'Wild Mountain Thyme' trailer misses the mark - but sparks wider conversation
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Last night, the trailer emerged on social media for Bleecker Street Films' feature. Frankly, the reaction closer to home has quickly eclipsed that of the international audience at whom it seems to be squarely aimed.
Set in 2005, the romance, based on John Patrick Shanley's Broadway stage play , itself the subject of critical derision, is an age-old tale: a comely maiden is torn between slow-burning, star-crossed love amid the comforts of home in rural Ireland, and the allure of the brave new world of America, while a battle of wills between families over land underpins local tensions. Like meets , but apparently set in the present.
And if you're rolling your eyes at that depiction, you really ought to see the trailer, if you somehow haven't already.
Rolling green fields? Check. Charming vernacular architecture? Check. Hollywood actors trying to wrangle their own vocal cords into something that superficially resembles any sort of Irish accent? Ah.
Yes, that old affliction - the question of 'marketability' when it comes to stories set in Ireland, about Irish people filmed in Ireland, and availing of various financial incentives in Ireland.
At a time when Irish culture and actors are more a part of mainstream film and TV consciousness than ever - think Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, the respective casts of and - 's casting choices have raised questions of why homegrown talents weren't given the opportunity to at least attempt making something beyond stage-Irish cliches of this whole proposition.Â
Or at the very least, explain how those beautiful cliffs found their way to the Irish midlands.
How on earth are we a country known worldwide for our artistic output and creative people, yet it’s impossible for films to be made that actually, I don’t know, HIRE Irish actors?
— Amy Louise (shop back open!) (@Amylouioc) November 10, 2020
There are so MANY Irish filmmakers who can tell authentic Irish stories and yet Hollywood is still making Darby O'Gill esque films about us?
— eyeleesh (@eilis_walsh) November 11, 2020
But while the derision at ventures intotone-deaf, over-egged Oirishness on the parts of Emily Blunt and Christopher Walken would, of course, be entirely predictable, it's the glimpses of the performance of homebound love interest Jamie Dornan that have stunned online commenters, his native Northern accent giving way to an affected stage-brogue that has drawn some very negative reviews.
Comparisons to the usual suspects have been made - and have emerged, and indeed, our own features desk was quick to come up with a list of more contemporary examples during a quick whip-round this morning.
From the likes of Tom Cruise in , and Minnie Driver in ; to the efforts of Julia Roberts in , we have a patchy history with the wider interpretation of our range of accents, one that's resulted in a sensitivity to its subsequent Hollywood framing. One need only look at the cast of 's collective endeavours for evidence of why that's justified.
Unfortunately, judging by the evidence, we still haven't found that rare movie romance that can balance international appeal with contemporary authenticity to match directors' vision of our natural scenery and post-colonial society.
Of course, it could well be that this is all a churlish over-reaction to a thirty-second trailer and that the most saleable bits for disapora audiences and worldwide Hibernophiles alike have all been bundled into one neat little package, with the added bonus of rousing rabble closer to home.
In pure marketing terms, the trailer has of course succeeded.
Like many other projects that line up substantial funding and distribution in our television and film industries, this isn't aimed at us, but rather a wider audience, one that hopefully pays attention to this intercontinental tale of longing and tension, and not only heads to the cinema if possible, but comes here when the world is safe to get a glimpse of Ireland's abundant natural splendour. On the radio this morning, there was talk of the movie being streamed through one of the major services, for example.
But the angry online outpouring since the trailer's release has also given rise to a wider conversation: one on how international productions can represent Ireland and the Irish in a more accurate and fitting manner, especially considering the deep and profound social change the country has undergone in the last 40 years.
