Waking Ned (1998)

SPOILER: In the Irish town of Tula Mor is one of 52 people get on the lottery 7 million pounds. Since no one raises an award, a small town trying to find out the reason. They found dead Ned, with a smile on his face tightening a ticket in hand. But in Ireland the law is such ,that only people who bought the ticket could raise the reward. Then the town because it unites, and hope that the money be divided into 51 section. Nice black comedy.Something from this movie which make mi laugh:Boy Morris talks with the priest and asked him: Have you met Jesus? He say-no. If he pay to you?-No. The priest ask him: Maurice, would you able to interest the church? Morris say : I would never have to work for someone which I never met , and who doesn't pay to me.

Waking Ned Devine is a light comedy with some terrific performances throughout. The lottery is won by a man named Ned Devine. As no one has claimed the prize, a couple of the village people do a full scale investigation to find out who amongst the 50 or so towns people has won. Ned Devine has died of a heart attack and the two men work out a means to collect the money. It involves the entire town and a plot of precision. I will not spoil the outcome, so just sit back and enjoy the rollicking ride with the beautiful scenery of the Isle of Man.

The promo for this film says it all. "When a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money." But, it's a lot more than just a planned fraud or crime. "Waking Ned Devine" is a comedy about life and friendship and sharing with neighbors. The perpetrators and brains behind the deal have a sense of doing justice to the memory of Ned. A scene near the end seems to send a message that that's how providence would have this story play out. The movie starts off with people in the small coastal village of Tullymore, Ireland (Tulaigh Mhor) watching for the weekly drawings in what seems to be the Irish National Lottery. Jackie O'Shea (played by Ian Bannen) and his wife Annie (Fionnula Flanagan) see a small item in the Dublin news that leads them to trace the jackpot winner to their village of 52 people. Jackie and his friend, Michael O'Sullivan (David Kelly) devise a plan to try to find out who the winner is. The happenings before the discovery that Ned Devine is the winner, are hilarious. Then, when they discover he died while watching the TV drawing, with his winning ticket in his hand, the idea about claiming the prize for themselves take hold. Humor runs rampant as these two gents call to claim the prize, and then enlist the whole community, saying that everyone will get an equal share. Of course there has to be a hitch – and that's in the person of Lizzy Quinn, played by Eileen Dromey. The film is rife with comedic scenarios and wonderful sidesteps about local romance and friendships. This is a wonderful, beautifully acted, hilarious and warm comedy that all should enjoy. It was filmed entirely on the Isle of Man with some wonderful scenic shots along the coast of the Irish Sea. The village of Tullymore is fictitious. Incidentally, the lottery prize is 6,894,620 pounds. In 1998 US dollars that's nearly $18.2 million. Divided 52 ways, it comes to almost $350,000 per person in Tullymore.

Very few films end up on my hard drive, but this one has stayed there the longest! It is brilliant: crafted to perfection in both writing, editing, photography and performances by actor who rarely get mentioned for their work. It's honest and remains true to the belief that a good story trumps all other production values. I have seen it, and shared it, with everyone I come in contact with. It will last forever, and those that have passed on since they participated in this film will live on because of it! It was their BEST work! Just like life, it has a mixture of comedy and drama. There are no "dead" characters or wasted time within the film. Each scene and character has a purpose for being there and without them the story line would suffer. If you don't watch any other film... watch this one!