On Broadway

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Jack O'Toole's beloved uncle Pete dies unexpectedly. After the wake, Jack decides to write a play based on the wake and to celebrate the life of his uncle. With the help of his fellow Boston friends, he attempts to put on the production of the play, even if it means having it performed in a little Irish Pub.

Written and directed by Dave McLaughlin and starring Joseph McIntyre, the wonderful film was a joy to watch. I loved the whole cast, they were well written and the actors did a great job. I was very impressed by Joseph McIntyre, he has come a long nicely since his early days as a member of New Kids on the Block. I also enjoyed the small role that Mike O'Malley played. The soundtrack was also amazing, the songs fit the story perfectly.

Dave McLaughlin, Joseph McIntyre, and Lance Greene were at the festival and they were all very nice. I hope this film gets a wider release after the festival circuit. I know a lot of people will enjoy the film and be entertained by it. It's a nice film about friends and family and how important they all are. Look for this film, see it, then spread the word.

I saw On Broadway at the IFF Boston in a packed theater. I was not expecting much going in but to my surprise I really enjoyed it. The story was uplifting with a good balance of comedy and drama, despite the fact the film starts out with and revolves around a fatal accident. It is the characters themselves that bring the film to life and carry it through to the end. Superb storytelling with both touching emotional moments and character dialogue that made me laugh throughout. In the end, the film has a redeeming quality that leaves you satisfied as you exit the theater. Even weeks later, I find myself repeating joke or piece of dialogue from the film that made me laugh. Probably the best independent film I've seen this year and definitely worthy of a place on the DVD rack.

On Broadway is the first film that I have seen that truly captures the intensity, rich tradition and beauty of Boston and its people.

It is a great story and it is incredibly believable. The shots of Boston are fantastic. There were so many moments that I smiled or laughed right out loud because the dialogue could easily have come from my own family, both past and present.

There were several scenes where the plot could have taken a turn towards something more risqué, violent or crude. But Dave McLaughlin did a fantastic job at implying intimacy and the tension that existed in the family without ever cheapening the film.

So many other film makers begin with a mediocre story and fill in the blanks with a bunch of "F'ing" this and "F'ing" that and as much sex as possible. He has an amazing story, great character development and he used "real" Boston shots.

Unlike so many other films set in Boston, all of the actors resisted the temptation to over emphasize the Boston accent. Again, it just felt natural.

The film portrays the city as physically beautiful, spirited and artistic. That's a far cry from the plethora of films in the past that portray us all as one dimensional drunken Red Sox loving/Yankee Hating jerks who can't "tawk" right. Don't get me wrong...the evil empire still must fall...but there's more to us than just that.

And contrary to what recent films would have you believe, we are not a bunch of gangsters or thugs. While those films may be entertaining, the story in On Broadway reminds us what loyalty, family and tradition really mean.

A great film that should not be missed.

Set in the Irish Catholic neighborhood in south Boston, on Broadway is a worthwhile film about family, friends and the courage to follow a dream - no matter what. I had the opportunity to see the film at the Phoenix film festival, where it was the Sundance Channel Audience Award Winner. I was moved by the relationships among the characters. The film is well acted and well cast. The soundtrack was perfect for the movie.

Dave McLaughlin, writer and director, was at the film festival. Not only is he very talented, but also a genuinely nice person.

For me, a movie where I can laugh and cry is a winner. On Broadway has it all. I hope this film gets wide release.

On Broadway offers you something you don't find outside of the world of cartoons - a movie you can bring your children to, where you'll share a joke with them, but it definitely give you something to talk about after. It is a movie about family, about needing to talk, wanting to give voice to, of wanting and needing to connect. It deals with loss, with setbacks and with redemption. And it does all this with a steady undercurrent of humor.

The timing of the humor is dead on - a task that is more difficult than you think. We've all suffered through books that promise humor or movies that are suppose to be hilarious - On Broadway's humor is subtle at times and sometimes very direct but it doesn't miss a beat. The old adage it is better to laugh than to cry is captured succinctly in this movie. It brings to mind My Big Fat Greek Wedding in the sense, that families and traditions are funny, but what is most endearing is how you suffer through them.

It is not a glossy presentation - it is filmed more in the tradition of you being right there in the room with them, the camera angles can be close, ajar. The lighting and texture grainy, but that's what makes you realize that you are not sitting on your couch watching a polished sitcom, you are watching life.

For me it was the humor of the piece and the sincerity of the intent of the protagonist that worked its magic.

McLaughlin has assembled a talented cast to tell the tale of a family and a dream. Arnett practically steals the show. McIntyre is good as is Dushku; you never question their characters believability. Flint lacks a bit (from my point of view) but my husband and his friends - yes all male - thought she was great and very believable, ah the male perspective. Poehler in her cameo was wonderful; Lawler too also wonderful. Vincent Dowling wonderful. There are many supporting characters or cameo characters - McIntyre's sister Judy actually has a small role but is great at execution - again an example of the humor hitting the right note. O'Malley, Greene and Wahlberg could have given a bit more, at times they are a little flat, but they are by no means lacking in their commitment. Lucas Caleb Rooney, although a stereotype of sorts (isn't everyone in a play, movie or book a stereotype?) plays his part well. The actress that plays McIntyre's mother, also nails her pieces with such Irish ferocity that you don't question she is indeed an Irish mother.

On Broadway is a wonderful movie about family and connections. It celebrates the Boston Irish but it more importantly, it celebrates the trials, tribulations and jubilation that is LIFE. Go see it, you'll feel good afterward, I promise.