The Quiet Girl

Composite Score: 86.67

Starring: Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett, Catherine Clinch, Michael Patric, Kate Nic Chonaonaigh, Joan Sheehy, Tara Faughnan, Pádraig Ó Se, Breandán Ó Duinnshleibhe, and Sean Ó Súilleabháin

Director: Colm Bairéad

Writer: Colm Bairéad

Genres: Drama, Coming-of-Age

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some strong language and smoking

Box Office: $6.79 million worldwide

My take on Watching This Film:

                The Quiet Girl is Colm Bairéad’s film adaptation of Claire Keegan’s short story “Foster” about an Irish girl who spends the summer away from her neglectful family with her mother’s middle-aged cousin and her husband on their farm in southern Ireland. The film, which is mostly in the Irish language, stars Catherine Clinch as the titular girl, Cáit, alongside Carrie Crowley and Andrew Bennett as her caretakers Eibhlín and Seán Kinsella and Michael Patric and Kate Nic Chonaonaigh as her parents. Its story is simple, following Cáit as she spends the summer being treated with love by her distant relatives, experiencing for the first time what a healthy home full of love might be like. At the same time, the film leaves a heavy impact, not just in its closing emotional moments at the close of summer but in its examination of the importance of love of all kinds in the life of a child as they develop. The contrast between the neglect she experiences at her own home at the film’s start and the attention and, yes, love she receives over the summer is a clear indicator of how we ought to treat the young people in our lives. If you want to get technical about it, every one of the Five Love Languages are on display at some point in the film. Where her parents never gave her anything beyond the barest needs, the Kinsellas buy her a nice dress and offer her sweets. Where her mother is never present and her father only begrudgingly picks her up from school, Eibhlín invites her to work around the house with her, and Seán takes her around the farm on his various errands. Where Cáit’s parents won’t even make lunch for her and her sisters, Eibhlín teaches her how to read. Where there’s never a moment of physical intimacy offered by either of her parents, Eibhlín brushes her hair and bathes her, and we even see a hug between Cáit and Seán. Where her parents label her as a “wanderer” (derogatory) and as someone who can stay away as long as she likes, every word from the Kinsellas is one that’s carefully thought out in how it could impact a child like Cáit. Even the love that she witnesses between her two contrasting pairs of parents is different. Between her father and mother, Cáit sees only secrets, arguments, and selfishness. On the other hand, the love shown between Eibhlín and Seán is genuine, hard fought, and tender. Everything about this film and the way that it’s crafted screams about the need for love in our own lives, which can then spread to the lives of those around us and make the difference that they need. The Quiet Girl tells a beautifully crafted story about the impact of love and its importance in children as they develop within a deeply moving narrative that’s sure to stick with you, earning its spot among the film greats. Some people might be put off by its simple pacing and use of Irish rather than English, but it’s only a little over an hour and a half in length and definitely worth the commitment of that time. Currently, you can stream it on Hulu if you’d like to give it a shot.