Waking Ned Devine. 1998 Fox Searchlight Pictures.
Starring: Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan, Susan Lynch, James Nesbitt
Director: Kirk Jones
Buy Waking Ned Devine at Amazon.
In a small Irish village called Tulaigh Mhór, or Tullymore, whichever you prefer, two elderly best friends named Jackie O'Shea (Bannen) and Michael O'Sullivan (Kelly) hear that someone in the village has won the Irish National Lottery's Lotto game, they decide to track down the winner so they can share the wealth. After hosting a chicken dinner to narrow down their list of who could've won, they make a midnight visit to the only person who didn't attend the party, Ned Devine. Jackie and Michael find Ned in his home, having died of shock after watching the lotto drawing, and realizing he matched every single number. Later on, Jackie has a dream that convinces him that the late Ned wants to share the winnings with his friends, since he has no family to share the wealth.
Also, Maggie O'Toole (Lynch) continues to spurn the romantic interests of an old flame, "Pig" Finn, a local pig farmer, mainly because she can't stand the smell of pigs.
When discovering that the lottery money is far more than anticipated, Jackie and Michael find themselves involving the rest of the village to fool the claim inspector (with one person abstaining). Michael takes it upon himself to pose as Ned Devine, even when the one local resident who refuses to participate in the ruse threatens to blackmail everyone involved by reporting the fraud.
A very funny and dark movie! Highly recommended.
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