Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

The Miracle

    • Director

      Neil Jordan

    • Credits

      Producers: Stephen Woolley, Redmond Morris. Writer: Neil Jordan

    • Principal Cast

      Niall Byrne, Lorraine Pilkington, Beverly D'Angelo, Donal McCann

  • Category

    Feature

An act of retrenchment after a difficult first foray into big-budget filmmaking, The Miracle sees Jordan move as close to the world of his short stories as his film career would ever take him with this intimate drama set on the Bray seafront. Teens Jimmy (Niall Byrne) and Rose (Lorraine Pilkington) are such firm buddies they hardly dare acknowledge the attraction between them, but their childish play is interrupted by the arrival of visiting American actress Renee Baker (Beverly D’Angelo). Thrown into a hormonal spin, Jimmy’s pursuit of Renee disrupts his friendship with Rose; Renee’s own secrets, however, offer an even greater threat to his youth. Built around a twist in a manner similar to what would be seen in The Crying Game, Jordan arranges a delightful compendium of his favoured elements – problematic romance, musical standards, the seaside, fractured parental relationships, and a seasoning of fantasy.

Notes by Trevor Johnston

97 minutes, Ireland/UK, 1991, Colour

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