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Dancing at Lughnasa

PG Released Sep 12, 1998 1h 32m Drama List
60% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 58% Audience Score 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. Read More Read Less
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Critics Reviews

View All (35) Critics Reviews
Terry Lawson Detroit Free Press Dancing at Lughnasa seems unfinished, and its tragedy is diluted and diminished. This is a pity considering the extremely high quality of the performances. Rated: 2/4 Jan 5, 2023 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: D+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Globe and Mail Rated: 3/4 Mar 19, 2002 Full Review Sara Wildberger Miami Herald [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. Rated: 2/4 Jan 5, 2023 Full Review Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Play-based historical drama has mature themes. Rated: 2/5 Jan 24, 2020 Full Review Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com Soapy melodrama masquerading as high art. Rated: 2.5/4 Jan 12, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (79) audience reviews
Tim M Hackneyed presentation prevents Dancing at Lughnasa from being as poignant as it wants to, but a strong central cast puts life in its steps. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/26/24 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/14/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review robert m 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Meryl. With an Irish accent. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dancing at Lughnasa

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Dancing at Lughnasa

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Movie Info

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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