MORE THAN A CASE OF DISABILITY LOVES COMPANY.

Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic

ONE OF THOSE laugh-through-the-tears disability dramas, ``Rory O'Shea Was Here'' of course has its heart in the right place. Its imagination, disappointingly, is in all the usual places.

Set in a Dublin mainly populated with young actors from Britain, ``Rory'' tells the tale of two wheelchair-dependent lads. Rory, played by Scotsman James McAvoy, is a spike-haired, nose-ringed punk with a life- loving rebel attitude. He has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which has rendered him able to move only a few fingers and his very loud, sarcastic mouth.

Michael Connolly (Steven Robertson, another Scot), has lived all his 24 years in the comfortable but rather restrictive Carrigmore Home for the Disabled. His cerebral palsy allows some muscle control. But even the professionals at Carrigmore, led by the judgmental-but-hardly-Magdalene Eileen (Brenda Fricker - whaddaya know, a real Irish person), can't understand a word the speech-impaired Michael tries to say.

New resident Rory can, though; he had a CP mate in school. Michael soon latches on to the trouble-making transfer, who takes it upon himself to sneak the sheltered lad out for a pub crawl and some flirting instruction.

Anyway, together, irresponsible Rory and puppyish Michael, whose father, a judge, has ignored the boy since birth, manage to get an independent assisted-living grant for a flat of their own. They do need help to cook, bathe, hoist Rory into bed at night and perform myriad other duties.

The job goes to Siobhan (Romola Garai, the English actress last seen in ``Vanity Fair''), one of the chicks they met during their club run. Though a little flaky, she proves to be enthusiastic, conscientious, sensitive and, of course, gorgeous. The inevitable develops, though not in quite the way you'd expect such a triangle to lean.

Despite excellent performances, little else in Jeffrey Caine's script feels fresh or spontaneous. Rory proves to be more than an angry pleasure-seeker, and sheltered Michael develops, albeit painfully and often unattractively, certain strengths.

Director Damien O'Donnell (he's Irish, and made the better British culture-clash romance ``East Is East'') works the mismatched friendship gags with sitcom-ish efficiency and promotes the idea of freedom as fervently as George W. Bush. Later, he doesn't hesitate with the waterworks. There is no denying that ``Rory O'Shea'' has great respect for the physically challenged. But there doesn't seem to have been much of that left over for the film's audience.

Bob Strauss, [phone]

bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com

RORY O'SHEA WAS HERE - Two and one half stars

(R: language)

Starring: James McAvoy, Steven Robertson, Romola Garai, Brenda Fricker.

Director: Damien O'Donnell.

Running time: 1 hr. 44 min.

Playing: Landmark Westside Pavilion, West Los Angeles.

In a nutshell: Two mismatched young Irish paraplegics try to live on their own, discover heartbreak and self-worth. Well-acted, cliche-ridden tear-jerker.

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Rory (James McAvoy), who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, develops feelings for caregiver Siobhan (Romola Garai) in ``Rory O'Shea Was Here.''