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Summary: Fiona solves the mystery of the island of Roan Inish
Review: The family of young Fiona (Jeni Courtney) has been touched by tragedy. Her mother has died and no one wants to talk about when her baby brother Jimmy drifted off to sea in his cradle. Fiona is sent to live with her grandfather (Mick Lally) and grandmother (Eileen Colgan) on the coast across from the family's former home on the island of Roan Inish. Everyone from her grandfather to the people she meets in towns have stories to tell young Fiona, about Roan Inish and the selkies, "ceils" who assume human form and can be captured if you but get their skins away from them. Bit by bit Fiona puts the stories of her family and the local legends together until she and her cousin Eamon (Richard Sheridan) finally learn the secret of Roan Inish.Director John Sayles and cinematographer Haskell Wexler have crafted a simple story, told in leisure about a young girl who believes in her heart long before she has evidence for her eyes. Besides any film that involves a young man having to be tied between two cows for warmth after the sea refuses to drown him is obviously a film worth seeing. Then there all those lilting Irish accents and their wonderful way of coming up with a phrase to describe each situation. Add to this the wonderful soundtrack of Irish music and the captivating mystery and I do not think you will have to worry that the relatively slow pace of the film will lose the interest of your children. They too will want to learn if their suspicions about the island's secret are correct. "The Secret of Roan Inish" is a delightful family film, of the sort we will all agree they simply do not make enough of any more.
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Summary: A Fairy Tale for All Ages
Review: John Sayles hit one out of the park with his The Secret of Roan Inish. This one is clearly for the child in all of us, whether we're 8, 18, or 80. This magical story reunites a family on a small Irish island with little more than a young girl's dream and some hard work by she and her cousin. The lure of Ireland is hardly new, but the beauty of this sometimes difficult land shines through the foggy mist that permeates the film. It is the financial hardships the Irish have often faced that create the backdrop for this movie. Some may say Sayles has romanticized penury, when in reality he has simply shown what is most important to the human spirit - that hard work can sometimes make dreams come true, and that faith and magic are as important as tangible things. The delightful acting and strong characterizations bring the moody and mystical Irish coast to life. Whether you are a fan of the selkie myth, Ireland, or are looking for a film that you, your children, and your parents can watch together, I heartily recommend this one. TTFN, Laurie Likes Books Publisher, All About Romance
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Summary: The Secret of Roan Inish
Review: The movie made me want to GO to Ireland - to go to Inishmore (the island off the west coast).
It's a good movie - if someone is interested in Irish folklore, by all means get it!
Oh, I FINALLY did go to Ireland, and Inishmore a few weeks ago, and saw the seals playing on the beach! It's just as beautiful (and mysterious) as the movie!
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Summary: Emerald Isles
Review: A beautiful story, that captures the selkie legend with a touch of innocence. John Sayles adapted Rosalie Fry's 1959 novel: Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry (That now sells for three to five hundred dollars!) Haskell Wexler captured the rolling emerald pastureland, clusters of white thatched cottages and the mist rolling in from the sea on film so delightfully, you will find yourself longing to visit Ireland. Green is the color of life, hope and joy. In this delightful story, Fiona is full of life, hopes to find her brother and experiences the joy of helping her family in their time of need. Fiona (Jeni Courtney) loses her mother and younger brother and is sent to live with her grandparents on the Irish Coast. From the cottage she sees Roan Inish, an island where her family once lived. Filled with curiosity, she seeks every opportunity to explore the tiny island. Tales of seals that can change out of their skin and take on a perfect human form makes her even more curious. She feels a magical connection with one of the seals she sees while on a fishing boat. The selkie in this story is a beautiful woman who marries a mortal, yet pines for the sea. She is trapped on land without her seal skin, which her husband has hidden. Ledgend has it that one of her children told her where the skin was hidden and she immediately put it on and returned to the sea, leaving her family, home and husband behind forever. Fiona takes all the stories and finds she is experiencing some of the magic of the legend in her own trips to the Island of Roan Inish. Like all children, she still believes in magic and even though her grandparents don't believe she has seen her brother, Fiona has
faith that she has not seen a ghost. A lovely story to teach children kindness to animals and that no matter what happens in life, someone is always looking out for them. This is a rare treat! May joy and peace surround you,
Contentment latch your door,
And happiness be with you now
And bless you evermore. You might also enjoy: Eyewitness Travel Guide to Ireland by Lisa Gerard-Sharp
The Selkie Girl by Susan Cooper
The People of the Sea: A Journey In Search of The Seal Legend by David Thomson
Lifescapes Ireland CD
The Enchanting Secret of Roan Inish Sountrack
The Illustrated Book of Fairy Tales by Neil Philip
A First Book of Myths by Mary Hoffman
Myths and Legends by Neil Philip
Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife by David Burnie
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Summary: Finally! A really good Irish myth and legend brought to life
Review: The Secret of Roan Inish is an awesome movie for that movie watcher who loves a good story, without having to watch somebody's guts being blown out or high speed car chases. This movie is not for the perverbial "shoot 'em up" type of fan. This story is truely brought to life by the wonderful actors and actresses in it. Jeni Courtney is quite convincing as the lead role of Fiona, the newly motherless girl who goes to live with her grandparents (Mick Lally and Eileen Colgan)and becomes tangled up with a mystery when she finds out from her cousin Eammon (Richard Sheridan) that Jamie, her long lost brother who was said to have drowned years ago, has actually been seen floating about with seals! The story part told by her grandfatherss cousin, Tadgh is quite good. This is a wonderfully well paced movie, and a great film for people of all ages. Buy or rent today!
