Now I must have been around sixteen years old when I first watched this, much to my mother's surprise, I actually rented something that was guaranteed to pull at the heart strings, rather ripped said beating heart from your chest, yes I was one of those teenagers back in the 80's who was forever renting horror movies!
However from time to time I was always caught off guard by the latest trailer I had watched, and true enough Hugh Leonard's very own screen adaptation of his award winning play had caught my attention.
Back in the 80's, I was never interested in girls, was I even interested in school? Well that's another story! But a trip to the video store was always a big highlight for me, and of course being half Irish, the landscape of the movie resonated deeply with me.
Being of an age now whereby I recall my time as a boy in Ireland, and my very own relationship with my father and indeed my Irish side of the family, gathers ever more momentum as I get older.
Having just watched the movie for the first time in 30 years, for years leading up to this point I used to quote lines from the movie to my wife every so often, 'Sappy Days' There's okd Drumm coming halfway up the The path and thst all time zinger as spoken by Martin Sheen as Charlie when he sees his long deceased dog coming back as one of those memories 'Ah you're dead too Blackie, you that! Such a line even all these years later still brings a tear to my eye, and the wife knows this all to well.
If you ever visited the small towns or villages in Ireland, then you willcone to realise, that life somehow stands still, we may move with our lives, create new memories, but the memories of our past will forever haunt us, Be they the good memories or indeed the bad.
Now I would imagine, Da is somewhat autobiographical, look for Hugh Leonard as oneof the pallbearers at Da's funeral, true elements of the movie make you feel like you are watching the stage play unfold, but as the movie plays out, it doesn't matter one bit.
The performances from all the cast remain unblemished by time, the late Barnard Hughes excels in his recreation of his role from stage as Da, and as for Martin Sheen, does he ever give a bad performance? Certainly not here, watch as he embraces the past, rekindles memories both heartwarming and of course heart wrenching in one of the greatest 80's movies ever made.
