Film review: 'This Is My Father'
Director Paul Quinn's debut feature obviously came to life around the dinner table; his brother Aidan is the star, and another brother, Declan, is the cinematographer.
The result, far from being a family ego trip, is a quietly moving tale. While not being overly commercial, there's much to recommend it, not the least of which is an outstanding cast that also includes James Caan, Stephen Rea, Colm Meaney and John Cusack. This Canadian-Irish co-production, showcased at the Montreal World Film Festival, could garner a few art house dollars on its way to video and cable.
An Irish saga set in the present day and 1939, "This Is My Father" details the efforts of Kieran Johnson (Caan), a burned-out Illinois high school teacher, to discover the truth about his parents. Kieran, a widower who, along with his sister, cares for his mute, stroke-victim mother, discovers some old photos and decides to travel to Ireland in search of his roots. Accompanied by his teenage nephew, he lands in the village where he was born.
There, he encounters the proprietors of a small bed and breakfast; Mrs. Kearney (Moira Deady) and her effeminate son Seamus (Meaney). Mrs. Kearney, a fortune teller, doesn't need special powers to tell Kieran the truth about his parents, which is unveiled in a series of flashbacks.
Fiona (Moya Farrelly) is a young, vivacious woman living with her bitter mother, the Widow Flynn (Gina Moxley). She begins a romance with Kieran O'Day (Quinn), but when the couple take their relationship to a physical level, a scandal develops. Kieran, feeling guilty about being involved with an underage girl, seeks solace from the local priest (Rea), who seems most interested in hearing the physical details of the affair. Eventually, the situation ends in tragedy, with the young lovers becoming the victims of the town's moral climate.
Unfolding at a leisurely pace, the film avoids being overly sentimental thanks to its sharp writing, vivid performances and welcome doses of humor. Not every plot digression works equally well; a series of present-day scenes involving the young nephew and two flirtatious Irish lasses is mostly a time-waster, and a brief interlude in which the lovers play touch football on a beach with a pilot who drops out of the sky seems mostly an excuse to drag in Cusack for a quick, albeit meaningless, appearance.
Quinn gives one of his most affecting performances as the young man confused by love, and newcomer Farrelly is a charming ingenue. Caan, quite fine, is more restrained than usual, and Rea provides a pungent cameo that is simultaneously hilarious and repugnant.
THIS IS MY FATHER
Behaviour Distribution Inc.
Director-screenwriter: Paul Quinn
Producers: Nicolas Clermont, Philip King
Executive producers: Elie Samaha,
Kieran Corrigan
Co-producer: Stewart Harding
Director of photography: Declan Quinn
Editor: Glenn Berman
Composer: Donal Lunny
Color/stereo
Cast:
Kieran O'Day: Aidan Quinn
Kieran Johnson: James Caan
Eddie Sharp: John Cusack
Father Quinn: Stephen Rea
Mrs. Kearney: Moira Deady
Seamus Kearney: Colm Meaney
Fiona Flynn: Moya Farrelly
Widow Flynn: Gina Moxley
Jack: Jacob Tierney
Running time -- 120 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The result, far from being a family ego trip, is a quietly moving tale. While not being overly commercial, there's much to recommend it, not the least of which is an outstanding cast that also includes James Caan, Stephen Rea, Colm Meaney and John Cusack. This Canadian-Irish co-production, showcased at the Montreal World Film Festival, could garner a few art house dollars on its way to video and cable.
An Irish saga set in the present day and 1939, "This Is My Father" details the efforts of Kieran Johnson (Caan), a burned-out Illinois high school teacher, to discover the truth about his parents. Kieran, a widower who, along with his sister, cares for his mute, stroke-victim mother, discovers some old photos and decides to travel to Ireland in search of his roots. Accompanied by his teenage nephew, he lands in the village where he was born.
There, he encounters the proprietors of a small bed and breakfast; Mrs. Kearney (Moira Deady) and her effeminate son Seamus (Meaney). Mrs. Kearney, a fortune teller, doesn't need special powers to tell Kieran the truth about his parents, which is unveiled in a series of flashbacks.
Fiona (Moya Farrelly) is a young, vivacious woman living with her bitter mother, the Widow Flynn (Gina Moxley). She begins a romance with Kieran O'Day (Quinn), but when the couple take their relationship to a physical level, a scandal develops. Kieran, feeling guilty about being involved with an underage girl, seeks solace from the local priest (Rea), who seems most interested in hearing the physical details of the affair. Eventually, the situation ends in tragedy, with the young lovers becoming the victims of the town's moral climate.
Unfolding at a leisurely pace, the film avoids being overly sentimental thanks to its sharp writing, vivid performances and welcome doses of humor. Not every plot digression works equally well; a series of present-day scenes involving the young nephew and two flirtatious Irish lasses is mostly a time-waster, and a brief interlude in which the lovers play touch football on a beach with a pilot who drops out of the sky seems mostly an excuse to drag in Cusack for a quick, albeit meaningless, appearance.
Quinn gives one of his most affecting performances as the young man confused by love, and newcomer Farrelly is a charming ingenue. Caan, quite fine, is more restrained than usual, and Rea provides a pungent cameo that is simultaneously hilarious and repugnant.
THIS IS MY FATHER
Behaviour Distribution Inc.
Director-screenwriter: Paul Quinn
Producers: Nicolas Clermont, Philip King
Executive producers: Elie Samaha,
Kieran Corrigan
Co-producer: Stewart Harding
Director of photography: Declan Quinn
Editor: Glenn Berman
Composer: Donal Lunny
Color/stereo
Cast:
Kieran O'Day: Aidan Quinn
Kieran Johnson: James Caan
Eddie Sharp: John Cusack
Father Quinn: Stephen Rea
Mrs. Kearney: Moira Deady
Seamus Kearney: Colm Meaney
Fiona Flynn: Moya Farrelly
Widow Flynn: Gina Moxley
Jack: Jacob Tierney
Running time -- 120 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 9/9/1998
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.