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Summary: A Look at the Irish Countryfolk
Review: I really enjoyed this movie. This is a real movie by painting the characters in vivid colors and depth. The movie is sometimes haunting in it's dramatic look and feel. The scenery is beautiful and the accents are warm and wonderful. I am half Irish and really enjoyed looking at all the details and the history of Ireland. The beach is something that was really unusual for me to see, usually the stories I see in Ireland are centered around the cities.
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Summary: Holds the interest of both a 3 year old and her mom
Review: My 3 year old daughter, Greta loves this film and frequently requests a viewing of "The Seal Movie." She role plays as Fiona, following her little sister saying, "Why do you always run away from me, Jimmy?" She makes me be "Grandmudder" and her dad be "Grandfadder" and pretends the floating logs at the beach are "Jax." We own 2 kid movies in our home (the other is Winnie The Pooh) and don't allow television (not even PBS). So if The Secret of Roan Inish can hold the attention span of a 3 year old on multiple viewings, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet, it must be a good movie.
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Summary: AN ASTONISHING, MOVING PIECE OF CINEMA
Review: I love the opening comment by another reviewer - 'John Sayles hit one out of the park with his THE SECRET OF ROAN INNISH'. That's putting it mildly - Sayles, who is well known and respected for his film work (PASSION FISH, BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET, MATEWAN, BABY IT'S YOU, RETURN OF THE SEACAUCUS SEVEN', et al) has made a film here that, for me, will be in my top twenty for all time category. When this film opened here in Austin, it stayed at the same theatre for months and months - and we saw it six or seven times during that period, never failing to be moved and entertained. The story of young Fiona and her little brother Jaime is one that, without any gratuitous violence or sexual content, will captivate and enthrall viewers of all ages. The setting, on an island off the Irish coast (transported from the Scottish equivalent in the original novel) is completely thrilling and beautiful. The power of the sea, the life of the people who draw their sustenance from it and from the land, the honesty and simplicity of the characters, the mystery and magic of old tales that might or might not be true (depending on your heart) - all of these elements are combined masterfully by Sayles, and wonderfully acted by his stunning cast. The director's love and respect for his story and characters - and for the rural Irish people and their way of life - is so very evident from this work. I'm so glad to have this film on DVD - I've had the VHS version for years, and I knew that eventually I'd wear it out.
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Summary: Pure magic!
Review: At first, I didn't have a lot of hope for the movie when my father bought it out of pure hope, but I decided to give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised. I was captivateed within minutes. I agree on the acting, it could havebeen a bit more convincing, but it was all shadowed by the overall story. The music and the scenes of Ireland were amazing, and I loved the myth about the selkie. It deserves five stars.
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Summary: Not (just) a children's movie
Review: It's really kind of a shame that movies and books which (1) have children as principal characters, and/or (2) contain no sex, violence, or profanity, are immediately marked as "children's" fare. This is a fine telling of a powerful and ancient story (albeit set in the indeterminate present/recent past). It's true that my young daughters enjoy this, but my wife and I probably like it even more than they do. The music is very fine as well.
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