|
Waking Ned Devine (1998, UK/Ire.)
(aka Waking Ned)
In director Kirk Jones' charming, Irish working-class
comedy:
- the aftermath of the death of Ned Devine (Jimmy
Keogh), an Irishman in the small village of Tullymore who instantly
died of shock after learning that he had won the Irish National
Lottery worth almost 6.9 million Irish pounds - and was still holding
the winning signed ticket in his hand
- two old friends Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael
O'Sullivan (David Kelly), believing that they were respecting Ned's
generous wishes, plotted to claim the lotto prize money and split
the winnings (130,000 pounds) with all 52 residents of the small
town
- after Ned died and his body was discovered, Jackie
exclaimed: "Dear God. You'll be cursing in heaven tonight, Ned
Devine," and dreamed of taking a boat ride with Ned and befriending
him with a chicken dinner as he entered into the golden light of
heaven, while Ned reassured: ("The tide will bring us there
safely")
- the scene of Michael forced to ride his motorcycle
nude to quickly get to Ned's house to impersonate the dead man for
lottery official Jim Kelly (Brendan Dempsey)
- his assured way of providing identification information
from the bathroom to the official as forms were filled out
- the heartfelt scene (during Ned's funeral service)
of Jackie delivering a eulogy to Michael who was sitting in the front
row, to avoid disclosing to the lottery official in attendance that
Ned had died: ("As we look back on the life of...Michael Sullivan
was my great friend...")
- in the conclusion, the timely demise of uncooperative
wheelchair-bound, witchy spinster Lizzy Quinn (Eileen Dromey) who
was in a cliff-side phone booth (hit by the parish priest's van-truck
avoiding the lotto representative's swerving car when he sneezed)
while she was calling to inform lottery officials to expose the fraud
and claim 10% of the prize - the booth sailed into the air and crashed
far below on the cliff's shore - at the same time the townsfolk were
celebrating and a violin string broke during the playing of a high
note
- the final joyous scene of the group toasting Ned
Devine on the cliffside in the golden light with their glasses held
high in the air: ("Take a drink and remember the man. Then raise
your spirits to the sky. Raise them to Ned Devine. God bless you,
Ned and may we be forever in your debt") to the tune of "The
Parting Glass" performed by Liam O'Maonlai as the camera spun
into the misty air around them
|
|