St. Patrick’s Day Movies
Are you looking for a wee bit o’ the Irish to celebrate March 17? Films that feature this famous green holiday may be as scarce as four leaf clovers! But, using our best Leprechaun thinking, we have come up with a few titles to share with your brood on St. Patrick’s Day.
Things Irish:
When an Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan) arrives in Brooklyn, she finds herself longing for her far away family. Yet when she has a chance to return, she suddenly realizes more of her heart is in America than she thought. With her feelings wavering on a sea of uncertainty, the young woman must decide which side of the ocean she will call home.
Although Ireland is famous for its tales of “little people,” it appears not all of them reside on the emerald isle. Siblings Elizabeth and Rodney (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber) discover two of them (played by Tom Lowell and Walter Brennan) while on a picnic in a redwood forest with their grandfather (Walter Brennan). Because the tiny men fear they are the last of their kind, Grandpa turns his Rolls Royce into a Gnome-Mobile, and the group goes in search of more Leprechauns.
Tired of waiting for her boyfriend (Adam Scott) to propose, Anna (Amy Adams) decides to follow an old Irish custom that allows the woman to pop the question on Feb 29th of Leap Year. But her decision to meet up with him in Dublin runs into one complication after another—the most confusing of which is a handsome Irishman named Declan (Matthew Goode).
Chasing a jackpot is the plot premise of the Irish film Waking Ned Devine. While it’s unfortunate the community members’ decision isn’t recommendable, the uniquely Irish setting, acting, and storytelling make this a memorable movie. It received an overall grade of C—meaning watch with caution, or the characters’ rational may convince you too!
Corrie Island, a remote location off the coast of Ireland, feels like A Shine of Rainbows to an eight-year-old orphan named Tomas (John Bell) after he is adopted and taken there by his new mother Marie O’Donnell (Connie Nielsen). The only black cloud is the less-than-enthusiastic welcome he receives from her husband Alec (Aidan Quinn).
The love and faith of an Irish family are the heart and soul of the romance Return To Me. Carol O’Conner plays the grandfather of Grace (Minnie Driver), a young woman in need of a heart transplant. David Duchovny is Bob, a lonely widower who finds new hope when Irish eyes are smiling.
An Irish pet food peddler named Matthew Mugg (Anthony Newley) discovers he isn’t top dog in the affections of Emma Fairfax (Samantha Eggar) in the grand 1967 musical Doctor Dolittle. Although Newley’s cultural characterization is stereotypical, the talking animals are sure to tickle the imagination of the young at heart.
Things green:
What is green and crusty on the outside, but softhearted on the inside? Shrek of course! Follow the computer-animated antics of this multi-layered ogre (Mike Meyers) and his loud-mouthed donkey sidekick (Eddie Murphy) on their quest to rescue Princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). His story continues in the sequels Shrek 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After. and in a Broadway version Shrek: The Musical.
Would you want to grow up if all you had to wear was green tights? Whatever his reluctance, Peter Pan fixation with childhood has captivated kids the world over. The nimble-footed green hero can also be seen in the Disney sequel Return To Never Land. Older may also appreciate the live action version of this story presented in Hook.
If green food is good for you, then Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story—a modern rendition of the tallest of tales—ought to be enormously good viewing. And speaking of nutrition, don’t forget to check out Veggie Tales: The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown featuring a talking cucumber that dishes up some good values.
If green could talk, there’s a good chance it would sound like Paulie. When this green parrot gets separated from his adoring young master, he makes many heroic efforts to be reunited the child.
An Emerald City, and a rainbow… What could be more appropriate for St. Patrick’s Day than The Wizard Of Oz, Hollywood found a pot o’ gold with this timeless classic. Watch the opening black and white sequences fade away as the magical world bursts into full color and Dorothy learns “There’s no place like home.”
Nothing runs like a Deere, as amply proved in The Straight Story. Recounting the slow moving true tale of a man who rode his green ride-on lawnmower across America’s Midwest to visit his sick brother, this film reiterates the adage: Slow and steady wins the race. (Hey, wasn’t there a green tortoise in that fable?)
A Wee Bit o’ History
Have you ever wondered about the origins of this March 17 holiday? Learn more about Saint Patrick and St. Patrick’s Day.
