cjpete-2
The Quinn brothers have created one of the most affecting films I've seen. In fact, I have not been able to forget this film. It deals with the effect of organized religion on ordinary people. It also deals with the strict class system in Ireland. When the monied class is combined with the local religious authority, the results can be devastating. James Caan gives a beautiful, gentle, thoughtful performance. Every part of this film is right on. The scenes of Ireland, the time period, costumes, the look of the characters. The story is a very human tale. We are likely to wish to know whatever secrets our family may have. Yet, there is certain fear that this knowledge may change our love and family dynamic. The past forms the present and the future, if we know it or not.
Leslie King
Overall, I was very disappointed by what could have been a much more interesting and compelling story. James Caan and Aidan Quinn, such terrific actors, are so watered down by lines that just drag by, in the ordinary and unmoving. Many of the scenes, perceived as fragmented, fail at supporting cohesion for the movie's larger direction and development. Kiernan Johnson (James Caan) is a Chicago, history high school teacher, who returns to Ireland, to learn about the history of his father, dating back to 1939. Meanwhile, his mother, Fiona, (Francoise Graton) is hanging onto to her life, subsequent to suffering a stroke. Kiernan's sister, cares for Fiona. Young Jack (Jacob Tierney), Kiernan's nephew joins him in this historical journey, to the home roots of Ireland. Kiernan, via telephone reads his father's loving words, that he wrote to, Fiona, age seventeen, the time in which her mother, wrongly accuses Kiernan O'Day (Aidan Quinn) of raping her daughter, and hence preventing their marriage. But the two mutually consummate their relationship before marriage. Kiernan is a dedicated man of the land and agriculture, and Fiona (Moya Farrelly) is grounded and passionate in her love for Kiernan. The pressure for Kiernan to run away with Fiona and clear his conscious of the fat and guilt laden Catholic Irish tradition is too much for him to bear. He hangs himself at the gift tree, where the two would leave presents for one another.There is also an interesting scene with John Cusak as Eddie Sharp, an American pilot drawn to the land of roots. The play on contrasts and similarities to young Kiernan and Fiona are then more evident. Difficult depictions of 1939 Ireland are cumbersome and the actors do so well, under much less than favorable conditions, religious, societal, and cultural. Agricultural work is physically demanding and even the strongly built Kiernan O'Day is unable to survive the psychological terrain, reinforced by priest Mooney (Stephen Rea), who stops after excavating fault, leaving a mess, with no intent to fill in the now empty spaces with love, life, and forgiveness, also represented by Jesus, but ignored by the single minded priest. Kiernan is a subject of Mooney's demise and the outcome is a tragic death. Mooney is probably the most convincing actor, one we despise, for lack of any humanity in relating to his congregation. He is so disconnected from them, and the absurdity of it all, really diminishes our preconceived notions of understanding Kiernan. For we think that Kiernan is much too smart and intelligent, than to be bull-dozed over by a priest, whose only interest is objectifying people into the perfection of his perceived Christianity.The film is a stark depiction of Ireland 1939, one that we can all learn from, by such grueling and inhuman preaching and societal shaping of the period. Unfortunately, the script falls short of truly capturing one's heart, mind, and soul in the way that it really should, despite such tedious subject matter. The story would have probably been better served if Kiernan Johnson's sister joined her brother and son. It looks like she could have used the vacation too.
noralee
"This Is My Father" is not particularly original about Irish families, from "Circle of Love" etc. and Alice McDermott's book "Charming Billy" among many others, but it is lovely.I like Aidan Quinn in just about anything, and I appreciate that this is a familial labor of love as one brother wrote and directed and another brother turns out to be a terrific cinematographer.The music is OK Celtic, not that special, though I think I recall that Sharon Shannon was the fiddler.The film is mostly good for an unsentimental look at how vicious small towns can be to live in. This is not a sentimental look at the olde sod.James Caan is quite good.(originally written 5/20/99)
