"Waking Ned Devine"

An Irish movie that'll charm your socks off 

Waking Ned Devine is a Lawler family favorite. We watch it every year around St. Paddy's Day, homemade reuben sandwiches in hand. The premise of the movie is this: What happens when an Irishman named Ned dies from the shock of winning the lottery, and his friends attempt to impersonate him and claim the winnings? With a premise like that, I thought this movie was going to be all slapstick the first time I saw it. But while there's plenty of humor, laugh-out-loud moments, and a nakey old man riding a motorcycle over the Irish hills, Waking Ned Devine is actually a simple, charming comedy with a huge heart. 

The leads are Michael and Jackie — two old friends in their golden years who have lived all their lives in the tiny Irish village of Tullymore. These two and their cliffside town are so endearing that I'm sad to say goodbye to them each year when the movie's over. You grow to care for these characters, feel the warmth of their friendship, and wish you could spend even more time with them. 

The same can be said of the many other villagers we meet in Ned Devine, from the adorable (but stinky) pig farmer to the town witch to Mrs. Kennedy at the post office. Waking Ned Devine is, for me, like the movie version of a familiar book you can sink into. It's also gorgeously filmed and captures the best of Ireland's idyllic landscape: a quaint village, emerald hills, and majestic cliffs. Set to a stirring score rendered in Irish instrumentals (listen now!), my one-quarter-Irish heart beats wildly for everything Ned Devine. 

Moral of the story: I'm all for drinking your weight in Guinness, but Waking Ned Devine is by far my favorite way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. The movie is free with an Amazon Prime membership, or you can rent Ned for $3. Slainté!