Dancing at Lughnasa

"Five sisters embrace the spirit of a people."

1998 1h 36m EN

😐

6.0

MID

★6.0TMDB · 54

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Five unmarried sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in the 1930s.

“Five sisters embrace the spirit of a people.”

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Where to watch · US

Cast

Meryl Streep
Kate Mundy
Catherine McCormack
Christina 'Chrissy' Mundy
Brid Brennan
Agnes 'Aggie' Mundy
Kathy Burke
Margaret 'Maggie' Mundy
Sophie Thompson
Rose 'Rosie' Mundy
Michael Gambon
Father Jack Mundy
Rhys Ifans
Gerry Evans
Lorcan Cranitch
Danny Bradley

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Pat O'Connor
Writers: Frank McGuinness
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

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United Kingdom.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Pat O'Connor, shot by Kenneth MacMillan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bill Whelan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Humphrey Dixon 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

Meryl Streep and Catherine McCormack and Brid Brennan carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Five sisters embrace the spirit of a people.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0120643 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Pat O'Connor directs. Kenneth MacMillan behind the camera. Bill Whelan scores. Humphrey Dixon cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Ireland, United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

128 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: Ireland, United Kingdom.
3Directed by Pat O'Connor, shot by Kenneth MacMillan. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Bill Whelan. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Humphrey Dixon shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Meryl Streep and Catherine McCormack and Brid Brennan carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Five sisters embrace the spirit of a people.".
8IMDB entry: tt0120643 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 54 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 16 themes, including "sibling relationship", "narration", "dementia", "based on play or musical".
11Released under 23 different titles around the world.