The Secret of Roan Inish (1995)
92%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: NA
The Secret of Roan Inish is a gentle fairy tale filled with optimism that’s suitable for the whole family.
The Secret of Roan Inish” is a charming and mystical tale that will transport you to the beautiful landscapes of Ireland. While some critics found it a bit slow-paced, I found it to be a perfect movie to watch on a cozy night in. The story of a young girl searching for her family’s lost connection to the sea and the magical creatures that inhabit it is heartwarming and captivating. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the folklore elements add a touch of enchantment to the film. Overall, “The Secret of Roan Inish” is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good fairy tale with a touch of Irish heritage.
Production Company(ies)
Road Movies Filmproduktion, Argos Films, Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Distributor
Columbia TriStar Home Video, Samuel Goldwyn Company
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
County Donegal, Ireland
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some moments that may be disquieting to small children
Year of Release
1995
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 43m
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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): Jan 21, 1994 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 25, 2000
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Mick Lally, Eileen Colgan, John Lynch, Jeni Courtney, Richard Sheridan, Cillian Byrne, directed by John Sayles, written by John Sayles, drama, PG rating, box office gross $82.6K, reviewed by Anne Billson, Bruce Diones, Lisa Schwarzbaum, Dennis Harvey, Michael Rechtshaffen, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Melinda Miller, Josh Larsen, Emanuel Levy, Robert Roten, Douglas Pratt, Daniel M Kimmel, Maggie Renzi produced, mythical creatures, selkies, Irish folklore, family history, missing baby brother, west coast of Ireland, Roan Inish, small island, ancestral home, seal to human form, gentle fairy tale, optimism, suitable for the whole family
Worldwide gross: $6,159,269
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,111,339
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,900
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,320,757
US/Canada gross: $6,159,269
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $12,111,339
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,561
US/Canada opening weekend: $82,601
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $162,423
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,748
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $3,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,899,080
Production budget ranking: 1,846
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,176,654
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $3,035,605
ROI to date (est.): 33%
ROI ranking: 1,229
Eileen Colgan – Tess
John Lynch – Tadhg
Jeni Courtney – Fiona
Richard Sheridan – Eamon
Cillian Byrne – Jamie
Director(s)
John Sayles
Writer(s)
John Sayles
Producer(s)
Maggie Renzi
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (2)
I wish I liked it more, but there’s more than whiff of worthy Irish heritage in the air, and the story drifts all over the place. I’m afraid I kept drifting off as well.
November 27, 2017
Anne Billson
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The rhythms are placid and the camerawork (by Haskell Wexler) is simple and unfussy. The film’s a charm.
May 3, 2013
Bruce Diones
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: B+
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
John Sayles’ latest marks his entry into family-pic terrain, a crossing that draws pleasant but unexciting results.
March 11, 2008
Dennis Harvey
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Moving from passion fish to mystical seals, versatile filmmaker John Sayles’ latest is a first-rate, all-ages fairy tale steeped in Irish folklore.
March 11, 2008
Michael Rechtshaffen
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
This is all rather low-key and uninsistent, but the settings are gorgeous, and Haskell Wexler’s cinematography makes the most of them.
March 11, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Roan Inish is a beautiful tale of a lovely legend, of love and seals and, instead of giving up your hopes, of giving them a chance to come true.
May 11, 2021
Melinda Miller
Buffalo News
…a story about storytelling, and how folk tales and real life can intermingle.
July 18, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
One of his most accomplished movies, this is Sayles’ corrective fable to a genre thas has favored male protags, exploring another outsider character, a young girl alone in the world.
January 31, 2007 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
May 3, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
A beautifully told faerie tale
June 10, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Douglas Pratt
DVDLaser
April 30, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette…
Plot
10-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie – a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother washed out to sea in a cradle shaped like a boat; someone in the family believes the boy is being raised by the seals. Then Fiona catches sight of a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish and takes an active role in uncovering the secret of Roan Inish.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Secret of Roan Inish stars Jeni Courtney as Fiona, a young Irish girl with an unusual family history.
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