HONEST FAMILY DRAMA FROM THE QUINN TRIO.Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic A sweet, sad Irish period love story with some modern-day resonance, ``This Is My Father'' comes by its familial themes the honest way. Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (Irish: Aodhán Ó Cuinn) (born March 81959 in Rockford, Illinois,) is an Irish American actor also known as the Quinnster. Aidan Quinn was born in Rockford, Illinois. stars and acts as executive producer along with brothers Paul and Declan. Paul wrote and directed the film and Declan contributed his formidable visual storytelling skills as director of photography. The brothers' tight teamwork coalesces into a single vision of strength and purpose. The film opens in a present-day high school classroom in Aurora, Ill. A disillusioned dis·il·lu·sion tr.v. dis·il·lu·sioned, dis·il·lu·sion·ing, dis·il·lu·sions To free or deprive of illusion. n. 1. The act of disenchanting. 2. The condition or fact of being disenchanted. teacher, Kieran Johnson (James Caan), is going through the motions, unable to relate to his students and escape the sorrow caused by the death of his wife. Kieran's mother, Fiona (Francoise Graton), recently had a stroke and lives (in complete silence) with his divorced sister, Betty (Susan Almgren), and her rebellious teen-age son, Jack (Jacob Tierney). Kieran never knew his father and is intrigued when he finds an old photo of a young Fiona locked arm in arm with a farmer, along with a book of poems inscribed in·scribe tr.v. in·scribed, in·scrib·ing, in·scribes 1. a. To write, print, carve, or engrave (words or letters) on or in a surface. b. To mark or engrave (a surface) with words or letters. with the name ``Kieran.'' Realizing he has hit an emotional dead end in his life, Kieran decides to go to Ireland to learn the story of his family. At the behest of Betty, he takes Jack with him. Arriving in the rural town of his mother's Irish youth, Kieran meets an old woman who knows the story of the mysterious photo. At this point, the film shifts back to 1939 where the free-spirited, young Fiona (Moya Farrelly) defies her widow mother (Gina Moxley) and takes up with a shy, poor farmer, Kieran O'Day (Quinn). The two fall deeply in love but the relationship is complicated by two things: the mother's pettiness and interference from the local Catholic parish. This is a church-run town and whenever someone steps out of line, the priest heaps on the guilt until it buries the person into submission. Faced with that unforgiving climate, Fiona and Kieran must decide how badly they want to be together. ``This Is My Father'' marks the feature debut from writer-director Quinn and he displays a sharp understanding for rural Irish life. The details - the language, the scenery, the poverty - have been revealed in a manner that eschews lyricism lyr·i·cism n. 1. a. The character or quality of subjectivity and sensuality of expression, especially in the arts. b. The quality or state of being melodious; melodiousness. 2. in favor of straightforward storytelling. (Think Maeve Binchy Maeve Binchy (born May 28, 1940[1], Dalkey, Ireland[2]) is an Irish novelist, newspaper columnist and speaker. Educated at University College Dublin[3] [4], she worked as a teacher [5] [6] , not James Joyce.) And that's fine. Poetic emotion is tough to capture on the screen - another recent Irish movie, ``Dancing at Lughnasa Dancing at Lughnasa (see also Lughnasa, the ancient pagan ritual) is a play by Brian Friel set in Ireland's County Donegal in August 1936. Set in the fictional town of Ballybeg (Baile Beag - small town ,'' proved that. What elevates the film is the acting. In addition to the main players, the supporting cast also includes memorable, brief turns from John Cusack as an exuberant Life magazine photographer and Stephen Rea playing a monstrously funny Catholic priest who chases parishioners out of the confessional, screaming, ``Don't even think about coming back to this church until you stop doing that!'' The present-day characters aren't on screen all that long and have to make the most of their brief payoff scenes. Although his character is a little sketchy, Caan manages to convey the sense of completion Kieran achieves in Ireland and delivers a heartbreaking moment near the film's conclusion. It's his best role in years. The film's leisurely pace affords plenty of opportunities to show off Ireland's spare, rural beauty. And as most of the locales haven't changed in 60 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time settings are perfectly suited for this tale of one generation coming to grips with the actions of another. ?The facts The film: ``This Is My Father'' (R; brief, discreet scene of sexuality and brief language). The stars: Aidan Quinn, James Caan, Stephen Rea, John Cusack, Moya Farrelly, Jacob Tierney, Brendan Gleeson. Behind the scenes: Written and directed by Paul Quinn Paul Quinn (born 21 July 1985, Wishaw) is a Scottish footballer currently playing for Scottish Premier League side Motherwell. Quinn is a centre-back by trade and has came throught the youth ranks at Fir Park. . Released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: Two hours. Playing: Laemmle's Town Center 5 in Encino; Laemmle's Monica in Santa Monica Santa Monica (săn`tə mŏn`ĭkə), city (1990 pop. 86,905), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1886. Tourism and retailing are important, and the city has motion-picture, biotechnology, and software industries. ; Beverly Center The Beverly Center is a shopping center in Los Angeles, California, United States. Description The Beverly Center is a monolithic eight-story structure located at the edge of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, California, between La Cienega and San Vicente boulevards. Cineplex in Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. ; Laemmle's Playhouse 7 Cinemas in Pasadena. Our rating: Three stars CAPTION(S): photo PHOTO An Irish farmer (Aidan Quinn) and a free spirit (Moya Farrelly) share a contested love in ``This Is My Father.'' |
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