Sing Street (2016)

A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.

Director:

John Carney

Writers:

Simon Carmody (story), John Carney (screenplay)

Stars:

Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 13 wins & 38 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ferdia Walsh-Peelo	...	Conor
Kelly Thornton	...	Ann
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Penny
Jack Reynor	...	Brendan
Aidan Gillen	...	Robert
Ian Kenny	...	Barry
Ben Carolan	...	Darren
Percy Chamburuka	...	Ngig
Mark McKenna	...	Eamon
Don Wycherley	...	Brother Baxter
Des Keogh	...	Brother Barnabas
Kian Murphy	...	Mick Mahon
Dolores Mullally	...	Dinner Lady
Lucy Boynton	...	Raphina
Marcella Plunkett	...	Eamon's Mum

Storyline

This is the beginning of the eighties, and everybody is moving to the beat of the Pop music, as the brand-new concept of the music video appears on television for the first time. However, in Dublin, Conor--a teenager with a sensitive heart--is trying to deal with a tense family relationship, reconnect with his older brother, while dealing with the hostile environment in his new public school. And then, one day, he sees her. Tall, with long chestnut hair, a buttery complexion, and big, dark eyes; an enigmatically beautiful girl standing in front of his school's gate, indolently observing people passing by. But, who is she, and how could a boy ever get noticed by such a distant girl? That's easy. He would form a band. Surprisingly, with every lyric Conor writes, the gap narrows, and with every song he plays, her heart fills with affection. In the end, before a sea of opportunities lying ahead of them, what will the future hold for a brave love like this?

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Plot Keywords:

bullying | brother brother relationship | falling in love | teenage boy | dublin ireland | 

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Taglines:

Boy meets girl. Girl unimpressed. Boy starts band.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including strong language and some bullying behavior, a suggestive image, drug material and teen smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Japan]

Country:

Ireland UK USA

Language:

English French Latin

Release Date:

17 March 2016 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Mlodzi przebojowi

Filming Locations:

St. Catherine's Park, Hanbury Lane, Dublin, Ireland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$63,573, 17 April 2016, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$3,237,118

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,624,522

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cosmo Films,Distressed Films,FilmNation Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

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Goofs

When the Lawlor family watches the "Rio" music video, Ann asks Brendan "Who is that guitarist" (John Taylor). Brendan responds he is cute, and teases her, but says John Taylor is a bassist, not a guitarist. The video does not show either instrument, and since Ann had never heard of Duran Duran, it is impossible for her to know that he is a guitarist, or a bassist, or whatever.

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Quotes

Eamon: I've a good joke for you guys. Vagina. Do you get it?
Garry: No.
Eamon: Exactly.

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Crazy Credits

One of the disclaimers in the closing credits: "This is a period film. Synge Street School, like much of Ireland, was a very different place in the 1980's [sic] than it is now. Today Synge Street School is a progressive, multi-cultural school with an excellent academic record and a committed staff of teachers."

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Connections

Featured in Honest Trailers: The Oscars (2017) (2017)

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Soundtracks

Go Now
Written by John Carney, Glen Hansard and Adam Levine
Performed by Adam Levine
Adam Levine appears Courtesy of 222 Records/Interscope Records, a division of UMG Recordings, Inc.

User Reviews

Carney is now 3 and O

I was a fan of Carney's band the Frames, and was delighted to see his first low budget film , "Once"

His second wonderful film had a much bigger budget and well know cast, but still a small film. I just loved, "Begin Again" with Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, and Kiera Knightly.

He goes back to his roots with Sing Street and it is simply a joyful experience. It started off a bit slow for me. But as the band that is the focal point of the film hones their skills and improves so does this wonderful story. I just can't say enough about how great the two leads were in this film Ferdia Walsh-Peelo plays the male lead Conor, and Lucy Boynton as Raphina were just wonderful. It is a great film to watch if you are having trouble getting your smile on.

As an American I had a little trouble at times with the thick Irish accents. When I watch the CD I may have to stick the subtitles on.I wish the film had a bit of a bigger budget in the sense that it looks like it was made on a tiny budget and musicals are much better when the sound is powerful. But that is just quibbling. Go see this in the theaters, if for nothing else to make sure Carney gets money to keep making films.