A Date for Mad Mary

A Date for Mad Mary is a 2016 Irish drama film, directed by Darren Thornton.[1] It won two Irish Film & Television Awards, including Best Film.

A Date for Mad Mary
Irish poster
Directed byDarren Thornton
Produced byJuliette Bonass
Ed Guiney
Written byDarren Thornton
Colin Thornton
StarringSeána Kerslake
Tara Lee
Charleigh Bailey
Denise McCormack
Barbara Brennan
Siobhan Shanahan
Susie Power
CinematographyOle Bratt Birkeland
Edited byTony Cranstoun
Juangus Dinsmore
Production
company
Irish Film Board
Element Pictures
Distributed byElement Pictures Distribution
Release date
2 July 2016 (KVIFF)
2 September 2016 (Ireland)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryIreland
LanguageEnglish

Production

The film is adapted from Yasmine Akram's one-woman play 10 Dates with Mad Mary (2010). Darren Thornton, who directed the original play, adapted and directed this, along with his brother Colin.[2]

Plot

"Mad" Mary McArdle (Seána Kerslake) is released from prison and tries to reconnect with friends in Drogheda. Her best friend Charlene (Charleigh Bailey) is getting married and Mary tries to nab a date to bring as her plus one to the wedding. As the film develops it shows that there is a growing distance between Charlene and Mary.

Mary tries unsuccessfully on a number of dates to nab a guy as her plus one. Each attempt at a date though ends unsuccessfully with Mary unable to connect with the different guys. Mary bumps into Charlene's wedding photographer and strikes up an unlikely friendship. Over time Mary and Jess grow to explore their feelings for one another and the film climaxes with Mary finding herself and admitting she has fallen for Jess.

Cast

Seána Kerslake Mary

Tara Lee Jess

Denise McCormack Suzanne

Barbara Brennan Nan

Charleigh Bailey Charlene

Siobhan Shanahan Leona

Norma Sheahan Sally

Ben Condron Declan

Shauna Higgins Julie

Jamiu Giwa Udel

Mark Dunne Scote

Tatiana Ouliankina Oksana

Carolyn Bracken Female Prison Guard

Release

A Date for Mad Mary premiered at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic on 2 July 2016. It won Best Irish Feature Film at the Galway Film Fleadh, while Seána Kerslake won the Bingham Ray New Talent Award. It went on general release on 2 September, to very positive reviews.[3] The Irish Independent said "A Date for Mad Mary is the best Irish film I've seen in a long time, and blends comedy, romance and pathos with extraordinary skill.".[4] Donald Clarke in The Irish Times said it might be "the best Irish release of 2016".[5]

Accolades
Awards Category Recipients and nominees Result
Irish Film & Television Awards[6] Best Film A Date for Mad Mary Won
Best Director Darren Thornton Nominated
Best Script Darren Thornton and Colin Thornton Nominated
Best Actress Seana Kerslake Nominated
Best Supporting Actress Charleigh Bailey Won

References
  1. "Further evidence of Irish cinema's 'golden period' seen in Galway".
  2. "A Date For Mad Mary is another Irish film to be proud of".
  3. "A Date for Mad Mary review: A star-making performance".
  4. "'A Date for Mad Mary is the best Irish film I've seen in a long time' - our reviewer gives the lowdown - Independent.ie".
  5. Clarke, Donald. "A Date for Mad Mary review: the wedding zinger you've been waiting for". The Irish Times. Irish Times Trust. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  6. "IFTA FILM & DRAMA NOMINEES 2017". Irish Film and Television Academy. Retrieved 10 April 2017.


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