reviewed by Charity Bishop
              

When a friend of mine suggested we rent this on the basis that she'd seen it and it was "hilarious," I was skeptical. The back of the case, after all, showed two old men from the waist-up dashing into the surf. But under the agreement we could also rent Les Misrables to view afterward, I conceded. I wasn't as thrilled with it as she was, but nevertheless it provided an entertaining and often touching two hours. What if you won the lottery... and then died from the excitement? That's the question the film poses for us to answer as we journey to the Irish town of Tullymore. The townspeople are enthralled with the lottery... even more so when it's revealed someone in the village has won! Enter Jackie O'Shaye and Michael O'Sullivan, two scheming best friends out to reveal just who won the cash. With the help of Jackie's wife Annie, they host a town dinner in the hopes the winner will spill the beans.

Two hours and several courses later, they're no better off than they were. Is it the nasty widow down the lane? What about the pert little miss up at the dale? Maybe it's the storekeeper! But wait, there's still one plate left... who's is it? After consideration, they discover that Ned Devine never showed up. Pulling on his boots and setting out into the pouring rain, Jackie takes the old man his plate... and is shocked to discover the man stone cold in his chair, the TV still on... and the winning lottery ticket in his hand. Oh, heavens... what to do now? The idea of letting all that money go to waste is almost painful. Shouldn't it stay in the town where it was won? Maybe the best course of action would be to pretend Ned isn't dead! But little do they know the lotto people are going to send out scouts to investigate the validity of their claim. If Ned Devine is buried out back, who's going to play his role? And who will believe it anyway? To pull this off, they're going to need the entire town on board... and some of the locals are less than enthused...

Waking Ned Devine is mainly a comedy, but it's also a moral paradox and a romance. The premise centers around a town scheming to keep money that rightfully should go back into the pot, since the winner died of a heart attack. But we can't help rooting for this group of rapscallion rascals as they attempt to keep the winnings in hand. It's fun to watch the whole town pull together in moments of crisis, even if it does involve a little... well... lying. The actors are having so much fun it's hard not to get totally into it. One of the most hilarious moments in the film is also the most risqu... when Michael rides a motorcycle nude fresh after a skinny-dipping adventure... to make it to Ned Devine's shack before the lotto people get there. The most touching moment in the film is at Ned's wake, when unexpected guests arrive... and the funeral is swiftly switched from Devine to O'Sullivan. With Michael sitting in their midst, Jackie takes a long pause to talk about how much he loves and respects his friend, how true a man he was, and how much he's going to miss him. There's not a dry eye in the house. Yet even with the fun charisma of the film, it's not without some minor flaws. The romantic lead is a single mother who won't tell who the father of her child is. In a surprising twist, it turns out to be someone entirely unexpected... and about forty years her senior.

There is some mild language and brief violence (a telephone booth with someone inside goes for a trip down the mountain). The aforementioned skinny dipping scene shows both old men dashing from behind into the surf; we then see, from a great distance, Michael dash across to his bike and race down the road. (His crotch is kept covered, but it's still disconcerting.) Some of the humor may be offensive to certain viewers... such as the sight of a stiff dead body being played with. (His jaw drops open and his false teeth fall out.) The conclusion is the film isn't for everyone. Some people will love it. Others will be offended. One minor line worthy of notice is when a little boy asks the local chaplain why he works for someone he's never seen (God) and without pay. Rather than giving a thoughtful answer, the pastor doesn't reply at all. That's slightly concerning. The overall message is one in blind faith; believing is not seeing, seeing is believing. That's the essence of Christianity... not some blind trust in the unknown.