Almost every movie I can think of where someone has won the lottery, inevitably has the characters clawing over anything and everything that stands in their way. Although Waking Ned Devine has a few moments of greediness, for the most part the villagers are spellbound by the idea of wealth, and, as Jackie O'Shea's wife reminds him, would probably not know what to do with it if they ever received it all for themselves. That's part of what makes it so irresistibly fun.
Jackie O'Shea is played by Ian Bannen and his best friend is Michael O'Sullivan (the sweet and scrawny David Kelly). They get wind of a lucky lotto winner in the smalltown of Tullymore and try to figure out who it is so they can buddy up with them. Alas, it turns out to be old Ned Devine, who has died from the shock of winning almost 7 million pounds. O'Shea and O'Sullivan -- their names sound like a 60s variety show -- try to pull a quick one on the lotto man (Adrian Robinson) by having O'Sullivan impersonate Devine. Things seem fine at first when O'Sullivan provides all of the necessary documentation, but then the lotto observer states he needs to poll several townspeople to make sure O'Sullivan really is Devine.
Here lies the charm of this quaint British film. At this critical crossroad, a lesser movie would have stayed the course with O'Sullivan and O'Shea digging themselves deeper and deeper into a hole. But these are men who know their limitations, and take a decidedly different route -- they bring the whole town into the sting operation. And because writer/director Kirk Jones has already introduced us to many of the townsfolk and their lifestyles, it proves to be a nice touch and a welcome one.
I particularly enjoyed two subplots; one, an ongoing dialogue between a young boy and a priest temporarily stationed at the small town, and two, the budding romance between Finn, the smelly pig farmer, and his true love Maggie (could there be any doubt this would be her name?). Maggie wants to be marry Finn, but can't be close to him for more than a few seconds before his seasoned stench gets the best of her nostrils.
There are some moments of dark humour, particularly in the scene at Ned's house where O'Sullivan mistakes a spilled meal for Devine's intestines, but they are nicely offset by the moments of sheer hilarity, such as the nude motorcycling or the flying phone booths(!).
If you've ever experienced smalltown life first hand, Waking Ned Devine is a familiar and warming movie. You immediately connect with the regulars at the local tavern and see an inviting joy that is transparent at the dinner parties. At the end of the film, there is the possibility of financial wealth and prosperity, but as the characters tastefully toast the memory of Ned Devine, I can't help wonder how much that wealth was really needed to begin with.
