Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #38907 in DVD
• Released on: 1999-10-05
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 120 minutes

Amazon.com
Call this an Irish family reunion, onscreen and off. The brothers Quinn--debuting writer-director Paul, actor Aidan, and cinematographer extraordinaire Declan--pooled their talents on a movie about a middle-aged schoolteacher (James Caan) who makes a pilgrimage back to the Ould Sod, where he hopes to discover the truth about his mysterious dad. What he digs up, in flashback, is a Romeo-Juliet love affair blighted by class, religion, and sheer human meanness. Turns out Caan's father (Aidan Quinn, bulked up out of his usual lean good looks) was a farmhand--slow, inarticulate, pure of heart--who fell in love above his station. Vividly beautiful Moya Farrelly plays a nonconforming college girl on vacation, first amusing herself by drawing Quinn's locked-down soul into chats, dancing, and friendship, then coming to love the complex man she has freed from loneliness. But Irish angst must be served: Moya's unloving, jealous mother (Gina Moxley) and a sex-hating clergyman (Stephen Rea, wonderfully over the top) set their sights on killing the couple's happiness. In contrast to this old drama, the present-day framing story is distracting, even irritating, and cameo appearances by Colm Meaney, Brendan Gleeson, and John Cusack stick out like... well, charming guest shots. We want Paul Quinn to stay focused on the Thomas Hardy tragedy that beats at the heart of This Is My Father so that we can have more time to savor the strong, heartbreaking performances by Farrelly and his brother, backed by Declan (Leaving Las Vegas) Quinn's beautiful vision of the rich, dark world of Ireland past. --Kathleen Murphy

From The New Yorker
The brothers Quinn (actor Aidan, cinematographer Declan, and writer-director Paul) get a chance to do some heartfelt work together in this period love story about a man (James Caan) who takes a trip to Ireland to uncover secrets about his father's past. The modern-day framing device-in which Caan gathers information about life in a County Galway village in the late thirties-slows the film down, but when the focus is on the main story, the poetic photography and attention to atmospheric detail combine to weave a sad and sensitive tale. Aidan Quinn and Moya Farrelly bring considerable warmth and intelligence to their roles as star-crossed lovers, and the film's bittersweet conclusion is sharply observed and well earned. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Brillant and very moving
This is a wonderful film. I rarely cry at movies, but this one had me weeping copiously at the end. The acting was first-rate; Aidan Quinn turns in one of his best performances ever as the poor, quiet Kieran. James Caan was subtle and sympathetic as a lonely schoolteacher searching for the story of his father. This film was romantic without being schmaltzy, and ultimately tragic and heartbreaking--no typical Hollywood happy ending here. The movie's portrayal of provincial Irish society in the late 30s was starkly accurate, as was its indictment of the Catholic Church. All in all, a great film that has been sadly underappreciated.

Compelling, Moving, Beautiful, and Unforgettable!!!
This is an unforgettable film which deserves a huge audience. It moves back and forth through past and present, weaving both together through a family and its history, and a lonely, burned out teacher's exploration of his roots. Each view and each perspective in this family -- past and present -- is sensitively explored. The most compelling, however, is the grandmother's love story with Kieran (Aidan Quinn) in County Galway in Ireland. This film explores Irish life and the Irish perspective, and the blessings and curses of each. The cast is superb, and Aidan Quinn gives a wonderfully moving performance as Kieran, the Father.

There are other Fathers in this film. Exploring these and musing about their meanings and their meddlings, past and present, is something best done by each individual viewer. Beautifully photographed, superbly acted, and wonderfully conceived, this is a must-see film for everyone, but especially for anyone with an interest in Ireland. This wonderful country and its history, its people, its music, its curses, its blessings, and its magic are all captured in loving detail onscreen. Highly, Highly recommended!!!

Sleeper
Why don't we ever hear about great films like this one. It has a wonderful story with a tearful conclusion. It is worth seeing, if only for the glimpse of Irish culture in 1939 and surely accurate depiction of the Catholic Church of that time. One gets the notion that in the Irish countryside of today, the Church probably still operates as it does in this film.

Aidan Quinn, who went out of his way to make this film, is terrific in his part as Kieran O'Day. He gained weight for the film and it is far from a glitzy role. Actually, all the acting is top notch and the characters are all believeable. Having grown up in a Catholic Church that is very close to what is portrayed in the film, made it even more interesting for me.

It's not a flashy film, but one of the best of this century.