Dancing at Lughnasa

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Dancing at Lughnasa

PG

1998

1h 32m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

60%

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35 Reviews

59%

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2,500+ Ratings

Kate Mundy (Meryl Streep) is the eldest of five sisters living together in a small house in Ireland in 1936. The only one with a steady job, Kate oversees the various conflicting personalities. Though none of the women is married, Christina (Catherine McCormack) has a young son named Michael. The household works well in its fashion, but after the sisters' addle-minded brother, Jack (Michael Gambon), shows up, then Michael's father, Gerry (Rhys Ifans), things are unlikely to stay the same.

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

01/05/2023

2/4

Dancing at Lughnasa seems unfinished, and its tragedy is diluted and diminished. This is a pity considering the extremely high quality of the performances.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

01/01/2000

Friel apart, the making of the film is impressive. In addition to Streep, her sisters are as vital as the script allows.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

01/01/2000

2.5/4

It is all memory and no drama. Onstage, they dance, and they are dancing now. On film, somehow, they are dancing then. It is not enough.

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Sara Wildberger

Miami Herald

01/05/2023

2/4

[These] are a lot of characters to squeeze into a 94-minute movie, especially one that seems compelled to include lots of travelogue-style scenery. Moments that must in the theater have glowered with magic here become drearily obvious.

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Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

01/24/2020

2/5

Play-based historical drama has mature themes.

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Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

01/12/2007

2.5/4

Soapy melodrama masquerading as high art.

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Tim M

04/26/2024

Hackneyed presentation prevents Dancing at Lughnasa from being as poignant as it wants to, but a strong central cast puts life in its steps.

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11/14/2023

Just alright. Nothing to write home about. The cast is nice though and the Irish landscapes are pretty. The drama should be more involving though.

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07/18/2022

Would have recommended this to my mum, until the stark ending left a sour note. It only feels tacked on to make the film more serious instead of letting it be just a pleasant stroll of a watch.

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robert m

04/27/2021

It's not the donkey cart and shamrocks view of Ireland. No bully boys and loud shouts about rebellion. If you're looking for all of that, you'll have to find another movie. This is a study of Irish life in the old days. Village life was quiet and slow, shaken by a few moments of madness. This is a movie about people (most of them women) who deserved something better.

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02/10/2015

Meryl. With an Irish accent.

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10/11/2012

This movie gave me a feeling of emptiness and sadness. And I felt pity for the sisters, their whole existence was all the same... But the actresses are marvellous.

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Pat O'Connor

Director

Meryl Streep

Kate 'Kit' Mundy

Michael Gambon

Father Jack Mundy

Catherine McCormack

Christina Mundy

Kathy Burke

Maggie Mundy

Sophie Thompson

Rose Mundy

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Synopsis

Kate Mundy (Meryl Streep) is the eldest of five sisters living together in a small house in Ireland in 1936. The only one with a steady job, Kate oversees the various conflicting personalities. Though none of the women is married, Christina (Catherine McCormack) has a young son named Michael. The household works well in its fashion, but after the sisters' addle-minded brother, Jack (Michael Gambon), shows up, then Michael's father, Gerry (Rhys Ifans), things are unlikely to stay the same.

Director: Pat O'Connor
Producer: Noel Pearson
Screenwriter: Frank McGuinness
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Capitol Films, Channel Four Films
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Digital

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