The Journey (2016)

During the 2006 Northern Ireland peace talks, Sinn Féin leader Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney) and Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall) are forced to travel by car together.

Director:

Nick Hamm

Writer:

Colin Bateman (screenplay by)

Stars:

Timothy Spall, Colm Meaney, John Hurt

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Timothy Spall	...	Ian Paisley
Colm Meaney	...	Martin McGuinness
Freddie Highmore	...	Jack the Driver
John Hurt	...	Harry Patterson
Catherine McCormack	...	Kate Elgar
Toby Stephens	...	Tony Blair
Barry Ward	...	Ian Paisley, Jr.
Ian Beattie	...	Gerry Adams
Ian McElhinney	...	Rory O'Suaird
Mark Lambert	...	Bertie Ahern
Daniel Portman	...	Frank
Lucy Cray-Miller	...	Reporter (as Lucy Cray Miller)
Lorna Quinn	...	Reporter
Richard Doubleday	...	Reporter
Patrick Joseph Byrnes	...	Reporter

Storyline

In 2006, Northern Ireland's bloody Troubles had dragged on for decades. Now with the growing threat of a new generation inspired by the 9/11 attacks to escalate the conflict to new levels of destruction, the Catholic Republican and the Protestant Unionist sides are finally persuaded to seriously explore a peace agreement at U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair's (Toby Stephens') urging. Unfortunately, the principle negotiators, firebrand Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley (Timothy Spall) and Sinn Fein politician Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney), are decades-long implacable enemies. However, with talks about to start, Paisley has his wedding anniversary that he is determined to attend at home, and McGuinness decides he must accompany his enemy to prevent him from being persuaded to abandon this chance for peace. With Prime Minister Blair and his MI5 staff nervously watching from secret cameras, the two foes undertake a journey together in which they bridge the seemingly unbridgeable...

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Plot Keywords:

sinn fein | northern ireland | peace talks | politician | year 2006 | 

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Taglines:

Life made them enemies. Politics made them adversaries. One journey made them friends.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including violent images and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

In this movie, you can see three actors from Game of Thrones (2011), who played the parts of Barristan Selmy - Kings guard for Dany (sat at the table of the Sinn Fein men), Paud Payne - Tyrian and Brienne's squire (guy at the cash register in the gas station), and Ser Meryn Trant who Arya killed in the brothel (Gerry Adams).

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Goofs

In the church scene, in a wood block there is an empty Smirnoff vodka bottle for which there is no reference in the dialogue. Why did the Director leave it, so obvious in the middle of the scene?

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Quotes

Harry Patterson: You feel the hand of history on your shoulder?
Tony Blair: Around my throat more like. It's like looking at the promised land with the wrong end of a telescope.

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Crazy Credits

During the end credits for the main cast photographs of the real Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness at various official occasions are shown.

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Connections

References Enter the Dragon (1973)

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Soundtracks

Are You Getting Through
Written by Glen Hansard
Published by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
Performed by Glen Hansard, Joseph Doyle, Graham Hopkins, Ruth O'Mahony Brady, Michael Buckley, Ronan Dooney, Una O'Kane, Paule Hughes, Katie O'Conner, David, Odlum
Recorded fby David Odlum at Westland Studios, Dublin and Black Box Studio, France
Produced by David Odlum
Appears Courtesy of Anti Records

User Reviews

Two incredible frenemies.

I worked in broadcast during this historical time in Northern Ireland and knew both of these men. The acting and accents, mannerisms are absolutely as spot on as it can possibly get. Colm Meaney pulls off the Derry accent very well for a Dublin man and Spall gets all the inflections of big Ian's Belfast brogue. I think both of those men would perhaps enjoy the job the filmmakers made of them: "So they would"! Definitely a movie well presented and well researched. Worth watching: So it is!

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 June 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Journey

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$32,895, 18 June 2017

Gross USA:

$155,475

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$482,209

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greenroom Entertainment, Tempo Productions Limited, Gorean Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color