This is the tragic Ireland of "The Field" and "Falling for a Dancer", and "The Wind That Shakes the Barley" and is not to be confused with John Ford's whimsical Ireland of "The Quiet Man". In this Ireland, no resentment, slight or grudge is ever forgotten by this or succeeding generations. People are held in esteem not for their achievements, but for their place in a hierarchy of which ownership of land is the peak. The church rules with a tyrannical iron fist, and any attempt to escape the established order is met with the threat of eternal damnation, for it is essential to keep the people in the place to which they were born.This review may contain spoilers ahead.The story focuses on Keiran was a "poorhouse bastard" and was regarded as the lowest form of life. He was taken in by a childless couple of tenant farmers to work their land in return for his keep. Sadly, there was no way he could ever improve his lot. Being illegitimate barred him from entering the church as a priest, and being poor and landless barred him from any education or advancement in any way, not to mention marriage prospects. I was not sure whether Keiran was a little "slow" or whether he was a result of a brutal poorhouse childhood and inadequate education. When Keiran had the misfortune to fall in love with the daughter of the widowed owner of the farm, this was considered an affront to their little hierarchy. Marriage was out of the question, at least to each other. Propriety demanded that the girl be married off as quickly as possible and a suitable widower or older bachelor would be found. A similar situation occurred in another Aidan Quinn film, The "Playboys" where the young woman outraged and scandalized the village for staying unmarried.There was not a flawed performance in this film and it was wonderful to see Irish actor Donal Donnelly again as Mr. Mahney, especially when he cursed the spiteful widow, and her all descendants who remained in Ireland, for the grief she had wrought. I found myself thinking "Now that's a curse!" through my soaked Kleenex.It used to be that women watched tearjerkers for a good cry, which made them feel better. The popular British singer, Gracie Fields, had a song which went: "Oh I never cried so much in all me life" yet you knew she had enjoyed her good weep. This film, which has all the tragedy of a modern day Romeo and Juliet, is that kind of experience. The tears will flow, but you want to watch it again for the release of having a good cry.I gave it a rating of 9 as I felt that the story line involving the nephew and the local girls was corny and could have been cut out completely. It did nothing for the narrative flow. Although it is used often in books, I don't care for the device where someone is exploring the past in flash back/flash forward while re-enacting the same events. It was used in "Heat and Dust". I find it tedious and wishing that they would get back to the main story.Overall, I would highly recommend this film.

The Quinn brothers have created one of the most affecting films I've seen. In fact, I have not been able to forget this film. It deals with the effect of organized religion on ordinary people. It also deals with the strict class system in Ireland. When the monied class is combined with the local religious authority, the results can be devastating. James Caan gives a beautiful, gentle, thoughtful performance. Every part of this film is right on. The scenes of Ireland, the time period, costumes, the look of the characters. The story is a very human tale. We are likely to wish to know whatever secrets our family may have. Yet, there is certain fear that this knowledge may change our love and family dynamic. The past forms the present and the future, if we know it or not.

