The Snapper

Released 1993
Stars Tina Kellegher, Colm Meaney, Ruth McCabe, Pat Laffan
Directed by Stephen Frears
Reviewed April 18, 1998

This is a very funny, heart-warming movie about a man's growth and maturation. The man is Dessie Curley (Colm Meaney) who lives with his wife, Kay (Ruth McCabe), and their six children in a small house on a crowded street in Barrytown, Ireland. The movie opens with the chaos inherent in such a situation. The kids, who are mostly teenagers, are fighting and screaming, but the parents have obviously learned to live with the situation. They're in the kitchen, seemingly unaware of the chaos around them. Sharon, their oldest daughter, chooses this time to drop a bombshell: she's pregnant. She's 20 years old, unmarried, and has no boyfriend.

Dessie is surprised by the news, but he doesn't seem terribly concerned. He asks her several times if she's sure, and she tells him yes. Then he asks who the father is, but Sharon refuses to tell him. Dessie doesn't press her on it. After thinking a bit, he decides there's nothing more that can be done, so he's off to the pub. During the conversation, you get the feeling Dessie's itching to go. It's not that he doesn't care. He's a loving father, but he wants to be loving from a distance. He doesn't really want to get involved in the day-to-day events/concerns of the kids. Maybe this is the only way a man could survive in such chaotic quarters, but this pregnancy will change him.

The identity of the father provides the majority of the plot in this movie. Sharon steadfastly refuses to name him. Her family and friends try to guess who it is, and they keep questioning her. They're correct in doing so, because it's important. The father should take responsibility and help her in one way or another. Eventually we do learn who he is, and then we understand her silence. Even after we know who he is, his identity continues to provide the plot because of who he is.

One great thing about "The Snapper" is that Sharon doesn't portray herself as a victim. She accepts full responsibility for what she did, and she doesn't blame the baby's father. This lends nobility to her character, and it makes for an interesting dynamic for her father. She's an adult and claims responsibility, so what should he do? Should he find the father and make him pay for "wronging his daughter?" No, Sharon doesn't want him to. The amazing thing is she doesn't feel wronged, and all she wants from her dad is love and support. He has no problem with the love, but he doesn't know how to provide the support yet.

Most of this movie is quite funny, but there's a great deal of pain as well. After the town learns the father's name, the Curley family comes under attack. The kids take abuse from schoolmates, and Dessie hears things and possibly imagines things in the pub. This leads to fights. The baby's father and his family take abuse, as well, and they're devastated by this event. Mostly, though, Sharon bears the brunt. As she walks between home and work, her neighbors call her "slut" and make foul remarks. They snicker and torment her endlessly. It reminded me of "The Scarlet Letter," except Sharon wears her pregnant belly instead of a letter. She's stoic throughout the abuse, though. It cuts her to the bone, but she takes it. It would be so easy for her to tell everyone the truth. She could play the victim, and everyone would help her. She doesn't, though. She holds her head up and takes it.

As I said before, this movie is not really about Sharon's pregnancy. It's about how how Dessie grows and matures because of it. He's in his forties, and things were quite different for fathers of that generation. They weren't as involved as they are now. I won't give away details, but one example for Dessie is he didn't attend his children's births. Because his daughter has no one to help her, he realizes she needs a father for the baby more than she needs a grandfather. This propels him into the 1990's, and he's thrilled with everything he learns about women and babies.

There's also great tenderness in this film. The most tender scene to me is when Dessie and Kay are in bed, and we realize he's trying to learn how to perform foreplay. This may sound outrageously offensive, but it's not. Nothing is shown and little is said, but we eventually discern what's happening. I can only admire a man who's been married for over 20 years, who wants to improve his relationship with his wife. When I was young, my mother once told me that a person never really grows up. Instead, you spend your entire life learning and growing. It was a thrill watching Dessie break out of his rut and grow. As a result, he improves his relationships with his entire family.

This is a very funny, heart-warming, and sometimes painful movie. Most of all, it's a great experience.

Reviewed by Bill Alward  Home

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