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St. Patrick’s movie picks
Put your mind’s ear to work and imagine this entire post delivered in a thick Irish brogue.
Yes, me laddies and lassies, since St. Patrick’s day is almost here, I present to you a list of Irish-themed films with more charms than a box of pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, green clovers, blue diamonds and purple horseshoes.
In (mostly) alphabetical order:
The Commitments: “Don’t you get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And northsiders are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud, I’;m black and I’m proud.” Absolutely infectious story of white Irish kids who form a soul band.
Little Nellie Kelly: This is one of Judy Garland’s lesser-known vehicles, but it has many high points, not the least of which are the songs including “It’s a Great Day for the Irish”and her lively take on “Singin; in the Rain.” This is not readily available on video, so look for it on Turner Classic Movies.
My Left Foot: This story particularly moves me, because like its subject, the poet Christy Brown, I have cerebral palsy. But I defy anyone not to moved by this film and particularly by the great performances of Hugh O’; Connor and Oscar-winner Daniel Day-Lewis as Christy.
The Quiet Man: Few directors were as proudly Irish as the great John Ford, and this may be literally the greenest movie ever made outside of the Emerald City scenes in The Wizard of Oz. John Wayne improbably makes a convincing Irishman who returns home to woo the raven-haired Maureen O’Hara.
The Secret of Roan Inish: The ever-eclectic John Sayles wrote and directed this gem of movie about a young girl who learns that an ancestor of hers married a selkie - a seal that can turn into a human. Truly unique.
Finally, The Fugitive isn’t really an Irish movie, but it does have that chase scene through a St. Patrick’s Day parade, and it boasts one of my favorite movie lines of all time: “If they can dye the river green today, why can’t they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year?”
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Lists
Comments
By Sir Critic
March 17, 2006 9:25 AM | Link to this
You make a very good point there, Bud. I was looking for another word besides “red,” since Maureen’s hair is not merely red, and I guess I went to the wrong color! lol How about: “fiery-haired (and fiery-mannered) Maureen?”By Bud Norton
March 17, 2006 8:44 AM | Link to this
“Raven-haired” Maureen O’Hara??? The divil ye say! Obviously a slip of the keyboard; Maureen’s mane of course was a glorious Technicolor red, and her character had the temperament to match.By Allie D.
March 16, 2006 12:14 PM | Link to this
Oh hey, that’s a great list of flicks, Eric! I think I’m going to have to add Circle of Friends to it, though. :)