Henshaw (Johnny Murphy) is a dodgy door-to-door fire extinguisher salesman with an aphorism for every situation. He takes on new recruits Ella (Olwen Fouere) and Tony (Donal O’Kelly) but they have to ply their dubious trade while on the run across Ireland, ending up in Knock where they find something unexpected.
‘One of only two films shot in 1990, the dark years of no Film Board. I’d do it differently now but like a troubled child, I’ll always stand by it. One of its themes, parental abuse, was not considered proper subject matter in those days. How times have changed! I call ‘Hard Shoulder’, a spoiled road movie (‘spoiled’ as in priest).’ – Mark Kilroy, 2003
(1990, 72mins)