Circle of Friends (1995)

As a general rule, I am picky about adaptations of books on the big screen, but there is much to love about this version of Maeve Binchy's excellent novel. I loved the book from the first time I read it, and was delighted to find a film version to rent. The cast are really very good and the movie is well-written and directed. Minnie Driver is wonderful as Benny, with Chris O'Donnell portraying a slightly more sympathetic Jack than the selfish young man in the novel, and excellent support from Geraldine O'Rawe, Saffron Burrows, Alan Cumming and Colin Firth (getting to play a cad rather than the hero for a change).There are, of course, some major differences from the novel but nonetheless the film works, in and of itself, and it is still extremely enjoyable. I can accept that for a Hollywood movie, a more conclusive ending was required than that provided by Binchy in the book, and it was made believable by the chemistry between Driver and O'Donnell in the last few scenes.I would agree that the sexual life of savages would be an unlikely subject for first year students in 1950s Ireland, but I like Ciaran Hinds as the lecturer, so I'll let it go...I also would have liked to see more of Binchy's supporting cast make it into the movie - Mother Francis, for example, who brought up Eve, or some of the other friends outside of the college group such as Clodagh or Fonzie. Obviously a film has limitations that do not hinder an author, but I would also have liked there to have been more back story for Nan - just why she chooses Simon, for example. And I could always use more interaction between Eve and Aidan, whose scenes in the book are richly comic and translate very well onto the screen.Despite my quibbles, I have always liked this film, and I would recommend it to most people, whether they have read the book or not, for its entertainment value.

This was the first film of Minnie Driver I ever saw and I loved her in this role as the main character Benny (or Ben as her friends call her) whose coming of age story is told within the full circle of the film as is that of her friends. If you see Driver in this, she is a far cry from the glamour puss she has become today in Hollywood films, but her acting is still just as superb. I truly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone with a taste or stamina for bawdy Irish jokes, rawness one only sees from the other-side of the pond from time to time and heartbreak that exists in the lives of everyone especially those just getting to know the world for what it truly is. Chris O' Donnell also appears in the film, as the charming young lad Benny falls in love with. Alan Cumming (in another stereotypically sinister role), Colin Firth and Saffron Burrows also co-star.

As a "stand alone" this film is quite passable. If, however, you are a fan of Maeve Binchy and have read the book, you will probably spend a good deal of the film comparing the two, and the film comes off unfavourably. Some of the differences are minor, but the ending is completely different. I have no intention of comparing the two endings here as I don't want to be a spoiler, suffice it to say that if you have read the book, the film ending is a major disappointment. I also think that Benny was totally miscast. That the Benny of the book is a big woman is relevant to the storyline, whereas Minnie Driver, although quite tall, can't be called big under any stretch of the imagination. The film characters seemed wooden to me in comparison with the book characters. However, if you're not into reading books, the film is worth watching.

Spoilers herein.Pretty tepid and predictable, just like the society the story disparages.And pretty ordinary in the way it exploits the themepark charm of Ireland. That's a recurring problem with Pat O'Connor who seems doomed to his Darby O'Gill world. But it has three strong performers, and in this case those alone are worth watching. Incidentally those three are to be reunited for the big budget "Phantom of the Opera."Of these three, Minni Driver impresses. She has that young abandon and commitment to the role that is almost virginal in its approach. Like Emily Watson in "Waves" or Kate Winslet in "Creatures" or Cate Blanchett in "Lucinda." It has something to do with fearlessness and is most effective when the character is supposed to have that same sense of tentative inhabitation of strange person.Often, that ability to risk wears off, and it appears to have with Minnie. But still...Another of these three has made a career of sleazy characters. I find Cumming's energy pretty fascinating, especially the areas of the character where he places that energy. These characters are always sprung, dramatic. How sweet to know that Cumming really did walk away with Saffron when this was over.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 4: Worth watching.