Set in Ireland 1981 and complete with a script in Gaelic, "The Quiet Girl" introduces us to 9-year-old Cait, the odd child in a dingy farm family---the Irish version of white trash. Because she is a kid of few words, Cait doesn't connect with either her parents or her two sisters. Mom is expecting a fourth child and, since Cait is essentially in the way with her quietness, she is sent to live with a distant dairy-farming cousin and wife for the summer.
Naturally, they have their own secrets, issues and challenges getting Cait to open up to them. You watch as small connections are made here and there and, for Cait, a true family bond finally emerges. There are some spoilers I won't give away that make the road rocky for them. At the same time, their lives peel away like onions one layer at a time. It is refreshing to see real people deal with real personal issues. Go figure.
Moreover, Catherine Clinch is an astonishment as Cait. True, she has very little dialogue to remember. But, at the same time, she acts and reacts through the use of body language and it is marvelous.
I always say that the mark of a good motion picture is one that prompts discussion after you leave the theater. And there are some elements at the conclusion that are open-ended and ideal fodder for the car ride home. Indeed, it almost sets up "The Quiet Girl" for a sequel. But that's what every other crappy movie at the multiplex does.
Trust me. "The Quiet Girl" is not like every other movie.
LEN'S RATING: Four stars.
Dinner last night: Taylor Hamburger.
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