Set in 1967, “The Miracle Club” is a heartwarming film that follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Maggie Smith), Eileen (Kathy Bates) and Dolly (Agnes O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. The film opens at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center July 14.
Continuing is “The Lesson.”
In “The Miracle Club,” when the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Laura Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie, a skeptical traveler, joining in place of her mother. The glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only distancing traits: Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle. Their shared traumas can only be healed by the curative power of love and friendship.
Directed by award-winning Irish filmmaker Thaddeus O’Sullivan, “The Miracle Club” is based on a story by Jimmy Smallhorne, with a screenplay by Smallhorne, Timothy Prager and Joshua D. Maurer.
“The Miracle Club” is showing through July 27.
“The Lesson” tells the story of Liam (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring and ambitious young writer who eagerly accepts a tutoring position at the family estate of his idol, renowned author J.M. Sinclair (Academy Award nominee Richard E. Grant). But soon, Liam realizes that he is ensnared in a web of family secrets, resentment and retribution. Sinclair, his wife Hélène (Academy Award nominee Julie Delpy), and their son Bertie (Stephen McMillan) all guard a dark past, one that threatens Liam’s future, as well as their own. As the lines between master and protégé blur, class, ambition and betrayal become a dangerous combination in this taut noir thriller.
“The Lesson” is showing through July 20.
Learn more about the films, including show times and ticket availability.
