Circle of Friends (1995 film)
| Circle of Friends | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster
|
|
| Directed by | Pat O'Connor |
| Written by | Andrew Davies |
| Based on |
Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy |
| Starring | |
| Edited by | John Jympson |
| Distributed by |
Savoy Pictures Cineplex Odeon Films (Canada) Rank Organisation (UK) |
|
Release date
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March 17, 1995 |
|
Running time
|
103 minutes |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $45 million |
Circle of Friends is a 1995 film directed by Irish filmmaker Pat O'Connor, and based on the novel of the same name written by Maeve Binchy.
The movie was well received by critics and was a box office success.
Set in 1950s Ireland, the film focuses on the experiences of Bernadette "Benny" Hogan and her two friends, Eve Malone and Nan Mahon. They are characterised early on in childhood, during their First Communion: Benny is the beloved and well-fed only child, Eve the orphan raised by nuns and Nan is destined to be defined by her beauty. The three girls grow up in the small town of Knockglen. Skip to eight years later: Nan has moved on to Dublin years earlier, and Benny and Eve have graduated from the local convent school and are heading to Dublin to attend university.
Eve's education is financed by the local wealthy Westward Protestant family, The family has also willed to her a cottage on their property. Eve boards at a convent in Dublin, while Benny must commute daily between home and Dublin, her parents being loath to let her go. They would prefer she marry the loathsome and creepy Sean Walsh, her father's faithful employee at his tailor shop.
Once in Dublin the two girls reconnect with a mature and sophisticated Nan who is quite aware of her bewitching effect on the opposite sex. Benny eventually falls in love with Jack Foley, a handsome rugby player and doctor's son, studying medicine and expected to follow in his father's footsteps, though he is not quite convinced that this is the career for him. After the College Ball, Benny and Jack begin a relationship, Eve starts to date Aidan, a friend of Jack's, and Nan becomes involved with the much older Simon Westward, who the group ran into as they entered the dance and whom Nan "accidentally" arranged to run into at a lunch. While Benny is able to resist a physical relationship with Jack, Nan is not and believes that Simon truly loves her.
When Benny's father dies suddenly, she is forced to suspend her university studies to take care of her mother who is devastated by her husband's passing, and to run the family shop. Sean Walsh attempts to woo her into marriage. Benny notices the accounts of the prosperous Hogan business are missing significant funds, creating a mystery over double entry bookkeeping. She suspects Sean has something to do with it but has no proof.
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