Svegliati Ned

An afternoon tea on a warm summer day is still seen by some people as an enjoyable way to rid oneself of the tensions of the day and to allow oneself to slow down and feel at ease. Waking Ned is a sort of afternoon tea for cinemagoers. Nothing really bad happens. There are no really tense moments, or serious threats to life or liberty, for the mostly likeable but roguish characters. That's what makes the film so appealing!!

There are maybe two characters that quickly lose the audiences sympathy and both get their comeuppance in different ways. One, a truly "nasty piece of work", is reminiscent of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz ( the parallel should be readily evident to the viewer). This character meets her demise in the most hilarious manner possible for a likeable film such as this.

On the whole Waking Ned is a refreshing film that is "Feel Good" all the way through without laying on thick layers of mush. No need for the hankies folks but there's plenty of room to toast the villagers' of Tully Moor!!

I simply love this movie. Every time we have guests staying overnight or for a few days, I always drag this movie out. It has never hit mainstream America. Too bad! It's funny and it's touching...the two necessary elements to make a memorable movie. You would have to be angry cynic not to love it. The music is superb as well. The character Michael O'Sullivan reminds me of the father of one my best friends growing up. The scene where Michael and Jackie come to prepare Ned Devine is as hilarious as the funeral scene is sweet when Jackie eulogizes his friend Michael O'Sullivan, who is sitting in the front row of the church. Only then do you grasp how these two have been friends since childhood.

Fionnula Flanagan, Ian Bannen and David Kelly, are just a few of an excellent cast in this tale about an Irish Lotto-winner, who is unable to collect.

Never have I seen a lovelier yarn, and, I tell ye', I've seen a few! Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) figures out that one of the inhabitants in the local hamlet must have won the latest Lotto draw, and does he best to find out who, by every mean possible, and eventually finds out who.

I don't want to spoil it, but it sure is a lovely story! Very close to a masterpiece, and it gets better each time I see it!

Yours, Tord

My wife purchased this movie for me, but I let it sit on my DVD library shelf for over a year before I watched it. I felt very sad that I took so long to watch it because it is now on my favorite movie list. I own over 500 DVD's and this is one that is my all time top 25. The acting was well presented to the viewer and very realistic. I agree that this is a sleeper movie that you just do not hear off, but after you watch it you will highly recommend it to others. I believe that we have all felt the emotions that were displayed in "Waking Ned Divine". The director has set it up for the movie watcher to meld into the lead character, who hasn't always wanted to win the LOTTO and share it with our friends. I just love how his wife turns out to be his moral subconscious, she brings a smile to my face because it is so truthful. Others have already said it, but this is a feel good movie that brings our everyday dull and grinding lives back into the sunshine.

You can't get a better setting than the Celtic highlands, and likewise, the native actors will make you feel like the characters are real. This is more than just a feel good movie, it is a feast of emotions, dreams and the joy of life. The late Ian Bannon is outstanding as Jackie O'Shea, the leader of a fantasy which he manages to hopefully turn into reality. His friend Ned is in fact the bearer of very positive remarks about a chicken dinner that Jackie has cooked and delivered, and in his praise, Ned takes Jackie into the light. With the help of his lifelong best friend, Michael O'Sullivan, played wonderfully by David Kelly, the adventure from fantasy and a strong desire for hope become a classic story worth adding to anyone's movie collection.