Inside I'm Dancing (2004)

Director:

Damien O'Donnell

Writers:

Jeffrey Caine (screenplay)
Christian O'Reilly (story)

Release Date:

15 October 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Live life like you mean it.

Plot:

When the kinetic Rory moves into his room in the Carrigmore Residential Home for the Disabled, his effect on the home is immediate. Most telling is his friendship with Michael, a young man with cerebral palsy and nearly unintelligible speech. Somehow, Rory understands Michael, and encourages him to experience life outside the confines of home.

Plot Keywords:

Cerebral Palsy | Unintelligible | Friendship | Love | Rain

Awards:

4 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Steven Robertson	...	Michael Connolly
Alan King	...	Tommy
Brenda Fricker	...	Eileen
Ruth McCabe	...	Annie
James McAvoy	...	Rory O'Shea
Anna Healy	...	Alice
Tom Hickey	...	Con O'Shea
Sarah Jane Drummey	...	Girl in Pub
Rachel Hanna	...	Girl in Pub
Emmet Kirwan	...	Angry Man
Romola Garai	...	Siobhan
Pat Shortt	...	Nightclub Doorman
Stanley Townsend	...	Interview Panelist
Derbhle Crotty	...	Interview Panelist
Donal Toolan	...	Interview Panelist
Tony Kenny	...	Cabaret Singer
Keith Dunphy	...	Estate Agent
Michele Forbes	...	Fergus' Secretary
Gerard McSorley	...	Fergus Connolly
Eamonn Hunt	...	Foreman
Michael Higgins	...	Job Applicant
Frank McCusker	...	Job Applicant
Deirdre O'Kane	...	Job Applicant
Owen Monaghan	...	Job Applicant
Lucas Verbist	...	Job Applicant
Conor McPherson	...	Job Applicant
Lauren Carr	...	Racing Kid
Paul Lee	...	Racing Kid
Jonathan Mitchell	...	Racing Kid
Keith O'Brien	...	Racing Kid
Michael Hayes	...	Garda Sergeant
John Finegan	...	Garda at Station
Adam Fergus	...	Declan
Mary Kate O'Flanagan	...	Geisha
Ofo Uhiara	...	Peter
Justine Mitchell	...	Doctor
Frank Corry S.M.	...	Priest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Conor Hegarty	...	Angry Man's Friend (uncredited)

Directed by
Damien O'Donnell

Writing credits
Jeffrey Caine		(screenplay)
Christian O'Reilly		(story)

Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	executive producer
Eric Fellner	....	executive producer
James Flynn	....	producer
Seamus McInerney	....	line producer
Morgan O'Sullivan	....	executive producer
Catherine Tiernan	....	co-producer
Natascha Wharton	....	executive producer
Juanita Wilson	....	producer
Mark Woods	....	executive producer: Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board

Original Music by
David Julyan

Cinematography by
Peter Robertson		(director of photography) (as Peter J. Robertson)

Film Editing by
Frances Parker

Casting by
Wendy Brazington

Production Design by
Tom Conroy

Art Direction by
Stephen Daly

Costume Design by
Lorna Marie Mugan

Production Management
Seamus McInerney	....	unit production manager
Tim Morris	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Therese Friel	....	second assistant director
Andrew Hegarty	....	first assistant director
Alex Jones	....	third assistant director
Jonathan Shaw	....	trainee assistant director (as Johnny Shaw)
John Wallace	....	trainee assistant director

Art Department
Jenni Cooney	....	graphic designer
Michael Higgins	....	stand-by art director
Darren Kearney	....	painter

Sound Department
Michelle Cunniffe	....	adr mixer
John Fitzgerald	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sarah Gaines	....	dialogue editor
Brendan Geaney	....	assistant sound editor
Paddy Gibbons	....	adr mixer
Clive Hutchison	....	foley recordist
Martin Jensen	....	adr mixer (as Martin Peter Jensen)
Tom Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jean McGrath	....	adr recordist
Hugo Monks	....	foley editor
Jon Stevenson	....	supervising sound editor
Mark Kenna	....	consultant: Dolby film sound (uncredited)
Mark Kenna	....	sound consultant (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Paul Byrne	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Lucy Allen	....	stunt performer
Giedrius Nagys	....	stunt performer
Donal O'Farrell	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Brian Dungan	....	trainee clapper loader
Sarah Francis	....	assistant camera
Ciaran Kavanagh	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Patrick Redmond	....	still photographer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jessica O'Leary	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Clare Kavanagh	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Nick Angel	....	music supervisor
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Alexandra Hill	....	music coordinator
Kirsten Lane	....	music consultant

Other crew
Kellie Belle	....	product placement
Yvonne Burke	....	assistant production coordinator
Sarah Carmody	....	production assistant
Peter Conway	....	location manager
Mark Devlin	....	production coordinator
Chloe Dorigan	....	assistant: Tim Bevan
Grainne Dunne	....	assistant: Morgan O'Sullivan
Hannah Farrell	....	development coordinator
Brendan Gunn	....	dialogue coach
Aliza James	....	assistant: Eric Fellner
John Kennedy	....	title designer
Nessa King	....	production finance executive
Kenny MacDonald	....	assistant coordinator: Working Title Films
Kenny MacDonald	....	assistant executive coordinator
Paddy McCarney	....	location manager
Conor O'Carroll	....	assistant location manager
Auveen O'Sullivan	....	financial controller: Octagon Films
Chryssy Tintner	....	script development executive for Octagon
Kathleen Weir	....	script supervisor
Sarah Jane Wright	....	production executive

Thanks
Rachel Holroyd	....	thanks

Production Companies

• WT2 Productions
• Bórd Scannán na hÉireann
• Octagon Films
• Studio Canal
• Working Title Films

Distributors

• Focus Features
• Momentum Pictures (2004) (UK) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios

Other Companies

• Ardmore Sound  sound post-production
• Fatts  post-production script service
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by

Also Known As:

Rory O'Shea Was Here (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language.

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Finland:K-3 | Sweden:Btl | Germany:6 | USA:R | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Dame Street, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland

Company:

WT2 Productions

Trivia:

While researching and talking with people who have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, James McAvoy discovered that people who suffer from this disease would rather be ignored than pitied.

Quotes:

Rory: [looking at Michael] You have the future, Michael. That's what *I* call a gift.

Movie Connections:

References Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Soundtrack:

Look of Love

This is Not Your Daddy's Wheelchair Movie

What a unique and risky premise: two young men, both mentally astute but almost completely disabled with MS and cerebral palsy, leave the group home environment to get their own place in search of independence, romance and excitement. This is a story of friendship, love, and self-awareness. It has less to do with handicaps than with the development and growth of two unique and memorable characters.

Damien O'Donnell's directing keeps the story moving briskly, but it's James McAvoy as the eponymous Rory O'Shea who steals the show with his bravura performance and riveting screen presence, even though he's only acting with his face and two fingers. Steven Robinson is nearly as good as Michael Connelly, the MS patient who Damien befriends at the home. It really is hard to believe these two fine actors aren't truly paralyzed. (Some of the audience thought they were.) Romola Gorai is the most likable of the bunch (how politically incorrect!) as the blonde the boys meet in a bar and convince to become their paid caretaker.

O'Donnell manages to tell this story with extraordinary grace and humor. In the process, he shatters some of our expectations about the physically handicapped, while never forgetting to entertain us. Thank you, and bravo!