The Pier
After 20 years of no contact with his father, Jack McCarthy (played by Hurley) travels from New York to his father Larry's death bed in Cork. Upon arrival he is furious to find his father alive and well and even more so when he then discovers he can't leave. Soon, father and son are forced to deal with a painful history. At the core of their conflict is Larry's denial about the death of his wife, Jack's mother. The story explores the difficult and painful, but often very hilarious ways they try to communicate. Forging a begrudging peace, the reality of life sets in when Larry discloses to Jack another truth that leads to a final reconciliation.
Details
Release Date: 7/4/2011
Runtime: 84 minutes
Languages: English
Director: Gerard Hurley
00Production
Companies: Black Equus Film, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland
Countries: Ireland
Where to watch · US
Trailer
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Reviews
mainah
https://irishtimes.com/culture/film/the-pier-1.452706 Following a successful screening at last year’s Galway Film Fleadh, Gerard Butler’s pleasant, low-key drama gets a deserved outing at selected cinemas. The Piertells a common story in Irish literature and film: a returning emigrant confronts what has changed and what has remained the same. The director (Gerard Hurley) plays Jack, a man who, told his father is dying, travels from New York to Cork to discover the old codger (Karl Johnson) looking a little healthier than expected. An amusing, touching battle of wills then develops. In between the familial squabbles, Jack engages in a tentative romance with a visiting American, played by an unexpected Lili Taylor. In truth, there isn’t a great deal here we haven’t seen before. The old man represents an older, craggier Ireland. Jack stands in for the generation that yearns to break free. Taylor offers a smidgeon of Hollywood – or at least high-end American indie – glamour. But The Pieris so beautifully played by its committed cast that it proves hard to resist. The scenery is lovely. The dialogue never hits a bum note. And the eventual reconciliation does not feel in any way forced. A small gem.
