Circle of Friends (1995)
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78% of critics liked it
(36 reviews) -
65% of users liked it
(16,483 ratings)
Set in 1957, this romantic coming-of-age story follows three childhood friends from a small town in Ireland as they head to Dublin to attend Trinity College. Nan (Saffron Burrows), a year older than her friends and already in her second year at Trinity, is ambitious, romantic, and just a bit… More Set in 1957, this romantic coming-of-age story follows three childhood friends from a small town in Ireland as they head to Dublin to attend Trinity College. Nan (Saffron Burrows), a year older than her friends and already in her second year at Trinity, is ambitious, romantic, and just a bit reckless. She hopes to win the hand of Simon (Colin Firth), an older Protestant land-owner who would help her rise up the social and economic ladder. Eve (Geraldine O'Rawe), a bit more pragmatic and cautious, finds herself falling for a boy named Aidan (Aidan Gillen). Bernadette (Minnie Driver), called "Benny" by her friends and family, comes from strict parents who won't allow her to live on campus, forcing her to commute back and forth from classes every day. Bennie's father, a haberdasher, has always expected that his daughter, a bit plainer and plumper than her friends, will marry his shop's manager, an odd duck named Sean (Alan Cumming). But at Trinity, Bennie discovers that she fancies a tall, good-looking rugby player named Jack (Chris O'Donnell), and to the surprise of Bennie and everyone else, it turns out that Jack fancies her as well. Circle of Friends gave Minnie Driver her breakthrough film role after her initial success as a television actress in Britain. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Pat O'Connor
- Genres
- Drama, Television, Romance, Art House & International
PG-13,
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1994 Wide
- Studio
- HBO Video
Critic Reviews
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Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Three female friends grow up in a small town in Ireland in the mid-50s and attend college in Dublin in this nostalgic soap opera that's vaguely evocative of Peyton Place, though generally less memorable.
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Emanuel Levy, Variety
Old-fashioned and nostalgic, Pat O'Connor's nicely directed tale of friendship between three Irish girls features a strong central performance from Minnie Driver that promises a bright future in Hollywood pictures.
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Trevor Johnston, Time Out
The fizzing dialogue gets all the little details right, but the plot's nothing new, and the lingering shots of hibernian greenery aim straight for mid-Atlantic bland-out.
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Janet Maslin, New York Times
Beyond eliciting warm, animated performances from his actors (with a cast that also includes Alan Cumming as a hair-raising suitor of Benny's), Mr. O'Connor gives Circle of Friends an enveloping look and sound.
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Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Driver's tough core of honesty and wit is bewitching. So's the movie.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Chris O'Donnell
as Jack Foley
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Minnie Driver
as Bernadette "Benny"
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Geraldine O'Rawe
as Eve
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Saffron Burrows
as Nan
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Alan Cumming
as Sean
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Colin Firth
as Simon Westward
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Marie Conmee
as Mrs Healey
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Ingrid Craigie
as Celia Westward
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Pauline Delaney
as Big House Maid
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Tony Doyle
as Dr. Foley
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Seamus Ford (II)
as Parish Priest
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Tom Hickey
as Professor Maclure
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Ciarán Hinds
as Professor Flynn
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John Kavanagh
as Brian Mahon
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Phil Kelly
as Hiberian Waiter
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Ruth McCabe
as Emily Mahon
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Sean McGinley
as Mr Duggan
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Marie Mullen
as Mrs Foley
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Britta Smith
as Mrs Hogan
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Gerry Walsh
as Mr Flood
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Mick Lally
as Dan Hogan
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Brendan Conroy
as Priest
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Jason Barry
as Nasey Mahon
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Aidan Gillen
as Aidan
