"Jimmy's Hall" (movie critique)

JIMMY'S HALL
movie poster

A Dear Friend and The Travelling Toe journeyed over to the Magnolia Theater at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth.  On the weekends, the theater shows "indie" type flicks that do not make it to the mainstream multiplex theaters.  

The movie we went to see was "Jimmy's Hall".  The movie is based on a true character and his experiences in his native country of Ireland.  

The story beings 1932, which is 10 years after Jimmy Gralton fled to the United States.  He returns back home to County Leitrim in Ireland to take care of his aging mother and the family farm. He had been head of a workers group which sowed the seeds for the Irish Communist Party.  Before he left Ireland for the States he and his brother had built a hall for folks to use for meetings and dances.   When he left Ireland, the hall was closed as the government at that time was not pleased with his activities.  

But in 1932, which is 10 years after the Civil War, a new government is now in power.  But the question is will it make positive changes needed for the Irish people and for County Leitrim as well?  

Jimmy works the farm and tries to stay out of trouble. But the young people of the county cajole  Jimmy into re-opening the hall for dances and other events.  He finally gives in and helps the young people fix, clean and re-open the hall.   Soon it is filled with activities from Irish step dancing classes, boxing instruction for the young lads, a book club and other fun events.  Jimmy even introduces the group to American jazz.  But the local Priest has a long dislike for Jimmy and see his activities as bordering on communism ideals.  

The Priest begins a campaign to have the hall closed down. With the Priest's outspokenness against Jimmy and the going-ons at the hall, emotions begin to boil over and even making family members turn on each other.  Things escalate and one night the hall is burned to the ground.  The Police go after Jimmy and he tries to hide but is eventually found. Those in charge as well as the Priest decide that Jimmy must go.  There is one young Priest who tries to help Jimmy but must obey the rules laid out by the older Priest.  

Side Note:  The young Priest is played by, Andrew Scott, who you might recognize from various roles on PBS and is the current Professor Moriarty on the popular Sherlock Holmes series.

Because Jimmy has an American passport the Irish government rules that he is an illegal alien and is to be deported back to the US since he was now a US citizen.  Jimmy is the only person that Ireland has ever deported.  

This movie was at times sweet and loving full of fun and good music and other times narrow minded and brutal.  Life was hard in Ireland in 1932 but it was hard everywhere due to the Great Depression.

The cast credits:

Barry Ward
as
Jimmy Gralton

Simone Kirby
as Oonagh

Andrew Scott
as
Father Seamus

James Norton
as
Father Sheridan

Jimmy Gralton , born in 1887, died in NYC in 1945 of stomach cancer.

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with a shamrock painted on it and a pint of Guinness on the side.


                                                                                  


                                                                                                             Guinness

Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.