Set in 1967, ‘The Miracle Club’ is a heart-warming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lilly, Eileen and Dolly of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, the place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it.
However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie arrives in Ballygar for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a skeptical traveler, joining in place of her mother.
The glamour and sophistication of Chrissie, who had just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the U.S., are not her only distancing traits: Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. Their shared traumas can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship.
‘The Miracle Club’ is a very touching, heart-warming film that is a remarkable watch. This film delivers great performances from all the leading ladies and the film’s story is quite refreshing.
Throughout the film, we get introduced to a few ladies who have been friends for many years. Each of them has their own little story that we follow and we see that they each have their own reasons for wanting to go to Lourdes. Each of their stories can be rather emotional, especially Dolly, who wants to find a miracle so that her son can speak.
During the film, you can feel that each of the ladies (except for Dolly) have a little grudge against Chrissie, especially Lily (Maggie Smith). They are upset that Chrissie hasn’t been home or has seen her mother in forty years, but there is also another reason why there is a grudge, which I won’t spoil here.
The performances from all the cast are great. You have Laura Linney, the usually entertaining Kathy Bates and the always incredible Maggie Smith in the film and you can’t go wrong with that cast. Maggie Smith always gives a great performance and Bates gives us a moment or two that will make you lightly chuckle.
‘The Miracle Club’ is definitely a film that you should check out during the Fall Film Festival, which is still currently going! All the stories that we follow in the film are tied up nicely and you will feel very moved during a few moments. So, come on down during the festival and see if these ladies have witnessed a miracle at Lourdes.
The cast: Laura Linney as Chrissie Ahearn; Kathy Bates as Eileen Dunne; Maggie Smith as Lily Fox; Agnes O’Casey as Dolly Hennessy; Mark O’Halloran as Father Dernot Byrne; Mark McKenna as George Hennessy and Stephen Rea as Frank Dunne.
‘The Miracle Club’ is written by Joshua D. Maurer, Timothy Prager and Jimmy Smallhorne and directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan.
‘The Miracle Club’ is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and some language and has a running time of 90 minutes.
Don’t forget to keep on checking my Wyoming County Press Examiner reviews page on Facebook to see what I will be checking out next! And, speaking of what I will be checking out next, I have ‘Dumb Money,’ ‘Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie’ and, just in time for the spooky season, ‘The Exorcist: Believer.’
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