SHE’S GOT A LITTLE SECRET AND A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO.
20-year-old Sharon (Tina Kellegher) tells her parents that she’s pregnant, which comes as a shock; if only they knew who the father is… The second novel in Roddy Doyle’s Barrytown trilogy followed after The Commitments (1991) and brought along one of its supporting characters, who was also played by Colm Meaney in that film. Now he’s taking the center stage and he’s welcome to it, along with Ruth McCabe as his patient wife. At heart it’s a serious depiction of how vulnerable young women can be in this Dublin milieu, but it’s also nakedly funny and benefits from a superb performance by Kellegher, struggling through a crisis that only gets worse.
1993-Britain. Made for TV. 91 min. Color. Produced by Lynda Myles. Directed by Stephen Frears. Teleplay, Novel: Roddy Doyle. Cast: Colm Meaney (Dessie Curley), Tina Kellegher (Sharon Curley), Ruth McCabe (Kay Curley), Eanna MacLiam, Peter Rowen, Joanne Gerrard.
Trivia: Released in theaters in most countries outside Britain. The third part of the Barrytown trilogy is a feature film, The Van (1996).
Last word: “I then went straight to Dublin to shoot ‘The Snapper’ with the same team. It was effortless. That felt like coming back home to language and honesty. Look, I make films that make x dollars. I will never make films that make 20x dollars. I won’t be offered that money again, and that’s fine.” (Frears on making this film right after a failed Hollywood experience, The Irish Times)
ABOVE AVERAGE