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Rating:  - deliciously melancholy Irish family ballad
The boy through whom we generally see this story declares this to be a happy summer, a last summer when they would all be together, his family. In the backdrop is the August celebration of Lughnasa, a pagan festival which troubles the Irish Catholic Christian consciousness and gives the story a nice edge as five sisters labor to keep the family from financial ruin in the late '30s in northeast County Donegal, Ballybeg. Those of us with Irish roots are particularly touched by the tongue and the human struggle, the rhythm of conflict and enmeshed love of a close family--in this case somewhat centered around the homecoming of their elder brother, a priest to Africa, who has dementia. The youngest sister is the mother of the narrator whose father appears out of the blue and stays the summer. Another sister falls in love with a disreputable and abusive man. Fabulous story, sad story, and a most moving ballad sung by the sisters one night, music written by the director of music in the tradition of the old Irish ballads with words from W.B. Yeat's poem. Mr. Whelan's website indicates that "most of the music for the film is an orchestral score performed by the Irish Film Orchestra under the direction of Proinnsias O'Duinn, with the final song, Whelan's setting of the poem "Down By The Salley Gardens" by WB Yeats sung by Dolores Keane" as the final credits roll. Gorgeous--cinematography, characters, story, music...gorgeous.
Rating:  - Gorgeous film, slow but sad and entrancing
"Dancing at Lughnasa" (pronounced Loon-Nasa, by the way) is about five sisters and their family in Donegal, Ireland. Poor as only the Irish can be, the sisters make their living, unmarried, by knitting gloves, teaching, and keeping house by gardening potatoes, cabbages and cutting turf.
One sister is "simple" (ie, rather slow) and is in love with a man whose wife has abandoned him. Another has an illegitimate son Michael by a drifting Welshman who comes by from time to time to visit, and another is a teacher in the local school, Kate. Kate is the mother hen, nicknamed "The Gander" for her overbearing ways and mannish "head of the family" attitude. Agnes, the quiet one, is the knitter and the deep one. Another sister is fun-loving and a follower.
One golden summer, Michael's father shows up on his motorbike and the brother of the sisters, a priest from Uganda, comes home as well. All of them spend a summer out of time, a summer that changes their life forever. The surprise is the depth of each person and how they step out of their assigned roles to change each other's lives forever.
The end is rather sad, and almost a let-down, but the film is unforgettable and well-acted by a stellar cast including Meryl Streep as Kate (The Gander), Michael Gambon and a supporting cast of Irish actors that I wish I could see more of. A different take on poor childhoods in Ireland (Angela's Ashes) and a beautiful film in general.
Rating: - Dancing At Lughnasa
A beautiful sensitive story. It not only portrays the relationships of women in an Irish family but also how the values and morays of Irish culture dictate the lives of the Irish people.
Rating: - Sad and wistful, and there's nothing wrong with that.
This movie is not one of those showcasing Meryl Streep's tour-de-force acting...thank goodness! With all due respect to Ms. Streep, she has shown herself quite capable of riding roughshod over the other players in the movies she's been in simply by virtue of her bravura style that, however unintentionally, focuses all eyes on HER. She's far more effective when she tones it down, stops ACTING, and becomes part of the team, and DANCERS AT LUGHNASA is one the best examples of her doing just that. It's a sweet, sad movie that shows the slice of life of five spinster sisters whose lives are on the edge of a downturn that's alluded to at the end of the film. It shows all of the different qualities they have through the eyes of Michael, the son of the youngest sister, born out of wedlock but cared for and loved by them all. There's no real story to speak of, just a study of the consequences of lives spent in anticipation of living rather than really being lived. Streep as the eldest sister Kate has been the strong, no-nonsense one who sees over the course of the film her well-intentioned iron hand being chafed at by the others, particularly the slow-minded but sweet Rose, who is desperate for any happiness she can get after a life of unfulfilled dreams. Michael, it becomes evident as the film ends, will become his own man after he leaves the sister's protective nest, but if the movie is "about" anything, it's about the lessons he's learned and knowledge he's gained from growing up amongst these five unique women. A very sobering but loving film that can break your heart.
Rating: - Revisiting 'Dancing at Lughnasa'
Given the luxury of owning films via DVD collections offers the opportunity to revisit at will the works the viewer found worthy of purchase. Such is the case with the luminous 'Dancing at Lughnasa', a 1998 release by director Pat O'Connor to the tunes of a lilting screenplay by Frank McGuinness based on Brian Friel's 1990 play of the same name. Though low key and not a popular hit at the boxoffice, this is one of those rare films that combines a very simple tale about common folks brought to life by a cast of extraordinary actors.
The story is set in Donnegal, Ireland in 1936 (just before WW II)choked the world) and simply relates the life of a family of five single sisters and the love child of one of them. The action is spare, centering on the visit of their brother home from the missionary work in Uganda inalterably changed from the experience, on the loss of job of the supporting eldest sister, and the return of the errant father of the love child for the summer, and other daily challenges. The stresses and strains these small events play on the sisters is eventually climaxed in the dancing festival that marks the Feast of Lughnasa (a persistent pagan celebration that challenges the very Catholic foundation of the Irish community), a compelling event that parallels the returned priest brother from the mission fields where he has gained insight into the desperate need for community, happiness, dancing and celebration as the essential needs of humankind.
The cast is flawless: Meryl Streep is superb as the elder sister bitterly bound to holding the family together at all costs, Catherine McCormack as the mother of the lovechild, Kathy Burke, Sophie Thompson and Brid Brennan; Michael Gambon as the deranged returned brother; and Rhys Ifans as the errant father of the child. They interact and play like fine chamber music. The brilliantly green and gorgeous countryside is captured eloquently by Kenneth MacMillan. In every aspect of production the film fits like a tightly intertwined puzzle. It simply glows. Revisiting 'Dancing at Lughnasa' is an even finer trip than the first exposure. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 06
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