DANCING AT LUGHNASA

• Starring Meryl Streep, Michael Gambon and Catherine McCormack
• Directed by Pat O'Connor
• Rated PG, with mild sexual references; running time 92 minutes
• With 10 as a must-see, Jack gives this film a 8

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(Dec. 25, 1998) -- Dancing at Lughnasa is a graceful, touching film about the trials and small triumphs of the Mundy sisters, living in near-poverty in the west of Ireland in the mid-1930s.

Adapted by filmmaker Pat O'Connor from Brian Friel's much-admired play, it stars Meryl Streep as Kate, the eldest Mundy and family matriarch by default.

A teacher in nearby Ballybeg, she takes seriously her role as the sternly sensible sister who heads the family's rock-strewn farm.

With her lives Maggie (Kathy Burke), the boisterous, big-hearted "keeper of the hearth"; the serene and solid Agnes (Brid Brennan); the sweetly simple-minded Rose (Sophie Thompson) and Christina (Catherine McCormack), the romantic beauty of the clan.

All five take a hand in raising 8-year-old Michael, Christina's "love child." Though he's a spot on the family reputation, he's also much-loved. Dancing at Lughnasa is told through his memories of a fateful few days near the end of the summer of 1936.

That's when the two men who have most affected the lives of the Mundys return home. The first is their older brother, Jack (Michael Gambon), a priest on leave after working as a missionary in Africa for 25 years. The second is Gerry (Rhys Ifans), Christina's former lover and Michael's wandering, uncommitted father.

The addled Jack, fascinated by the "heathen" religions of Africa, has grave doubts about his faith. That's the real reason he's been sent home, the sisters suspect, and why he no longer celebrates the sacraments. He's an embarrassment in the tightly knit Catholic community -- and a financial burden.

Gerry, meanwhile, is en route to Spain to fight the Fascists. He's in Ballybeg to see his son and get tacit approval for his plans from the boy and Christina.

Dancing at Lughnasa examines the way the very different, sometimes bickering sisters bond -- for the last time -- in quiet triumph over their hardships. That moment is symbolized by a shocking and grand dance, performed spontaneously by the five sisters to a jig heard on the family radio.

As it was on the stage, the dance of the Mundys is an amazing theatrical moment of joy and release. Indeed, the shadows of pagan ritual and Druid past hover over the film, as they always have over Ireland. The story takes its name from the harvest diety, Lugh, and celebrations that predate the Christian conversion of Ireland.

Once again, Streep marvelously takes on the accent and culture of another place and time. Of the excellent ensemble, only the usually brilliant Michael Gambon seems a bit unsure how to play Father Jack. He remains mysterious and undefined.