The Snapper (film)
The Snapper is a 1993 Irish television film which was directed by Stephen Frears[1] and starred Tina Kellegher, Colm Meaney and Brendan Gleeson. The film is based on the novel[2] by Irish writer Roddy Doyle, about the Rabbitte family and their domestic adventures. For his performance, Meaney was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.
| The Snapper | |
|---|---|
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| Genre | Drama |
| Written by | Roddy Doyle |
| Screenplay by | Roddy Doyle |
| Directed by | Stephen Frears |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Stanley Myers |
| Country of origin | Ireland |
| Original language | Hiberno-English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Mark Shivas |
| Producers | Lynda Myles Ian Hopkins (associate producer) |
| Production locations | Dublin, Ireland Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Editor | Mick Audsley |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Distributor | Miramax |
| Release | |
| Picture format | Colour |
| Audio format | Dolby |
| Original release | 4 April 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | The Commitments |
| Followed by | The Van |
Plot
Young Sharon Curley becomes pregnant, but refuses to tell anyone who the father is.[3] She decides to keep the baby ("snapper") and her family, each in their own way, eventually decides to support her. Her father particularly studies up on childbirth and female anatomy (with gratifying results for his wife as a bonus).
Soon after a wild night at the pub, twenty-year-old Sharon Curley finds herself expecting a little "snapper" by a man she loathes. Her refusal to name the father sets in motion a family drama involving her three brothers, two sisters, and her parents, along with her employers and all her friends. Kellegher, playing the role as a coarse, earthy, yet remarkably sensible young woman (with the exception of her excessive drinking during her pregnancy) soon discovers who her friends really are, as some people tease and torment her, some make remarks to her siblings, some force her father to take direct action in her defence, and all spread gossip.
Des Curley,[4] Sharon's father, shows the whole world in his face, his emotions ranging from outrage toward Sharon for embarrassing the family to tender concern as her time draws near. As the eight-member family trips all over each other emotionally (symbolised in their battles for the one bathroom, often occupied by Sharon), the tensions within the family grow more intense. Widespread speculation about who the father is disrupts the neighbourhood, with some hotheads visiting their own brand of justice on the Curleys. The arrival of the baby offers a chance at resolution.
It turns out that Sharon's friend's father, Georgie Burgess, got her pregnant after he had sex with a severely inebriated Sharon who threw herself at him in a car park without even realising who he was. Her story is that it was a Spanish sailor, but the whole town suspects the truth that it is Burgess.
Cast
- Tina Kellegher as Sharon Curley
- Colm Meaney as Des Curley
- Brendan Gleeson as Lester
Production
The surname of the Rabbitte family in the book had to be changed to Curley as 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the Rabbitte name from The Commitments (1991), which featured the same characters. The film was shot in many familiar locations around Dublin including Raheny, Kilbarrack, Ballybough, Dún Laoghaire & The Old Shieling Hotel.
Year-end lists
- 4th – Douglas Armstrong, The Milwaukee Journal[5]
- Top 7 (not ranked) – Duane Dudek, Milwaukee Sentinel[6]
- Top 10 (not ranked) – Dennis King, Tulsa World[7]
External links
References
- "The Snapper – review | cast and crew, movie star rating and where to watch film on TV and online". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- Ebert, Roger. "The Snapper movie review & film summary (1993) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- "The Snapper". Empire. 1 January 2000. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- "The Snapper". Irish Film Institute. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- Armstrong, Douglas (1 January 1995). "End-of-year slump is not a happy ending". The Milwaukee Journal. p. 2.
- Dudek, Duane (30 December 1994). "1994 was a year of slim pickings". Milwaukee Sentinel. p. 3.
- King, Dennis (25 December 1994). "SCREEN SAVERS In a Year of Faulty Epics, The Oddest Little Movies Made The Biggest Impact". Tulsa World (Final Home ed.). p. E1.
