Tara Road (2005)

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writers:

Maeve Binchy (novel)
Cynthia Cidre (writer)

Release Date:

7 October 2005 (Ireland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes you must lose your life to find a new one...

Plot:

Two women -- one American, one Irish -- swap houses and alter the course of their lives.

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Dancing | Graveyard | Dublin | Playboy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Olivia Williams	...	Ria
Andie MacDowell	...	Marilyn
Johnny Brennan	...	Brian
Iain Glen	...	Danny
Jennifer Buckley	...	Secretary
Stephen Rea	...	Colm
Virginia Cole	...	Mrs. Doyle
Maria Doyle Kennedy	...	Rosemary
Sarah Bolger	...	Annie
Eileen Colgan	...	Nora
Jean-Marc Barr	...	Andy
Alan Devlin	...	Barney
Enrique Fonseca	...	Limo Driver
Jia Francis	...	Heidi (as Jia Frances)
Brenda Fricker	...	Mona

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some sensuality.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

Ireland

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG | Netherlands:6 | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-3 | UK:PG | Sweden:Btl | Germany:o.Al. | Ireland:12A

Filming Locations:

Cape Town, South Africa

Company:

Noel Pearson Productions

Trivia:

Maeve Binchy, author of the novel on which the movie is based, makes an uncredited cameo as a restaurant patron. She can be glimpsed seated at the end of the bar, right after the scene where Ria offers to take the job advertised at the restaurant cashier's counter.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Making of 'Tara Road' (2005) (TV)

Awkward adaptation

One of Maeve Binchey's most popular novels, complete with a useful American angle, this was an obvious choice for the big screen. However, the story of two women (one Irish, one American) who house-swap makes for a difficult transition in practice. Quite a long novel, it also compresses awkwardly, losing much of its charm and intelligence along the way. The film is not helped by lack-lustre central performances. MacDowell seems out of practice, and Williams (almost invariably seen hitherto in starchy British roles) does not make a convincing Irish housewife. Her emoting seems brittle (even shrill) and she seems uncomfortable with emotion generally. Overall the film looks good and is well filmed, but does not hold the attention except perhaps for die-hard Binchey fans, many of whom will be disappointed at the inevitable over-simplification.