Review: A quartet of actresses grace "The Miracle Club"
Monday, July 17, 2023 at 6:30PM by Matt St Clair
Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s The Miracle Club is the latest entry in the multiverse involving pictures where elderly, award-winning actress legends unite Avengers-style for an adventure. However, compared to previous entries in the unofficial multiverse like Book Club, 80 for Brady, and Poms, The Miracle Club is a more profound effort. There are moments of humor to be found in this story about friends coming together for a potentially “last” trip to fulfill an unrealized dream or goal but The Miracle Club leans heavily on the dramatic side.
Set in 1960s Ireland, Oscar winners Kathy Bates and Dame Maggie Smith play Eileen and Lily, two close-knit friends from the working-class village of Ballygar...
Along with young mother Dolly (Agnes O’Casey), they win a pilgrimage to the quaint French town called Lourdes. Things become complicated when former townswoman Chrissie (an exquisite Laura Linney) returns unexpectedly for her recently deceased mother’s funeral after fleeing to the United States 40 years earlier.
Once Chrissie joins the central trio on their trip to Lourdes, all four women go on a personal journey to heal old wounds and ponder the nature of miracles in a place where countless people come searching for one. Meanwhile, as the women decide to take charge and seek out an adventure, the men in their lives learn to value them more once they’re forced to fulfill the tasks these women usually take care of at home.
The film’s effectively unadorned story of togetherness and reconciliation is elevated by its main attraction – the central acting quartet. Quickly after Are You There God?, It’s Me, Margaret., Kathy Bates is once again a scene-stealing riot as Eileen, the outspoken group member who uses humor to cope with a cancer scare. Additionally, Dame Maggie Smith plays the guilt-ridden Lily with the kind of reserve and command one can often expect from her. Then there’s Agnes O’Grady who successfully holds her own against her titan co-stars as the kindly Dolly. Miracle Club being O’Grady’s feature acting debut makes her performance more laudable.
Lastly, we have Laura Linney, the film’s MVP. Linney depicts Chrissie, the story’s catalyst character, with unwavering grace and sly tenacity. As Chrissie persistently tries calling a truce with Lily and Eileen over their decades-long resentment towards her, she simultaneously helps Dolly who is raising a mute son.
All four ladies bring divine wonders to their performances in a picture that is simple in its execution both on a screenwriting and technical level. Nevertheless, the acting along with its depiction of people falling apart and coming together make The Miracle Club a worthwhile film-watching experience. B
Sony Pictures Classic's The Miracle Club is now in limited release.
Reader Comments (3)
Geez, Matt. Laura Linney is in her 50s with an elementary school age kid. That’s elderly?
This is a movie with a very meaningful plot. I love watching this movie. doodle baseball
The Miracle Club offers a thought-provoking questioning of the power of optimistic thinking and manifestation procedures.
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