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From Amazon.co.uk
This affecting, bittersweet tale--adapted from BrianFriel's semi-autobiographical Tony Award-winning play--examines the emotional lives of the five unmarried Mundy sisters in 1936 rural Ireland. In their 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 town folk 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. Dancing at Lughnasa was directed by Circle of Friends Pat O'Connor. --N.F. Mendoza
Review
An immaculate cast splendidly led by Streep. -- Barry Norman
Poignant and tear-jerking. -- Daily Mail
Poignant and tear-jerking. -- Daily Mail
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 56 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Directed by Pat O'Connor and exquisitely filmed (by Kenneth MacMillan) in the countryside of Donegal, this ensemble drama is adapted from the stage play by Brian Friel. Screenwriter Frank McGuinness sticks close to the dialogue of the play but opens up the rural cottage setting to include brief scenes of the town of Ballybeg, the stunning and untamed countryside, and the pagan harvest celebration, the Feast of Lughnasa. Set in 1936, the film focuses on the difficult lives of five unmarried sisters and an eight-year-old love child, when Ireland was on the verge of World War II and industrialization. The film stresses character and theme, rather than plot, highlighting the relationships among the sisters as they cope with the arrival of their brother, a priest returning from Uganda after twenty-five years, and the summer-long visit of Gerry Evans, father of Christina's child, Michael.
Kate (Meryl Streep), the sister who is "in charge," is the only real wage earner in the family. Rigid, severe, and lacking in humor, she believes pagan celebrations, such as the Feast of Lughnasa, which still provide fun and enjoyment in the countryside, are "uncivilized." Her priest brother (sensitively played by Michael Gambon), however, is now virtually a pagan himself. Though he is clearly unbalanced, he has learned the need of the poor for happiness, dancing, and community celebration, even if it is not church-sanctioned.
The other Mundy sisters help illustrate the chasm between Kate's attitudes and those of Fr. Jack. Maggie (Kathy Burke), the fun-loving, free-spirited, and most humorous of the sisters, constantly bursts into singing and dancing. Christina has fun during the summer with lover Gerry Evans but feels no need to marry him.
... Read more ›8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By S. Duncan
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This movie has a fabulous cast, who deliver great performances. All the sisters are engaging and Michael Gambon as the dotty brother is fantastic. Loved the movie except for about the last 10 minutes. It just kind of petered out with a voice over summary. Beginning, Middle, End - there was no End.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Nothing happens in Dancing at Lughnasa, and yet the film has a powerful emotional intensity, despite being so defiantly uncinematic.
The film is narrated by adult Michael (only seen as a boy), who looks back on his childhood in a small Irish town in the thirties, living with his single mother (Catherine McCormack), four spinster aunts and their senile brother (Michael Gambon).It is set during the August of 1936, with the Lughnasa festival approaching. Meryl Streep does Irish, and does it very well. She plays eldest sister Kate, a pious schoolmarm. The other Mundy sisters are cheery Maggie (Kathy Burke), quiet Agnes(Brid Brennan), simple minded Rose (Sophie Thompson), and youngest daughter Christina (Catherine McCormack). They live a pious sheltered existence until the arrival of their only brother Father Jack (Michael Gambon), a missionary converted by African paganism, and Gerry (Rhys Ifans), Michael's father and Christina's one-time lover.
The whole thing is very Chekhovian. Characters are hopelessly in love with the wrong people and they know it. Life continues quietly, with a few bursts of happiness (though the motif of singing and dancing to express joy is a little contrived) but predominant hardship.
Acting is excellent throughout. This is not showy acting but quietly understated acting. Rhys Ifans plays against type (sort of) as good-hearted Gerry, whose free spirit means that he will never commit. As far as the events of the film go, you know how things are going to turn out. Director Pat O'Connor firmly establishes the tone of Chekhovian nostalgia early into the film so if that isn't your thing, you won't like this film. His directing style is slow and lingering- so slow that it feels like real time- but it sort of works here.
