THE MIRACLE CLUB

Wednesday, October 11, 2023
United Kingdom 2023
Location: SilverCity
Showtimes: 6:30 & 8:30 pm

Director: Thaddeus O’Sullivan
Cast:  Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates, Agnes O’Casey, Laura Linney, Stephen Rea
Running time: 91 minutes
Language: English 

“The film succeeds mainly because of a flawless ensemble, among whom viewers can put their faith in the eternally dependable Smith stealing the movie.”—David Stratton, The Australian

The setting is Ballygar, a working class suburb of Dublin, 1967. Lily (Maggie Smith) and Eileen (Kathy Bates) are lifelong friends. It is a close community where gossip reigns, and grudges go on for generations. Beneath the surface lies a yearning for relief from day to day drudgeries. 

One day, good fortune smiles upon Lily, Eileen, and their younger friend Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) when, through a talent contest, they win tickets to Lourdes, the pilgrimage site in France, a place the women have all been longing to visit. 

Each woman is looking for a miracle. Eileen has found a lump in her breast, but tells nobody. Her husband (Stephen Rea) and a batch of children provide wearying burdens. Lily can't get over the death of her son Declan, who drowned many years before. Dolly's young son cannot (or won't?) speak, and Dolly hopes for a cure.

Tension arises when Chrissie (Laura Linney) returns to town for her mother’s funeral. She's been gone from the town for decades, but some bad blood seems to be simmering among the women. Through various coincidences, Chrissie joins the trio in going off to Lourdes, praying for personal, physical, and spiritual saviours.

Director O’Sullivan directs in an unhurried fashion, in keeping with the pace of life in a small town. The cinematography offers beautiful landscapes with towering cliffs and jagged rocks contrasted against the cozy blocks of village homes. The buildings all look authentic, weathered but warm, conjuring a palpable, homey atmosphere. .  

At Lourdes, secrets and grudges come to a head. Some plot predictability is forgiven by watching these actresses at work. Smith is in typically fine form, confronting her personal demons. Miracles may be found in a higher entity or in relationships or in one’s own personal resolve. Minor miracles may come but in ways each lady never anticipated.