JOHN IRVIN
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BBBB.
United Kingdom/Ireland, 1994. British Screen Productions, Jo Manuel Productions, The Rank Organisation. Story and Screenplay by Hugh Leonard. Cinematography by Ashley Rowe. Produced by Jo Manuel. Music by Carl Davis. Production Design by Leo Austin. Costume Design by Consolata Boyle. Film Editing by Peter Tanner.
In the sleepy town of Kilshannon in Ireland, Mrs. Doyle Counihan (Joan Plowright) and Miss O’Hara (Mia Farrow) live on the town’s high hill called Widows’ Peak. An old ancestor had it in her will that only widows live on the little mount, and so it has stayed for a century. All is not well, however, when the town’s peace is disrupted by a young American widow (Natasha Richardson) who comes along bringing a possibly scandalous past with her. The women, especially Miss O’Hara, make it their first priority to find out the truth about her, and the result is a delightful surprise ending that is well worth the wait. Perfect performances all around, especially Farrow in her first non-Woody Allen film in twelve years, and a radiant Richardson.
