`Waking Ned' is Fun if Not Divine by Homer Yen (c) 1998
I suppose that when my best friend and I grow to be really old, I hope that our relationship will mimic that of Jackie's (Ian Bannen) and Michael's (David Kelly), two affable townspeople featured in a film called `Waking Ned Devine.' After many years on God's good green Earth, these elderly friends still possess a healthy appetite for fun and an undeniable boyish charm combined with patriarchal wisdom. But all that wisdom is about to fly out the window when something dramatic happens to their small rural Irish hamlet of Tullymore with a population of 52 people. You see, there was only one winner in the latest lottery drawing, and one lucky block in this town holds the winning ticket. Jackie and Michael want very much to share in a piece of this prize and begin a cunning little search to find out who the winner is. Perhaps by showering a little generosity on them first, the winner will reward them in kind. And after an exhausting search, they finally figure out on who they should focus their attention. Unfortunately, when they find the winner (Ned Devine), they see that he has just passed away. And if Ned himself doesn't claim the ticket, the prize will not be disbursed.
Now Jackie and Michael spring into action (or at least move as fast as two 70 year-olds can possibly move). They devise a play where Michael will assume the identity of Ned and claim the prize. But there are many obstacles that they have to overcome in order to pull it off. Most formidably, they'll have to convince the lottery officials to hand over the check. To do this, they'll need to dispose of the body; figure out a way to memorize Ned's personal information (date of birth, identification number, etc..), which is quite difficult for a man whose memory is ailing; and get the townsfolk to buy in on the plan.
Although this kind of premise could have easily lent itself to being some kind of silly slasher flick, what we actually get is a light-hearted story about two amiable fellows who try to do what they can to get the money. It's a buddy movie where life-long friends, with their limited abilities, do whatever they can to achieve a dream. But more than that, it's a quirky village comedy complete with it's assortment of eccentrics and crazies. Among Tullymore's population resides Lizzy Quinn, who is a witchy hag that likes to spread gloom; a substitute priest that tries to spread theology to a 9-year old boy who may be smarter than the priest can handle; and a handsome pig farmer who can't get the girl because of the way he smells. These are just some of the 52 people living in Tullymore whose lives will make you grin from beginning to end.
Grade: B
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