Mary Ann Eaton, B.A., Instructor of Irish Literature
Four classes: February 28, March 6, 13, and 20 from 1:30 – 4:00
Mary Ann Eaton will introduce each film, setting its context in Irish history and culture. A discussion follows each film. See film titles below. Note: This course is designed to align with Richard Finnegan’s Women’s Rights in Ireland course on Tuesday afternoons beginning February 25.
February 28: The Dead (drama) with Anjelica Huston and Donal McCann
At a family dinner party, Gretta (Huston) is prodded into remembering her long-dead lover. She tearfully reveals to her husband (McCann) that the deceased boy may have died on her behalf. Her tale of woe bespeaks the sentiment shared by James Joyce: no matter how long in their graves, the dead will always influence the living.
March 6: The Quiet Man (comedy) with John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara
An Irish-American boxer (John Wayne) arrives in the Irish village where he was born. He has purchased the home of his birth from a local widow. The transaction has incurred the wrath of the squire, Victor McLaglen, who coveted the property for himself. By and by, Wayne falls in love with McLaglen’s beautiful, high-spirited sister played by Maureen O’Hara.
March 13: Agnes Browne (comedy) with Anjelica Huston and Marion O’Dwyer
Agnes Browne (Anjelica Huston) is the mother of seven children, barely making ends meet when her husband dies, leaving her to figure out to to support the family in the slums of Dublin City.
March 20: Veronica Guerin (crime drama) with Cate Blanchette, Gerard McSorley and Ciaran Hinds
In this true story, Veronica Guerin (Blanchette) is an investigative reporter for an Irish newspaper. As the drug trade begins to blend into the mainstream, Guerin decides to take on and expose those responsible.