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Director
Stephen Frears
Credits
Producer: Lynda Myles. Writer: Roddy Doyle
Principal Cast
Colm Meaney, Ger Ryan, Donal O'Kelly
Category
FeatureLiterature
Following on from The Commitments and The Snapper, The Van is the third instalment of ‘The Barrytown Trilogy’ and offers another look into the tragi-comic, working class lives of Barrytown’s residents. Here it is unemployed middle-aged men Larry (Colm Meaney) and Bimbo (Donal O’Kelly) who take centre stage, as they start up a ramshackle business selling fast food from a broken down van. As a result of an oversight by Bimbo’s wife Maggy (Ger Ryan) the two men enjoy sudden and unexpected success, only to find the pressures of running the business driving a wedge between their friendship. Ireland’s 1990 World Cup campaign – a sporting event that has assumed mythic significance in Irish culture – forms the crucial backdrop to this down-to-earth story of ordinary people trying to improve their lot in life.
100 minutes, Ireland/UK/USA, 1996, Colour
ARCHIVE AT LUNCHTIME: DUBLIN CAN BE HEAVEN (PROGRAMME ONE) 12:50
BLUE ROAD – THE EDNA O’BRIEN STORY 15:30
FOUR MOTHERS 13:30
HOLY COW 17:50
I’M STILL HERE 13:10
LA COCINA 20:00
ONE TO ONE: JOHN & YOKO 20:20
SINS OF IRELAND + Q&A 16:00, 18:10
THE PENGUIN LESSONS 15:50, 20:30
THE RETURN 13:20, 18:00
The IFI is supported by The Arts Council