Waking Ned Devine

Every Saturday night, in a tiny village in Southern Ireland, Jackie O’Shea sits down in front of his TV and checks his lottery numbers. One day he discovers that someone from his own village has won and suggests to his lifelong friend Michael O’Sullivan, that they should track down the winner, befriend them and share in the jackpot. After several false leads, they eventually discover the Winner: Ned Devine. Unfortunately, Ned is dead in his bed with the winning ticket in his hand and a winning smile on his face. Ned has no family and the ticket will go unclaimed. Jackie and Michael decide to impersonate him and claim the money on his behalf. As the story of the big lottery win unfolds so does the life and characters of the village: the jaunty Pigg Finn who is continually spurned by his lover Maggie because he smells of his pigs, the dotty postmistress; and the selfish “witch who burrs angrily about the town on an motorised perambulator. The film is filled with wonderful, magical moments and excursions into humour guaranteed to provoke laughter. Who can miss the comedy inherent in the sight of a buck-naked old man zipping along the roads around Tullymore on a motor scooter? For the most part, the humour in Waking Ned Devine is innocent, although there are a few biting gems in the dialogue. For example, this is one child’s assessment of why he can’t be a priest: “I don’t think I could work for someone I never met and not get paid for.”

Ireland
95'
1998

Director
Kirk Jones

Script
Kirk Jones

Cinematography
Henry Braham

Editing
Alan Strachan

Cast
Brendan F. Dempsey
David Kelly
Eileen Dromey
Fionnula Flanagan
Ian Inside
James Nesbitt
Jimmy Keogh
Susan Lynch

Music
Shaun Davey

Awards
Best actor Comedie Alp
Critics' Award
Ft. Laudendale
Paris
Public Prize
Special Jury Prize

Festivals
5th Festival on Wheels
EUROPE EUROPE