The Seventh Stream

I am not exactly the major expert on Irish folklore but I saw this movie simply because I love Scott Glenn's acting and while he was good as usual the movie was so-so. Why? Let's see.

Owen Quinn (Glenn) is an Irish fisherman that remained widow - when, it's not told but it must have been recent - that one day during a fishing trip notices something out of this world... a seal turning into a gorgeous woman named Mairead (Saffron Burrows), and as you might guess, Quinn tries his way with Mairead. As life goes on in the Irish village, Quinn's relationship with Mairead starts going creaky and eventually leave. When she returns on the beach Quinn notices lots of seals going to the beach and morphing into women, and as a Reverend told him before in the movie there was a population of seals that morphed into humans that just waited the right stream for doing so.

While the concept was interesting the execution was odd because it could never happen that a seal can be turned into human. I know, it's the retelling of a legend but I simply couldn't suspend disbelief. For the rest, Glenn as usual did his best with the performance and Burrows was convincing up until she became cranky and wanted to return to the beach only for morphing into a seal.

Overall, a movie that in the end would appeal more to Irish folks than non-Irish one like me (I am Italian) and saved by the leads' performances.

This movie is the epitome of romance. Scott Glenn and Saffron Burrows have a chemistry that is undeniable.

The Seventh Stream is much like The Legend of Roane Eilish. The scenery, the sounds, the lighting, just like a day by the beach. I was totally mesmerized by the cinematography.

I am not professional reviewer and I don't write often about photography etc but this was one time that it needed mentioned.

I do know what I like and I really liked this movie. I recommend it to anyone and everyone. It touched my heart and I will be forever grateful for that touch.

For a TV movie, this is a real winner.

Gorgeous scenery, touching romance, examination of the avarice and evil of human nature and our redeeming qualities are all on offer. Bring your crying towel, because this will move you, and it is a romantic tragedy.

The cinematography is way above average for TV fare. If you like water scenes and boats, like I do, you're in for a treat, but don't expect lavish yachts. No, this is a tale set in a simple and beautiful Irish fishing village with men who wrest their living from the sea.

It has above average acting for TV, and I disagree with some of the other reviewers who have said that Scott Glenn didn't deliver. To the contrary, I thought his portrayal of a stricken widower deprived of his raison d'etre who we first see as a near recluse from society and then emerging from his hard shell of pain was very effective.

I own this on VHS, and I love it more every time I watch it. It's a rare find, but if you do run across it, do yourself a favor and give it a watch if you go in for romantic tragedies.

If you are looking for another Hollywood action film with a fast-paced plot, wild characters and a big bang at the end, this isn't that movie. If you want something different, a little slower paced with a thoughtful plot, a wee bit of mystery and a beautiful seaside setting, this may be for you. I found it interesting that the majority of the cast consisted of the residents of this fishing village by the sea. It's a tale of lost love, redemption and belief in a legend that ultimately leads to belief in the human heart and spirit. James Welch Henderson Arkansas 9/10/21.

...On a much smaller and more manageable scale. It is so beautiful to see and hear that one can almost smell the salt air. Saffron Burrows gives a surprisingly subtle and nuanced performance, easily the equal of her more experienced cast members. The weakest offering was that on whom the entire enterprise pivots, Scott Glenn, playing Owen Quinn. Here, a range of emotion was require that he did not seem to be able to muster. But the rest of the production was so compelling as to make the whole unsinkable. As for being able to suspend disbelief well enough to entertain the essential fantasy; remember that this story takes place in the land of leprechauns before the coming of such wonders as the horseless carriage!