The Van, The Snapper or The Commitments?

mzungu

The Commitments by a long way. The rise and fall (if you can call it that) of the band and was by far the most endearing tale of the trilogy. Who can forget that cover of Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness"? It was great!

Whereas The Van and The Snapper (especially the latter) had arguably more quotable lines, for me there was no heart in them. Jimmy Rabbitte refused to accept his lot. He was neither afraid or ashamed of dreaming big and to want success for its own sake, but to also bring others along on the journey. His self actualisation is the glue that holds the movie together and gives it a relatability that neither The Van or The Snapper had. That scene where Jimmy comes across Wilson Pickett (perhaps?) near the end is always a gut puncher. An ode to the many artists that never quite made it despite huge promise. So close, but yet so far.

The message of the movie can be summed up by this exchange near the end between Jimmy and Joey:

Joey : Look, I know you're hurtin' now, but in time you'll realize what you've achieved.

Jimmy Rabbitte : I've achieved nothing!

Joey : You're missin' the point. The success of the band was irrelevant - you raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure we could have been famous and made albums and stuff, but that would have been predictable. This way it's poetry.

AulWan

Graces7 wrote: »

never heard of them

:eek:

Oh Grace, you are missing out. Get to a library immediately.

Kermit.de.frog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVu9MDE5Sjk

andekwarhola

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

That “two lads” thing is awful indeed. There’s something very patronising about it.

It's right in that cringey RTE type lineage of Twink's charlady etc

Happy4all

andekwarhola wrote: »

It's right in that cringey RTE type lineage of Twink's charlady etc

Two Pints?

I've seen a lot worse.

Better Than Christ

Happy4all wrote: »

Two Pints?

I've seen a lot worse.

I haven't. And I fought in 'Nam.

PTH2009

Expecting one of these possibility all to be remade in the next few years

MrAbyss

PTH2009 wrote: »

Expecting one of these possibility all to be remade in the next few years

The Stunning and Brave Snapper - Sharon is a transgender and zees 'father' has her father's baby and then aborts it after finding out it is going to be a boy as there are enough white male rapists in the world. Georgie Burgess is a climate change activist who gets estrogen so he can breast feed the baby but they all decided to abort it. Eventually after finding a Nigerian sperm donor Georgie has the baby and begins a sexual relationship with it while teaching the boy about what his periods will be like.

Van > Snapper > Commitments.

I didn’t even know any of them were books.

smilerf

Johnny Sausage wrote: »

For me they go

Books: the van, the snapper, the commitments

Films: the snapper, the commitments, the van

I find the van the best of the books to read, it was the first one I'd read of the 3 so maybe it's nostalgia

The snapper is the best film hands down, Georgie burgess

A1 Sharon

I agree the van was an hilarious read

Snapper way out in front with 50% of the total vote so far.

unkel

Read the trilogy by the pool on my summer holidays in '96. Never laughed as much since. Brilliance!

The Van is my favourite. A lot of darkness in it too.

marklazarcovic

Read them all and watched them all, all classics to me ..the music in the commitments is first class, snapper and van characters are hilarious and easy to relate to mostly.

Was on the bus reading the snapper ,and it mentioned the dog ,Larry gogan was his name I believe, first time I ever laughed out loud as I'd seen the movie already and they never called him by name, I'd stumbled onto the snapper flicking through channels late one night..

What a gem.

It BeeMee

I'm fcuked if I know, Terry

The Rape of Lucretia

All three are overflowing with gratuitous vulgar language, even from the younger children, which while maybe accurately reflective of the vernacular of that section of society or areas of Dublin, is most ofputting, and rather spoils them as what might otherwise have been an entertaining glimpse into that particular world.

The Rape of Lucretia

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

All three are overflowing with gratuitous vulgar language, even from the younger children, which while maybe accurately reflective of the vernacular of that section of society or areas of Dublin, is most ofputting, and rather spoils them as what might otherwise have been an entertaining glimpse into that particular world.

Go and ask me bollix

Ken.

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

All three are overflowing with gratuitous vulgar language, even from the younger children, which while maybe accurately reflective of the vernacular of that section of society or areas of Dublin, is most ofputting, and rather spoils them as what might otherwise have been an entertaining glimpse into that particular world.

