St. Patrick's Day's Perfect Movie? Try 'The Commitments' (If You're Lucky Enough to Find It)

There are many Irish movies one could pick to watch in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Jim Sheridan’s In America is a good choice. Certainly the recent, Oscar-nominated Brooklyn is a great one, too. But I humbly submit that the happiest, most rewatchable movie about Ireland is one that celebrates its 25th anniversary this year: Alan Parker′s The Commitments.

I’m a little worried about The Commitments, actually. Even though it was a sleeper hit in 1991, won the BAFTA that year for best film, launched the careers of Once star Glen Hansard and Maria Doyle (Downton Abbey, Orphan Black), and inspired a stage musical, this movie is weirdly hard to find in the U.S. these days. It’s not streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, iTunes, or Google Play. You can rent the DVD via Netflix but if you want to buy a copy via Amazon Prime, the only option is an imported release that does not appear to be available in Blu-ray. It’s odd that such a well-received movie — it’s the first one that popped up in a search for “best Irish film of all time” — is not more easily accessible.

All the more reason, then, to remind everyone — including the people at 20th Century Fox, the studio that released Parker’s spirited salute to Irish soul — why The Commitments rules.

In The Commitments, Ireland doesn’t look like a generic, shiny Emerald Isle
Ireland can come across in some films as nothing but gorgeous, verdant green landscape as far as the eye can see. And in some films, that works fine. But The Commitments shows us a Dublin that’s gritty and gray, yet simultaneously teeming with exuberant life. You can understand why band manager Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins) and the members of his fledgling group feel beaten down by their environment, but its appeal is evident, too. Parker does a wonderful job of making the setting its own credible character.

It handles the co-opting of cultures with self-awareness and humor
Just as we Americans obsess over U.K. bands and go full-on “Kiss the blarney stone” every St. Patrick’s Day, the kids in The Commitments are fixated on American music, particularly soul and R&B. The most famous line in the movie — the ironically delivered “I’m black and I’m proud” — comes from a scene in which Jimmy attempts to convince his musicians that, as white, working class Irishmen, they have something in common with African-Americans. His logic is shoddy at best, but the movie deftly makes a running joke of this idea, acknowledging its absurdity while also tipping a hat to the performers that are the true kings and queens of this musical genre. The movie lets us have fun watching The Commitments dig enthusiastically into songs like “Try a Little Tenderness” and “Mustang Sally,” while never allowing us to forget the artists who sang those classics first.

No fake Irish accents here
Parker cast this film largely based on musical talent, not star power nor proven acting ability. As a consequence, the film is filled with authentic Irish personalities, most of whom have brogues as thick as the head on a Guinness. They also turn out to be pretty convincing performers.

Colm Meaney is in this movie
At one point in the 1990s, every film about Ireland was legally required to feature Colm Meaney in a supporting role. Okay, that may not be true. But it felt true. More important: Meaney is just great in this as the skeptical father of Jimmy, who is so obsessed with Elvis — another white man who co-opted black soul — that he keeps a framed picture of Mr. Presley on his wall, right above the one of the Pope.

The musical performances are spectacular
Even if you find some of the moments in The Commitments overly familiar, it’s still impossible to resist the energy this movie radiates, especially during the live performances. While the glue holding the band together starts to unstick as the movie goes on, as performers, they keep getting better and better. If you can watch this movie on St. Patrick’s Day or any other day without smiling or tapping a foot, it might be time to check your pulse and make sure you’re still alive.