The film is narrated by adult Michael (only seen as a boy), who looks back on his childhood in a small Irish town in the thirties, living with his single mother (Catherine McCormack), four spinster aunts and their senile brother (Michael Gambon).It is set during the August of 1936, with the Lughnasa festival approaching. Meryl Streep does Irish, and does it very well. She plays eldest sister Kate, a pious schoolmarm. The other Mundy sisters are cheery Maggie (Kathy Burke), quiet Agnes(Brid Brennan), simple minded Rose (Sophie Thompson), and youngest daughter Christina (Catherine McCormack). They live a pious sheltered existence until the arrival of their only brother Father Jack (Michael Gambon), a missionary converted by African paganism, and Gerry (Rhys Ifans), Michael's father and Christina's one-time lover.
The whole thing is very Chekhovian. Characters are hopelessly in love with the wrong people and they know it. Life continues quietly, with a few bursts of happiness (though the motif of singing and dancing to express joy is a little contrived) but predominant hardship.
Acting is excellent throughout. This is not showy acting but quietly understated acting. Rhys Ifans plays against type (sort of) as good-hearted Gerry, whose free spirit means that he will never commit. As far as the events of the film go, you know how things are going to turn out. Director Pat O'Connor firmly establishes the tone of Chekhovian nostalgia early into the film so if that isn't your thing, you won't like this film. His directing style is slow and lingering- so slow that it feels like real time- but it sort of works here.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A G Stayte
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
One of the best interpretations of a bygone rulal community that I have ever seen.
Supurb characters are expertly portayed by its all star cast.
A must see for those who enjoy rural dramas.
Supurb characters are expertly portayed by its all star cast.
A must see for those who enjoy rural dramas.
6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
a wonderful movie so sad but so real as life was then in rural Ireland
a cast that played their parts to perfection
you will not be disappointed
a cast that played their parts to perfection
you will not be disappointed
By Mary Lane
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Sorry, didn't like this. Was one of those films I couldn't get into, and couldn't really get into characters at all.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By RosieKeenan
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Had to have this film on DVD - had it on the old vhs and loved it. Meryl Streep at her best with Kathy ( off gimme gimme) Burke i think she's called. A touching story of family unity set in old Ireland around the 1930's. Michael Gambon is brilliant as their only brother brought home from being a priest in Africa under a cloak of shame by the RC church - he's gone off his head and started embracing spiritistic african religion! All the actors are brill in it, youre laughing and crying at the same time. Best highlight is when they put the radio on and an irish jig comes on. First theres toe-tapping then it explodes into all the sisters up and dancing, even moving outside laughing and thoroughly enjoying their dance. I wish i was among them for that dance. My favourite is the sister who seems to be academically challenged and keeps calling Ms Streep GANDER which is what the school kids call her that she teaches. You have to buy this film and a bottle of wine and a nice box of chocolates, put your feet up, and a throw over you and enjoy a lovely irish film. Its one i can watch over and over again. 10/10 again.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
A superb and much-loved film
We viewed this DVD some months ago and enjoyed it very much. We know that those who love films of this sort will be enthralled by it, as we were.
Published 6 months ago by Alan W. Barrow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dancing at lughnasa
very good DVD, going to see the play in January, looking forward to that as my daughter will play Rose.
Published 6 months ago by Patricia Nevalainen
4.0 out of 5 stars
Would be 5 stars if arrived with a good case
The movie is fantastic. I'm a huge Meryl Streep fan and thought her accent was AMAZING. My DVD case, however arrived smashed. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Eimear Quigley
5.0 out of 5 stars
wonderful irish film
what a wonderful film our drama group are hoping to preform this play in october so the film gave us an insight to all the parts
Published 6 months ago by jenny creelman
2.0 out of 5 stars
DVD Quality
DVD is of poor quality and jumps at all of the running of the film and will not induce
me to get any more
me to get any more
Published 13 months ago by bjp
3.0 out of 5 stars
A slipped jig
An excellent ensemble cast (except for the wooden child actor) and to my relief, Meryl Streep didn't swamp the production. Beautifully photographed. So why didn't I like it? Read more
Published 14 months ago by Cicero
3.0 out of 5 stars
DVD Dancing at Lughnasa
Sometimes the sound track seemed a little "tinnie" and the picture froze/jumped at one point. But was able to watch it comfortably.
Published 15 months ago by Mrs. June E. O. Pockett
5.0 out of 5 stars
Original OK
The original DVD was very good but we then received a duplicate copy!
This is the very first time in using AMAZON that we have encountered any problems
This is the very first time in using AMAZON that we have encountered any problems
Published on 30 Aug 2010 by Sutton Bob
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