Aye, and boyz in the hood would have been an interesting look in to south central LA if it wasn't for all the black people in the film.

Johnny Sausage

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

All three are overflowing with gratuitous vulgar language, even from the younger children, which while maybe accurately reflective of the vernacular of that section of society or areas of Dublin, is most ofputting, and rather spoils them as what might otherwise have been an entertaining glimpse into that particular world.

OK Boomer

Johnny Sausage

Johnny Sausage wrote: »

OK Boomer

There’s a phrase needs to be firmly left in the 2010’s.

screamer

Don’t like any of them being honest, coarse and vulgar

Thelonious Monk

I saw a bit of one of them a few years ago and couldn't believe how badly acted and just how bad everything about them was. When the Commitments came out I was about 10 and that it was bleedin' deadly because it was a film set where I'm from. I'd rather watch paint dry.
There really aren't many series or films from Ireland that are classics, none in my opinion.

angel eyes 2012

The Rape of Lucretia wrote: »

All three are overflowing with gratuitous vulgar language, even from the younger children, which while maybe accurately reflective of the vernacular of that section of society or areas of Dublin, is most ofputting, and rather spoils them as what might otherwise have been an entertaining glimpse into that particular world.

In transition year our science teacher used to drag the big VCR and tv into the hall, put on the Commitments or the Snapper and disappear for an hour or two, we got a great education on north-side Dublin culture, music and language that year, although funnily enough I dropped science for the Leaving.

I loved the Snapper when I was younger, but I'd watch the Commitments over the Snapper if both were on now. Joey the Lips Fagan - classic character.

Ipso

[Deleted User] wrote: »

It's funny because they have Dublin accents..

Isn’t that Give up your auld sins?

fonecrusher1

Deleted User wrote: »

It's funny because they have Dublin accents..

Its unbearable for that reason. I'm sure the books are great but the films are awful depressing sh!te.

holly_johnson

I absolutely love the Snapper! Lost count of how many times I’ve seen it. True stories:
I watched it while expecting my daughter. She was born in the Rotunda & weighed 7lb 12oz. When the midwife told me I burst out laughing & said “small turkey, but”. Couldn’t help myself.
I was working in Superquinn when it came out & there was a girl working there called Sharon Curley. I kid you not. The lads on the bacon counter made her life hell singing “hey baby it’s a George porgie” every time they saw her. I think she lasted about a week.
I am in the van. They were filming a scene where they were driving really fast down the hill in Finglas village. I was working in a pharmacy there at the time & convinced the boss to let me do the window display that day so there’s a flash of me in a white coat. Blink & you’d miss it 😂

Dr. Bre

Intermission was better than all three

Dr. Bre

Dr. Bre wrote: »

Intermission was better than all three

The Dublin Pulp Fiction

Sally:
Have I got a ronnie?

Mick:
A what?

Sally:
A ronnie, moustache, like?

Mick:
Show.

Mick:
Well you're no Tom Selleck, but -

Sally:
Ah, go f*** yourself.

seamus

Johnny Sausage wrote: »

Books: the van, the snapper, the commitments

Films: the snapper, the commitments, the van

All of this.

Even in the books, the Dad is the best character, but it's only in The Van that he gets his proper outing.
The Commitments book is good, but it's a bit out of step with the other two; it's more of a musical nostalgia piece, throwing lots of names of artists and songs out. If you were above a certain age or really knew your music then it would mean more to you. But if you're under 50 and not entirely sure who Percy Sledge is and have never head of Wilson Pickett, then the book is much duller than the movie.

The Snapper movie is an absolute classic for reasons that really only Irish people understand.

The Van isn't a bad movie, it's very enjoyable. Just not as good as the other two.

Ush1

I've only watched the films and all are great but favourite would definitely be The Snapper.

"I'm Pedro the sailor man..."

Roddy Doyle is some twat though when you hear him interviewed.

RayCon

The Van , The Snapper , The Commitments in that order for me ...



... although my favourite line is in The Snapper :


"What's it to you who it was?


I couldn't give a ****e who it was. I'm not gonna buy the food, the nappies...or the little bleedin' track suits."