Movie Review: Waking Ned Divine

I recently watched the film Waking Ned Divine (called Waking Ned outside of North America). This is a film from 1998, so I automatically knew I would love it (I can't get enough of 90's movies!), and I did.

Waking Ned Divine was written and directed by Kirk Jones, who won a BAFTA award in 1999 for "best newcomer" as the director of this film. Jones has more recently directed Nanny McPhee (2005), Everybody's Fine (2009), and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012). All of which pale in comparison to his film debut, Waking Ned Divine.

Waking Ned Divine is a story set in a small Irish town of 52 people called Tully More. The storyline is as follows:

• The main characters Jackie O'Shea (Ian Bannen), Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly), and Annie O'Shea (Fionnula Flanagan) discover that someone in the town of Tully More has won the lottery, and attempt to find out who it is.
• They decide to throw a chicken-dinner party and invite all the regular lottery players in an attempt to narrow down their search.
• One guest, Ned Divine, does not attend the party, and after the party Jackie O'Shea finds him dead in his bed holding the winning ticket.
• With the discovery of Ned Divine's body and the lottery ticket Jackie O'Shea and Michael O'Sullivan decide that Ned wants them to claim the ticket and share the winnings among the townsfolk.
• Chaos ensues when the lottery commission sends someone to check on Ned and process the winning ticket.

This film elicits a portion of each emotion as you watch it. It is branded as a comedy, but it provided me with the emotion of a drama and the stress of a thriller, all while being truly heartwarming and comedic.

Best Friends: Michael O'Sullivan (left) and Jackie O'Shea (right)

The two main characters Jackie O'Shea and Michael O'Sullivan are elderly best friends, who at times still act like children, making their friendship so believable it will make your heart swell. While the other townsfolk all have very vivid personalities which adds to the entertainment value of the film. The beautiful scenery of the Irish country side and quaint little town also adds to the story of Waking Ned Divine.

If you love uplifting films I would recommend Waking Ned Divine. This movie will make you feel happy, sad, and nervous at different points throughout the story, and leave you feeling happier than you did before you watched it!

I would give this film 8.5 out of 10!