the industry's realities and his chaotic personal life that threaten to consume him. However, he would also be instrumental in creating an alternative Irish community that would bridge his land's religious and social rivalries with an art no one expected. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
War, poverty, desolation.
When everything looks dismal and negative, how can one escape and persevere? Through music of course.
Terri Hooley had the answer to the misery of his time. By opening a record shop and encouraging locals to create new music he provided an antidote to the gloom and became instrumental in establishing the Belfast punk scene.
Some thought he was mad, but creativity and madness go together and without any regard for consequences he just stormed ahead driven not by materialistic ambition but out of love for music.
An inspiring bio faithfully brought to the big screen, that effortlessly brought a much needed smile to the audience.