The Commitments (1991)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
11 wins & 13 nominations total
The Commitments is a vibrantly funny and blissfully heartfelt ode to the power of music.
The Commitments is a film that will have you tapping your feet and singing along to the soulful tunes of a group of young Dubliners. Director Alan Parker captures the gritty reality of the working-class origins of his characters, while also delivering explosive musical sequences that will leave you wanting more. The cast, though young and inexperienced, bring a poignant believability to their roles. This joyous ’90s musical-drama may have lots of profanity, but it’s downright irresistible and will leave you with a smile on your face long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Pathé Consortium Cinéma Indusfilms Société Nouvelle Pathé Cinéma
Distributor
20th Century Fox, MGM/UA Home Entertainment Inc.
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
St Francis Xavier’s Church, Gardiner Street, Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
1991
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 57m
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Language(s):English, Irish, Gaelic
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 14, 1991 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 2, 1999
Genre(s)
Music
Keyword(s)
starring Robert Arkins, Johnny Murphy, Angeline Ball, Michael Aherne, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan, directed by Alan Parker, written by Ian La Frenais, Dick Clement, Roddy Doyle, genre: Music, box office performance: $13.9M, reviewed by Patrick Z McGavin, Leonard Pitts Jr., Owen Gleiberman, Richard Corliss, Variety Staff, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Travis Johnson, David Nusair, Harriet Waugh, Renee Schonfeld, Dustin Putman, Brian Orndorf, MPAA rating: R, produced by Lynda Myles, Roger Randall-Cutler
Worldwide gross: $14,919,570
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $32,933,326
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,514
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,591,421
US/Canada gross: $14,919,570
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $32,933,326
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,248
US/Canada opening weekend: $271,333
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $598,938
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,364
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $12,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $26,488,693
Production budget ranking: 1,225
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $14,264,161
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$7,819,528
ROI to date (est.): -19%
ROI ranking: 1,495
Johnny Murphy – Joey ‘The Lips’ Fagan, Trumpet
Angeline Ball – Imelda Quirke, Backup Singer
Michael Aherne – Steven Clifford, Piano
Maria Doyle Kennedy – Natalie Murphy, Backup Singer
Dave Finnegan – Mickah Wallace, Drums
Director(s)
Alan Parker
Writer(s)
Ian La Frenais, Dick Clement, Roddy Doyle, Roddy Doyle
Producer(s)
Lynda Myles, Roger Randall-Cutler
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
11 wins & 13 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (5)
The Commitments is possibly Parker’s most personal film, his own working-class origins in the north London borough of Islington paralleling those of his characters.
May 24, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Patrick Z. McGavin
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The locations have a certain grimy reality. The musical sequences are downright combustible, exploding off the screen. And the cast — young and inexperienced as they are — manage to convey poignant believability.
August 17, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Leonard Pitts Jr.
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
The film offers no message, no solutions, only a great time at the movies.
August 20, 2008
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Director Alan Parker’s story of a band of young Dubliners playing American ’60s soul is fresh, well-executed and original.
March 10, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
This is probably Alan Parker’s best film, in part because it’s one of his most modest.
March 10, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
At base The Commitments is about the common experiences and emotions that unite us.
October 24, 2021
Travis Johnson
sbs.com.au
Filmmaker Alan Parker does a superb job of instantly luring the viewer into the deliberately-paced proceedings…
March 28, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
It is fun, warm, moving, lively — an altogether enjoyable film.
July 19, 2018
Harriet Waugh
The Spectator
Joyous ’90s musical-drama has lots of profanity.
September 6, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Renee Schonfeld
Common Sense Media
Memorable, lingering in one’s mind after it has ended. Perhaps, in the end, it’s a tad wiser than it initially lets on.
August 29, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
Dustin Putman
TheBluFile.com
It’s a relaxed, colorful creation, remaining true to rascally human behaviors while respecting the unifying power of music. Downright irresistible.
August 16, 2011 | Rating: A-
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com…
Plot
Funny, musical and occasionally dramatic, this is the story of tumultuous rise and fall of a Dublin Soul band, The Commitments. Managed by Jimmy Rabbitte, an unemployed wheeler and dealer with a vision to create “The Worlds Hardest Working Band”.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Commitments features a cast of young and inexperienced actors who manage to convey poignant believability in their performances.
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