This Is My Father Review
by Jon Popick (mailbot AT sick-boy DOT com)May 28th, 1999
PLANET SICK-BOY: http://www.sick-boy.com
This film is supposedly a true story told to the filmmakers by their grandmother. If it was any other family besides the Quinns, nobody else would ever have heard this emotional yarn, let alone crafted it into an amazing picture. This is My Father is writer/director Paul Quinn’s feature film debut. His Oscar-winning cinematographer is brother Declan (Leaving Las Vegas) and his star is brother Aidan (In Dreams).
The film opens in present-day Chicago, where a frustrated high school teacher named Kieran Johnson James Caan, The Godfather) finds an old photograph of his mother with a man that he has never seen. His mother, who is on her deathbed and unable to speak, has little information for Kieran about the mystery man, but he feels that it may be an important key to unlocking his family’s past. So he decides to take an extended trip to Ireland, accompanied by his lazy teenage nephew, Jack Jacob Tierney (Josh and S.A.M.).
Once in Ireland, Kieran and Jack slowly uncover the tragic story of their forebearer’s first love. The film then flashes back about fifty years, and Kieran’s mom transforms from the bedridden granny into the lovely Fiona Flynn (Moya Farrelly, who makes her screen debut here). The mystery man in the old photo is Kieran O'Day (A.Quinn), a hopeless romantic intent on making the much younger Fiona his wife.
The film is beautiful, both physically and emotionally. Although Caan does not have a huge role, it is the best he has been since The Godfather. Aidan Quinn is also great, almost making you forget about every other horrible movie he has made in the last year (remember Practical Magic?). And what would an Irish film be without the presence of Brendan Gleeson (The General), Colm Meaney (Monument Ave.) and Stephen Rea (Still Crazy). The odd casting is that of John Cusack (Pushing Tin) in the throwaway part of a Life magazine photographer who - you guessed it - took the old snapshot that Kieran finds many years later. (1:58 – R for adult situations, brief nudity, adult language and mild violence)
More on 'This Is My Father'...
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
