I have liked every one of John Sayles's movies that I've seen, and "The Secret of Roan Inish" is no exception. The movie mainly focuses on ten-year-old Fiona going to live with her grandparents in Donegal, Ireland, and learning family stories. But there were two aspects that I found particularly important.
One was the focus on how England sought to destroy the Irish culture. Students weren't allowed to speak their native language in school, and Fiona's grandparents have to give up their house to an English family. But there was also the focus on seals. Aside from the story about the woman who could turn into a seal, there's Fiona's disappeared younger brother: might the seals be raising him? Rarely have I ever seen such a mystical and edifying look at the relationship between humans and animals.
All in all, this is the sort of movie that could only come from John Sayles. It's about as far from a Hollywood movie as you can get, and I recommend it to everyone. You just might want to take a trip to the Emerald Isle after watching it.
One was the focus on how England sought to destroy the Irish culture. Students weren't allowed to speak their native language in school, and Fiona's grandparents have to give up their house to an English family. But there was also the focus on seals. Aside from the story about the woman who could turn into a seal, there's Fiona's disappeared younger brother: might the seals be raising him? Rarely have I ever seen such a mystical and edifying look at the relationship between humans and animals.
All in all, this is the sort of movie that could only come from John Sayles. It's about as far from a Hollywood movie as you can get, and I recommend it to everyone. You just might want to take a trip to the Emerald Isle after watching it.