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Janeane Garofalo, David O'Hara, Milo O'Shea

As she does in The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Janeane Garofalo proves she's a capable leading lady--beautiful, charming, self-effacing, and what used to be referred to as sharp as a tack. Ga...( read more  read more... )rofalo plays Marcy, aide to dim Massachusetts senator McGlory (Jay O. Sanders). Denis Leary is appropriately slimy as a fellow aide. The senator and Nick dispatch Marcy to the remote (and fictitious) Irish town of Ballinagra, where she's supposed to unearth relatives to use in the senator's PR campaign. Along the way, Marcy not only encounters the eccentric locals, but finds herself in the maelstrom of the town's annual matchmaking festival. The single Marcy inadvertently catches the eye of the movie's eponymous matchmaker Dermot (a captivating Milo O'Shea). Dermot senses sparks between Marcy and the equally cynical, recently returned local boy, Sean (David O'Hara), once a successful journalist who's returned home to work on a book. The intimacies of the small town, the relationships between the locals, and the dialogue are credible and engaging. Look for beautiful cinematography and music, too. Also notable is the movie's ability to convey the feel of a foreign film while injecting humor that's both sarcastically American and yet Irish in trademark. --N.F. Mendoza

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70% liked it

1,402 ratings

Critics

54% liked it

26 critics

R

Directed by: Mark Joffe

Release Date: October 3, 1997

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DVD Release Date: September 14, 1999

Stats: 274 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (274)

  • dreamfaeries
    September 13, 2008
    dreamfaeries
    Love it...
  • danperry17
    August 22, 2007
    danperry17
    At times cheesy, clichéd and out and out hilarious, this was a fun movie to watch. The acting, actually, was surprisingly good, and for most of the quality, you can look to Janeane Garofalo, because she really turns in a strong performance. Why, oh why, did she choose stand-up ag...( read more)ain? A movie about the minutia that's interesting the whole way through, and leaves you unsure of whether the soundtrack was intended to be ironic or not. I highly recommend it.
  • graveling861
    March 29, 2009
    graveling861
    A very sweet comedy about an American who finds love in Ireland.
  • ileo
    December 25, 2007
    ileo
    Hilarious!
  • nederlove
    March 8, 2009
    nederlove
    I absolutely loved this movie!!!
  • pamisclean1
    November 17, 2008
    pamisclean1
    one of my favorites! Funny and love the scenery.
  • dcjmmjk
    October 30, 2008
    dcjmmjk
    Fun, offbeat movie. Janeane Garolfalo plays it straight and simple in a town obsessed with creating couples.
  • r0cken
    August 31, 2008
    r0cken
    Generated only 2 laughs, but many, many smiles. Lovable characters, sweet irish accent. Solid film.
  • msfausey
    August 19, 2008
    msfausey
    What a wate of time.
  • azdw
    July 11, 2008
    azdw
    Review will be written when/if re-watched (Probability: Zero).

    First viewing: 07.08.1999

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The Matchmaker Trivia

  • Name the 1997 movie starring Jeneane Garofalo, Denis Leary & Jay O Sanders with the plot outline:In an attempt to boost the failing re-election campaign of a United States Senator from Massachussetts, Marcy(Jeneane)is sent to a small town in Ireland to locate the Senator"s ancestors?  Answer »
  • What country did "The Matchmaker" predominately take place?  Answer »
  • In which movie did Hilary Duff play the role of a match-maker?  Answer »
  • What was the name of the woman women tried to impress in Mulan?  Answer »
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