Have you ever held a grudge? Have you ever fought with another member of your family and refused to speak to them ever since? How long would you hold onto that anger and resentment? What if you never get the chance to reconcile before they pass away? Would you regret not having spoken to them?
Scenarios like the one described above happen all the time. Family members become estranged and simply don't know how to "bury the hatchet" so they end up not speaking for years, usually until a family member passes away and they are together at their loved one's funeral realizing that life is simply too short. For the ladies of The Miracle Club, That is exactly what happened when their dear friend passed away.
Chrissie (Laura Linney; The Savages) left Dublin forty years ago and never looked back. Her father was deceased and her mother banished her after she became pregnant at seventeen. Having moved to America, Chrissie never spoke to her mother again. She also never spoke to her friend, Eileen (Kathy Bates; Misery), or her boyfriend's mother, Lily (Maggie Smith; The Harry Potter series) again. Lily's son/Chrissie's boyfriend, Declan, tragically drowned, despite having been a strong swimmer, after Chrissie left Ireland.
Suddenly, older and wiser, Chrissie finds herself back in Dublin to attend her mother's funeral. However, what she encounters is anger and bitterness from Eileen and Lily for having "abandoned' her mother. She also is given a letter written by her mother before her passing.
While in Dublin, Chrissie learns that her mother had organized a talent contest with the first prize being 2 tickets to Lourdes, France where the frigid waters of the baths supposedly heal the sick. Despite her misgivings, Chrissie decides to join Eileen and Lily in place of her mother on the trip. Throughout the journey, the women learn the truth of what happened all those years ago and end up at peace as they forgive each other and themselves.
The three leading ladies are phenomenal both individually and in their interactions with each other. The story takes them on an emotional ride while they head to France and back and all three veteran actors offer excellent and emotional performances. Linney gives audiences a masterclass in emotion as tears gently fall down her cheeks while she displays a hint of a smile relaying the bittersweet feelings she has being back in Dublin to bury her mother. Bates is fiery and feisty as she portrays a tough, Irish woman and Smith provides a bit of tenderness as she comes across as melancholy, lamenting her only child's death.
As one can imagine the visuals in both Dublin and Lourdes are stunning and director Thaddeus O'Sullivan (December Bride) showcases them well while not taking away from the story. Unfortunately, the story is the main problem with The Miracle Club. Clichés and standard tropes litter the plot from start to finish and stereotypical settings and characters don't give the cast enough of a challenge.
The Miracle Club has several messages to offer...from not holding grudges to believing in miracles, and it delivers them pragmatically. It takes the audience on the emotional journey these women encounter and one can't help but leave the theater with tears in one's eyes and staining one's cheeks.
As much as the lesson is meant to be uplifting, the film left me depressed as I thought about all those wasted years Chrissie spent away from her mother and the life lost when Declan drowned. If you want some terrific performances, a decent script, and wonderful visuals, The Miracle Club should be on your list of movies to see this summer. Just be sure to have a strong drink afterward because you are going to need it.=
Grade: C
