The Ballroom of Romance

1982 0h 52m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 5

RomanceDramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In County Leitrim in the 1950s, Bridie has been attending the local dance hall for years in the hope of finding a good husband who can help work her family's farm. Now surrounded by younger, prettier women at the dances, she comes to the realisation that all the good men of her generation have emigrated or have been spoken for, and her only remaining hope for marriage is with the alcoholic and unreliable Bowser Egan.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Brenda Fricker
Bridie
John Kavanagh
Bowser Egan
Cyril Cusack
Mr. Dwyer
Niall Tóibín
Eyes Horgan
Brid Brennan
Patty Byrne
Mick Lally
Dano Ryan
Ingrid Craigie
Eenie Mackie
Joe Pilkington
Tim Daly

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pat O'Connor
Writers: William Trevor
Languages: English
Countries: Ireland, United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 52-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

44 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Maurice Healy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Brenda Fricker and John Kavanagh and Cyril Cusack carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0327464 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pat O'Connor directs. Maurice Healy cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Ireland, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 52-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
244 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United Kingdom.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Editor Maurice Healy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Brenda Fricker and John Kavanagh and Cyril Cusack carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0327464 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Editing: Maurice Healy
Runtime: 52 min · 0h 52m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Ballroom of Romance (1982)

Also by

Pat O'Connor

Community reviews

What people are saying

SPDonlan2024-07-20
Like many of the best Irish films, Ballroom has a notable literary source. A BBC/RTÉ television co-production adapted by William Trevor from his short story, it’s a delicate portrait of loneliness in a landscape of perpetual economic malaise and mass emigration (problems Irish audiences still experienced in 1982). In the 1950s, temporary escape and hope were found, if it was found, in the rural dancehalls, often to the siren sounds of far Amerikay. Despite Bridie’s willingness to capitulate, she may never become a bride. But she’s only one victim. Many others dance, anonymous, just beyond the boundaries of our screen.

Production companies