Too much of everything

That was an excellent one.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

As a general rule, I am picky about adaptations of books on the big screen, but there is much to love about this version of Maeve Binchy's excellent novel. I loved the book from the first time I read it, and was delighted to find a film version to rent. The cast are really very good and the movie is well-written and directed. Minnie Driver is wonderful as Benny, with Chris O'Donnell portraying a slightly more sympathetic Jack than the selfish young man in the novel, and excellent support from Geraldine O'Rawe, Saffron Burrows, Alan Cumming and Colin Firth (getting to play a cad rather than the hero for a change).There are, of course, some major differences from the novel but nonetheless the film works, in and of itself, and it is still extremely enjoyable. I can accept that for a Hollywood movie, a more conclusive ending was required than that provided by Binchy in the book, and it was made believable by the chemistry between Driver and O'Donnell in the last few scenes.I would agree that the sexual life of savages would be an unlikely subject for first year students in 1950s Ireland, but I like Ciaran Hinds as the lecturer, so I'll let it go...I also would have liked to see more of Binchy's supporting cast make it into the movie - Mother Francis, for example, who brought up Eve, or some of the other friends outside of the college group such as Clodagh or Fonzie. Obviously a film has limitations that do not hinder an author, but I would also have liked there to have been more back story for Nan - just why she chooses Simon, for example. And I could always use more interaction between Eve and Aidan, whose scenes in the book are richly comic and translate very well onto the screen.Despite my quibbles, I have always liked this film, and I would recommend it to most people, whether they have read the book or not, for its entertainment value.

I was glad to see Chris O'Donnell in this movie. He did this to show the Irish side of him. As an Irishwoman, I loved that. O'Donnell shines as Jack Foley, the good-looking Rugby star who falls in love with Benny (Driver). O'Donnell plays Foley with suavity, sympathy & class. You like him; even when you find out about Nan. He just has a way of making you swoon. And I loved the accent. My favorite scene in this movie is Jack in a tuxedo. Talk about hot! Chris O'Donnell has always been good-looking, but wearing that tuxedo & speaking with an Irish accent made me swoon.Driver gives a star-is-born performance as Benny, the 'ordinary' girl who dreams of more than Knockglen. You feel her pain as she deals her whole life with not being the beauty Nan is; & cheer when Jack tells her he loves her.I discovered what a talent Alan Cumming is. His portrayal of Sean Walsh gave me the creeps; yet I kept hoping for more screen time. Geraldine O'Rawe is another breakthrough performance as Eve. She is a loyal friend to Benny & a joy to watch on screen. Her beauty & grace are unmatched in this film.A very sweet movie & a good addition to anyone's collection. If you are Irish, rent & enjoy this gem. If you are not, rent anyways. It just proves that sometimes the person you want may not be out of reach. Sometimes dreams do come true.

This was the first film of Minnie Driver I ever saw and I loved her in this role as the main character Benny (or Ben as her friends call her) whose coming of age story is told within the full circle of the film as is that of her friends. If you see Driver in this, she is a far cry from the glamour puss she has become today in Hollywood films, but her acting is still just as superb. I truly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone with a taste or stamina for bawdy Irish jokes, rawness one only sees from the other-side of the pond from time to time and heartbreak that exists in the lives of everyone especially those just getting to know the world for what it truly is. Chris O' Donnell also appears in the film, as the charming young lad Benny falls in love with. Alan Cumming (in another stereotypically sinister role), Colin Firth and Saffron Burrows also co-star.

I absolutely adored this film, and it is the ultimately girly flick which every girl should watch with a big group of her friends! The characters are all so likable, and the settings are wonderful. It is an utterly charming film which you can't help falling in love with. Remarkable performances from Minnie Driver and Chris O'Donnell, and I thought Alan Cumming was great in this role, because he plays nasty so well. Overall, a very beautiful film with a very genuine, lovely story at the centre. It's great! Also, the pure irishness of it just makes you want to get on the next plane to Ireland and experience its beauty and charm first hand. The whole film is simply beautiful and the cinematography is wonderful. This is a top class piece of directing and producing, and brings to life Maeve Binchy's novel perfectly.