Mknk.net

BLACK IRISH

Director: Brad Gann
Stars: Michael Angarano, Brendan Gleeson, Emily VanCamp
Studio: Anywhere Road Entertainment

CAST:

Michael Angarano … Cole
Brendan Gleeson … Desmond
Tom Guiry … Terry
Melissa Leo … Margaret McKay
Emily VanCamp … Kathleen
Michael Rispoli … Joey
Finn Curtin … Coach
Ken Arpino … Valet
Wilson Better … Graves
Francis Capra … Anthony
Mark S. Cartier … Mr. Quint
Peter Darrigo … Track Buddy 1
Bonnie Dennison … Donna O’Leary
Shawn Doherty … Valet 2
William Ellis … Busboy/Student
John Fiore … Orsini
Steve Flynn … Stolen car victim
Joanna Herrington … Mrs. O’Leary
David Ian … Priest
Caryn Andrea Lindsey … Pregnant Girly 1
Andrea Lyman … Nurse
Dave Matt … Valet
Joe McEachern … Cop
Kate Murphy … Restaurant Patron
Kevin O’Donnell … Fired Busboy
Carmel O’Reilly … Sister Agatha
Danielle Perry … Sister Mary Elise
Patrick Pitu … Boy on Bus
David Rasner … Various Voices (voice)
Frank T. Wells … Father Magruder
Bates Wilder … Officer Cowen
Scott Winters … Doctor
Joseph Zamparelli … Track Buddy 2
Peter Ziobro … Bus Stop Patron
Sandra Blaney … Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Christopher Connolly … Detective (uncredited)
Mike Houston … Police Officer (uncredited)
Michael Timothy Kennedy … Baseball Fan (uncredited)
Michael J. Peluso … Teacher (uncredited)
Daniel Lee White … Extra (uncredited)
Donna Wong … Restaurant Patron (uncredited)

SYNOPSIS:

Sixteen-year-old Cole McKay’s struggle for independence is put to the test as his South Boston Irish-Catholic family implodes around him. Older brother Terry is descending into a life of drugs and crime, pregnant sister Kathleen is being sent away to cover the shame of unwed motherhood and Cole’s father, Desmond, spends his days in a fog of alcohol and self-pity, silently torturing himself over what might have been. The one thing keeping young Cole’s head above water is his love of baseball. A talented pitcher, Cole overcomes self-doubt and family indifference to fight his way into the state championships. To get there however, he must make a life and death decision, a decision that will change the McKay family forever.

The term “Black Irish” has also been used pejoratively to describe Irish people from hardscrabble roots: hard-drinking, brawling, of a lower class tracing back to the 19th century American sentiment “Irish Need Not Apply”.