Dancing at Lughnasa

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Plot: This affecting, bittersweet tale--adapted from Brian Friel's semi-autobiographical Tony Award-winning play--examines the emotional lives of the five unmarried Mundy sisters in 1936 rural Ireland. In t...( read more  )heir mutual care is 8-year-old Michael (sweetly understated Darrell Johnston), the illegitimate son of youngest sister Christina (Braveheart's Catherine McCormack). A voice-over from the adult Michael recalls that significant summer, in the month of August, during the feast of Lughnasa. The bolder townfolk dance around a fire to Lugh, an ancient god of light. Yes, this is fiercely Roman Catholic Ireland and Lugh a pagan god, but that irony is at the core of the film, the hypocrisy of tradition. The dramatic change in the richly metaphoric movie comes with the arrival of two men: eldest sibling--and only Mundy brother--Jack (Michael Gambon), a priest returning from many years in Africa, now addled, and Christine's long-absent lover and Michael's father, the charmingly flighty Gerry (Rhys Ifans). Beautiful music and excellent performances highlight the film, which also features gorgeous cinematography of the Irish countryside. Meryl Streep is stern eldest sister Kate; Kathy Burke is lively Maggie; Brid Brennan (who appeared in the stage play) is thoughtful caretaker Agnes; and Sophie Thompson is simple sweet Rose. It's a quiet film, but one filled with ironic and haunting meaning. Directed by Pat O'Connor (Circle of Friends). --N.F. Mendoza

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• 
  Celtia
• 
  DamjanaIvanovska
• 
  kate327
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  heyzia
• 
  margocarr
• 
  reshmaa
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  michellehrubienski20
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  ladiuko

• 
  Celtia
  

  MCT:

  May 29, 2008

  Good to see some films about the old (and ongoing) Pagan holidays and celebrations. A feast for the eyes and the heart.

• 
  karyn8sons
  

  MCT:

  April 18, 2008

  I may never see this movie again but the memory of it will stay with me always, I think. I thoroughly enjoyed it, much to my surprise!
  
  Typical of irish prose, lore and film, this is melancholy and sad and you wonder from where they summon the will to press on, through another day. One can only assume it was their faith, for they had little else but each other.
  
  It was a slow, sorrowful waltz through the darkest shadows of spirit but it was strong story driven and I could not help but like it. Especially the one lighthearted free-for-all dance scene when they finally give in to the urge to shake off the shackles of maturity and just DANCE!
  
  I fell just short of loving it but I really liked it a lot and will long remember it fondly ~

• 
  historyluver
  

  MCT:

  August 17, 2007

  This movie was kind of depressing, as the ending is not that satisfactory. It was interesting, I loved the Irish culture, but it just leaves you feeling...well, there's no other word for it...Unsatisfied. Maybe it will be better what and if I see it again...maybe

• 
  nanoqna
  

  MCT:

  January 18, 2007

  this is an ok movie the acting is kinda good. it didnt make me emotional tho. i didnt really care about the ppl

• 
  CaravanShaker
  

  MCT:

  November 15, 2006

  A good movie but don't expect much to happen, in the way of action that is. It's not boring though. Yes there are significant changes in the Mundy family but they really aren't for the better so that left me a little bummed. It, to me, was a subtle movie in which no one really had a meaty role to play but all were played well.

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  MissNin
  

  MCT:

  October 5, 2006

  A movie about nothing really, yet strangely everything - sisterhood in specific. Brings out many emotions.

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  tso05001
  

  MCT:

  June 12, 2006

  I rememeber seeing this when I was a kid, I really liked it then and I like it now, it's one of those you have to see again.

• 
  GeneralNobody
  

  MCT:

  March 30, 2006

  Better than the play in my opinion! Sometimes watching Meryl Streep is a rough go, but everyone was delightful. Expertly cast, with perhaps the exception of Gerry. Michael Gambon and Sophia Thompson steal the show.

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• 
  Brid Brennan
• 
  Catherine McCormack
• 
  Kathy Burke
• 
  Meryl Streep
• 
  Michael Gambon
• 
  Rhys Ifans
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  Sophie Thompson

• Rated: (PG)
• Directed by: Brid Brennan, Catherine McCormack, Kathy Burke, Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon, Pat O'Conner, Rhys Ifans, Sophie Thompson
• Genres: Drama, Art House & International
• Released: November 13, 1998
• DVD Released: June 15, 1999

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