Da

This great little slice of life film is well-worth giving your time to viewing. The music score by Elmer Bernstein reminds me of "To Kill a Mockingbird" with an Irish accent. I laughed and cried - sometimes both at the same time. The acting is superb and Martin Sheen shows himself to be the great actor most of his film roles have never given him the prove.

A week ago I received this DVD free in a national newspaper. Until then , I was unaware of its existence. I have to tell you that this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. Martin Sheen and Barnard Hughes are superb and their interplay is wonderful to see. Martin Sheen is excellent as the grieving son but is, in my opinion, surpassed by Barnard Hughes as the irascible Da. The film is a simple story but is all of the following ; unusual, funny, sad, uplifting and heartwarming.Everything about this movie oozes class, from the wonderful opening title music to the wonderful Irish humor of Da. You may have difficulty obtaining this movie on DVD, as I haven't seen it anywhere but if you do find it, even on video, you just have to see it.I promise you will love it.

The caption for this film was "Charlies father is dead, he won't lie down and he won't shut up!" Charlie is played by Martin Sheen (who also shared executive producer roles)returning to his home town in Southern Ireland to attend to his late father's (Barnard Hughes) affairs. from here he relives his childhood and confronts the past with comic results. the comedy is in the dialogue rather than the action. The film avoids Irish cliches and captures 1950's Ireland well.

Irish writer Hugh Leonard has made a career out of coming to terms with his father's death, writing first a book and then a theatrical play about the experience, and now a screen adaptation of the same play, each of them an unashamedly sentimental vehicle for his memories of the proud but playful old man. Of the three it probably works best on screen, where the episodic timeline and playful unreality of the script are better served by creative editing, and by some handsome location photography (in the Irish seaside village of Dalkey). Martin Sheen, fatally miscast, portrays the expatriate Irishman who returns to the Shamrock Shores to bury the body and memory of his father, but not before trading some serio-comic banter with the old man's spirit and reviewing with him the key episodes of their life together. The screen version makes little attempt to camouflage the awkward stage dialogue, but does at least serve it with a gentle air of whimsy and plenty of local brogue. Barnard Hughes recreates his award-winning performance in the title role, but the entire cast is upstaged by a pet dog with an aversion to the Catholic Church.

Loved this movie and have played it several times over. This is the only project to top "The Quiet Man" as my favourite Irish film.

William Hickey as Drumm comes out with the keenest observations in the film, Doreen Hepburn captures the spirit of all Irish "mammies" (bless them) while the peerless Barnard Hughes adds the mischief and humour. Other parts (young Charlie, Boy Charlie and Oliver) are portrayed beautifully by a wealth of young Irish talent. The scene at the wake when the various mourners talk about the departed is 100% on the nail for accuracy.

I had the very great pleasure of meeting Martin Sheen on the set of "Da" in Ardmore studios and he was utterly charming.