Waking Ned Devine ★★★½ 1998 (PG) Old Ned Devine has the winning ticket for the Irish National Lottery—unfortunately, the shock has killed him. Jackie O'Shea (Bannen) and the other 50 still-living residents of Tulaigh Morh conspire to fool a bored lottery official (Dempsey) into thinking that Michael O'Sullivan (Kelly) is Devine, so that they can share the wealth. As each obstacle to the payoff is overcome, a larger hurdle appears, and the comedy becomes more and more screwball until it reaches its darkly comic conclusion. Warm and full of blarney, but never becomes too sappy, or contrived. Filmed on the beautiful Isle of Man and accented with a fine score full of Celtic melodies. Veteran cast carries off even the most improbable gags (including Kelly's buck-naked motorcycle ride). 91m/C VHS, DVD. Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan, Susan Lynch, James Nesbitt, Maura O'Malley, Robert Hickey, Paddy Ward, James Ryland, Fintan McKeown, Matthew Devitt, Eileen Dromey, Dermot Kerrigan, Brendan F. Dempsey;
Director:
Kirk Jones;
Writer:
Kirk Jones;
Writer:
Henry Braham;
Cameo:
Shaun Davey.