Overall, I was very disappointed by what could have been a much more interesting and compelling story. James Caan and Aidan Quinn, such terrific actors, are so watered down by lines that just drag by, in the ordinary and unmoving. Many of the scenes, perceived as fragmented, fail at supporting cohesion for the movie's larger direction and development. Kiernan Johnson (James Caan) is a Chicago, history high school teacher, who returns to Ireland, to learn about the history of his father, dating back to 1939. Meanwhile, his mother, Fiona, (Francoise Graton) is hanging onto to her life, subsequent to suffering a stroke. Kiernan's sister, cares for Fiona. Young Jack (Jacob Tierney), Kiernan's nephew joins him in this historical journey, to the home roots of Ireland. Kiernan, via telephone reads his father's loving words, that he wrote to, Fiona, age seventeen, the time in which her mother, wrongly accuses Kiernan O'Day (Aidan Quinn) of raping her daughter, and hence preventing their marriage. But the two mutually consummate their relationship before marriage. Kiernan is a dedicated man of the land and agriculture, and Fiona (Moya Farrelly) is grounded and passionate in her love for Kiernan. The pressure for Kiernan to run away with Fiona and clear his conscious of the fat and guilt laden Catholic Irish tradition is too much for him to bear. He hangs himself at the gift tree, where the two would leave presents for one another.There is also an interesting scene with John Cusak as Eddie Sharp, an American pilot drawn to the land of roots. The play on contrasts and similarities to young Kiernan and Fiona are then more evident. Difficult depictions of 1939 Ireland are cumbersome and the actors do so well, under much less than favorable conditions, religious, societal, and cultural. Agricultural work is physically demanding and even the strongly built Kiernan O'Day is unable to survive the psychological terrain, reinforced by priest Mooney (Stephen Rea), who stops after excavating fault, leaving a mess, with no intent to fill in the now empty spaces with love, life, and forgiveness, also represented by Jesus, but ignored by the single minded priest. Kiernan is a subject of Mooney's demise and the outcome is a tragic death. Mooney is probably the most convincing actor, one we despise, for lack of any humanity in relating to his congregation. He is so disconnected from them, and the absurdity of it all, really diminishes our preconceived notions of understanding Kiernan. For we think that Kiernan is much too smart and intelligent, than to be bull-dozed over by a priest, whose only interest is objectifying people into the perfection of his perceived Christianity.The film is a stark depiction of Ireland 1939, one that we can all learn from, by such grueling and inhuman preaching and societal shaping of the period. Unfortunately, the script falls short of truly capturing one's heart, mind, and soul in the way that it really should, despite such tedious subject matter. The story would have probably been better served if Kiernan Johnson's sister joined her brother and son. It looks like she could have used the vacation too.

Paul Quinn, the director of "This is my father", shows a tremendous talent for bringing this fine layered story to the screen. Working on his own screen play, he was obviously the right person to be at the helm of this fine film. It appears that he got a lot of help, not only of his own brothers, but from a lot of well meaning people in this production.If you haven't watched the film, maybe you should stop reading.The film focuses on Kieran Johnson, the Chicago schoolteacher, ones encounters at the beginning of the movie with his students. His sick mother, Fiona, is being taken care at home by a daughter, and Kieran helps in his own, limited way. Watching his mother in her sick bed motivates him to go to Ireland in a voyage to discover a part of his life which he never knew.Upon arrival, accompanied by his nephew, they go to the rural area where his mother rears from. They get to stay at a modest bed and breakfast run by a greedy man. Seamus' old mother holds the key to the mystery surrounding how he came to be born and to know the truth about what happened to his mother. In the process we are taken in flashbacks to another era.Kieran O'Day, is a young man working in a small farm with the Meaneys. Beautiful Fiona is a local girl living with a widowed mother. It's obvious from the start these two like one another in more ways than meet the eye. The local town is dominated by the ruthless priests that see smut and lewdness in every one in the small town. In fact, most of what derails the lives of all of the people in the story seems to have been caused by the narrow mindedness of the clergy that held such a grip in the Irish society of the time.Kieran and Fiona eventually realize the love they feel for one another, but fate will come between them in unexpected ways. The film ends in tragedy, as Kieran Johnson gets to know that O'Day was his father and what became of him.In a lovely sequence, we watch as young Kieran and Fiona make a detour to a nearby beach because the car they've been traveling breaks down. While walking in the beach, they witness as a single engine plane come for a landing near them. They meet the American pilot, Eddie Sharp, a National Geographic photographer, who is taking pictures of Ireland. It's a lovely moment where the would-be-lovers interplay with the stranger and all seem to be at peace. Eddie is responsible for taking the only picture where Kieran and Fiona are seen together. That is the only clue left for their son to go on his search for their past.The amazing, largely Irish, cast do an outstanding job in recreating the people in the story. Moya Farrelly, the lovely young Fiona, is one of the best things in the film. Aidan Quinn, as Kieran, delivers a good performance in his portrayal of this lonely man of the country who finds love that proves to be fatal. James Caan, as Kieran Johnson, has some good moments, but of course, he is only seen in a few key scenes. John Cusack's contribution as the friendly aviator is one of the highlights of the movie.The supporting cast makes the film what it is. Colm Meany, Donald Donnelly, Gina Moxley, Brendan Gleeson, Stephen Rea, Moira Deady, among others, are the main reason for watching the movie. Most of them have had better opportunities in other movies, but as an ensemble they respond to Mr. Quinn's direction.Congratulations to Paul Quinn. We wish him well in whatever project he decides to direct!