Hello readers, are you wearing green today? I’m not the least bit Irish but hey, everyone’s Irish on March 17, right? At least that’s what this Guinness Storehouse sign in Dublin says 🙂

Well, I was going to post a clip of a movie with the word ‘green’ on the title, as there are quite a few: How Green Was My Valley, Green Acres, The Green Mile, Green Card, Fried Green Potatoes, and the one playing in the theater right now, Green Zone. Well, the only one I’ve seen and liked out of these is Stephen King’s prison drama The Green Mile, but given the subject matter, it might be a bit too morose to celebrate this day.

So instead, I picked this one set in Ireland that happens to be one of my favorites: Circle of Friends. I’m a big fan of Minnie Driver, and this is her first lead role in a feature film after numerous TV work in her native England. Set in the 50s, it centers on only child Benny Hogan (Driver) and her childhood friends Eve Malone (Belfast-born Geraldine O’Rawe) and Nan Mahon (Saffron Burrows) as the three begin college life in Dublin. It’s there that she meets the handsome rugby star Jack Foley (Chris O’Donnell) and she falls for him … hard. It’s a touching movie that speaks about friendship, love, family, betrayal, and ultimately forgiveness.

I just saw this again for the second time not that long ago and I just realized Colin Firth plays the cad Simon Westward and another Belfast native Ciaran Hinds as Professor Flynn whom every female student has a crush on.

This fan-made video features the song is You’re the One sung by Shane McGowan and Maire Brennan, which played during the film’s credits:

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Alan Cumming is also pretty memorable (not exactly in a good way) as the creepy slime-ball who has the hots for Benny. The location is definitely a star in its own right here, with the lush Irish hills and the ever-so-charming small Irish towns. Oh and the music definitely puts you in a Gaelic mood.

Dear readers, whatever you’re doing today, may I leave you with this Irish blessing:

May there always be work for your hands to do.
May your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane.
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

(courtesy of IrishPath.com)

Have you seen Circle Of Friends? Let me know what you think!

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