Waking Ned (1998)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Kirk Jones

Writer:

Kirk Jones (written by)

Release Date:

20 November 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Finally, a comedy that will make you feel like a million bucks.

Plot:

When a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money.

Plot Keywords:

Lottery | Telephone Box | Motorcycle | Fiddle | Village Life

Awards:

7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Ian Bannen	...	Jackie O'Shea
David Kelly	...	Michael O'Sullivan
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Annie O'Shea
Susan Lynch	...	Maggie O'Toole
James Nesbitt	...	Pig Finn
Paul Vaughan	...	Narrator (voice)
Adrian Robinson	...	Lotto Observer
Maura O'Malley	...	Mrs. Kennedy
Robert Hickey	...	Maurice O'Toole
Paddy Ward	...	Brendy O'Toole
James Ryland	...	Dennis Fitzgerald
Fintan McKeown	...	Pat Mulligan
Eileen Dromey	...	Lizzy Quinn
Kitty Fitzgerald	...	Kitty
Dermot Kerrigan	...	Father Patrick

Also Known As:

À la santé de Ned (France) (DVD title)
Vieilles canailles (France)
Waking Ned Devine (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG for nudity, language and thematic elements.

Runtime:

91 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

UK | France | USA

Language:

English | Latin | Irish Gaelic

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:S | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | New Zealand:PG | Peru:PT | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Cregneash, Isle of Man

Company:

Tomboy Films

Trivia:

Despite being set in Ireland the film was shot in the Isle of Man.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Lizzy is calling the National Lottery from the phone booth, it is clearly visible that the entry in the yellow pages is in fact a cut-out piece of paper glued onto a different entry.

Quotes:

Jackie O'Shea: Annie, where's me ticket?
Annie O'Shea: In your trousers.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dot the I (2003)

Soundtrack:

The Parting Glass

Refreshing

An afternoon tea on a warm summer day is still seen by some people as an enjoyable way to rid oneself of the tensions of the day and to allow oneself to slow down and feel at ease. Waking Ned is a sort of afternoon tea for cinemagoers. Nothing really bad happens. There are no really tense moments, or serious threats to life or liberty, for the mostly likeable but roguish characters. That's what makes the film so appealing!!

There are maybe two characters that quickly lose the audiences sympathy and both get their comeuppance in different ways. One, a truly "nasty piece of work", is reminiscent of the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz ( the parallel should be readily evident to the viewer). This character meets her demise in the most hilarious manner possible for a likeable film such as this.

On the whole Waking Ned is a refreshing film that is "Feel Good" all the way through without laying on thick layers of mush. No need for the hankies folks but there's plenty of room to toast the villagers' of Tully Moor!!