Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1974) User Reviews

Surprisingly well-adapted take on Friel's masterpiece

[robertmhealy · 9/10 · 17 April 2002]

After reading the original play I thought it would have been much more difficult to adapt to screen than it turned out to be. Donal McCann puts in a once-off great performance as Public Gar, the repressed antagonist who is manifested openly on screen by his extroverted (but unseen to others) alterego- Private Gar. Eamonn Kelly also plays an excellent "screwballs" whose inability to communicate his feelings is matched only by Gar.

Definitely worth renting out if you can find it. (Probably unavailable outside Ireland & UK)

just wonderful

[lester-42 · 9/10 · 16 October 2004]

One of the best movies I ever saw was an Irish movie titled Philadelphia,Here I Come. I read the play before I saw the movie and loved them both. It's the story of a young man preparing to leave Ireland to go to America because he can't earn a living in Ireland. It is told both from the perspective of the young man(whom the other characters in the film can see) and another young man representing his uncensored thoughts and feelings., but who cannot be seen by the other characters in the film. It is a very sad movie, but deeply touching, and I would recommend this film to anyone who wants something to think about. I love any Irish movie, or almost any movie about Ireland, and any film that has the late Irish actor Donal McCann in it gets my vote.I would watch that man chew gum for 2 hours on screen, and unfortunately,I have.Terrible shame to have lost him so young.

Adapted from the play, an Irishman goes to the USA.

[TxMike · 23 July 2008]

This was a David Merrick play in New York, and this film version was made in southern Ireland with Irish actors. It definitely has a stage play feel to it.

I didn't know anything about it before hand but found it alone on the shelves of my public library, virtually asking to be taken home.

Donal McCann is the main character Gar. He is 25 but still lives in the same home with his dad, and works in his dad's business. He has an alter ego, which is referred to as the "private" Gar because no one else can see or hear him. Of course, we the audience can see and hear him constantly giving advice to Gar. He is always dressed in a bright red sweater and is played by Des Cave.

The dad is Eamon A. Kelly as S.B. O'Donnell.

Virtually all of the movie deals with the last day or two before Gar flies off to Philadelphia, tieing up loose ends and saying goodbye. There is a flashback about a girl he was going to marry, but he backed out of asking her dad, and intimidated by the situation fled.

The last shot was Gar getting onto a TWA 707 jet, bound for the USA.

Not particularly enjoyable for me, although in many ways a well-made movie.

Great story, Not a great portrayal of the book.

[tarahoney91 · 5/10 · 26 November 2008]

This is a film based on a play and while its carried out with no fuss or frills in the style of a stage act, it deviates from the text too much for my liking, even changing some dialect, losing some authenticity with it. The ending of the book is so important to the story in my opinion and it doesn't match the ending of the film. Also I found the acting to be wooden and a lot of the accents to be terrible!

The film is supposedly set in Donegal and yet the two main characters, and more with them, have posh English accents a lot of the time, and when they do put on an Irish accent, its the likes of which you'd find in either cork or Dublin. And Madge is such a Dub that its funny. You'd think that you were watching an episode of Fair City. Read the book. Its better.

Strange Relationship

[91 · 9/10 · 8 November 2002]

This is a small film , few characters ,theatrical.And yet it says something about Ireland that you won't find elsewhere.This film IS IRELAND. In all it's grubiness, it's sadness,it's self-delusion.The Boys , Master Doyle , SP O'Donell, The Cannon , Senator Doogan's daughter , Gar and above all Madge.I know them.I'm in the pub with them or kneeling to pray with them. They are our sad history and they are our present.

1970's Ireland

[91 · 9/10 · 8 November 2002]

Story of Ireland in the 70/s. This film is a beautiful reconstruction of small time Ireland in the 1970/s. All the gang are there see below. Master Boyle , The Boys , The Cannon , SP O'Donnell , Senator Doogan's Daugter , Rose , Agnes , Maura and Una. See this film.Feel Ireland as it was.

Very touching.

[Geeyum · 25 January 2016]

I have to partly agree with one of the reviewers that the book is better. But isn't that the case with most films? However, I think that for people who have difficulty reading, or just want to watch a film, this is an excellent option to go for. It is an extremely deep film based on the difficult relationship between a father and a son. I never tire of watching this film and I would highly recommend watching it. Yes, the accents are not entirely up to scratch, but it is from over 40 years ago, so I'll forgive them for that. I have watched this film several times and loved it each time. Very touching film. Definitely worth a watch.