Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday celebrating Saint Patrick, the most famous patron saint of Ireland. The day honors when Saint Patrick and Christianity arrived in Ireland, but in America it is more of a celebration of Irish culture. The holiday normally involves parades, festivals and celebration of the color green, from clothing and attire to the color of beer and eggs for breakfast.
With Saint Patrick’s Day upon us, here is a look at some movies that also celebrate Irish customs and beliefs.
“Once”
Released in 2006, “Once” is a movie that celebrates Irish music. Set in Dublin, Ireland, “Once” follows two musicians who meet and begin to write and record music together. The movie is set up as a musical drama, as the two forms a band and writes successful songs, while never being allowed to love each other, despite their obvious attractions. From the start until the heartbreaking, but perfect, ending, the movie remained a fantastic look at love and loss. The movie went on to deservedly win an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Falling Slowly,” and also received a Grammy nomination.
“Boondock Saints”
The fact that the two movies are independent features based on Irish customs is the only similarity between “Boondock Saints” and “Once.” Former bartender Troy Duffy directed “The Boondock Saints,” a story of two Irish brothers who choose to pick up guns to protect their village from crime and danger. Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus star as the brothers who have a strong Irish Catholic belief system but still kill anyone who threatens their friends. It remains a strong cult classic and is one of the best action films to watch around Saint Patrick’s Day.
“In the Name of the Father”
While “Once” is great for music lovers and “Boondock Saints” is great for action movie lovers, “In the Name of the Father” is the more traditional pick for anyone who wants to watch an Irish themed movie this Saint Patrick’s Day holiday week. Daniel Day Lewis stars in the movie as Gerry Conlon, one of four real-life men falsely convicted of an IRA bombing that killed four British soldiers. The movie follows his life in prison as well as his defense attorney’s attempts to find the evidence to free the man.
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