| The Commitments | |
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&sq=&lang=&file=File:The_Commitments_poster.png) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Alan Parker |
| Screenplay by | |
| Based on | The Commitments by Roddy Doyle |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Gale Tattersall |
| Edited by | Gerry Hambling |
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Running time | 118 minutes[3] |
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| Language | English |
| Budget | $12–15 million[1][5][6][7] or £5.41 million[8] |
| Box office | $14.9 million |
The Commitments is a 1991 musical comedy-drama film based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Roddy Doyle. It was directed by Alan Parker from a screenplay written by Doyle, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Set in the Northside of Dublin, the film tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), a young music fanatic who assembles a group of working-class youths to form a soul band named "The Commitments". The film is the first in a series known as The Barrytown Trilogy, followed by The Snapper (1993) and The Van (1996).
Producers Lynda Myles and Roger Randall-Cutler acquired the film rights to the novel in 1988, and commissioned Doyle, a first-time screenwriter, to write an adaptation. Doyle spent one year working on the script before Myles brought in veteran screenwriters Clement and La Frenais to help complete it. Upon reading the novel, Parker signed on as the film's director in 1989. An international co-production between Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom, The Commitments was the first film produced by Beacon Pictures, which provided an estimated budget of $12–15 million. The film's young lead actors were mostly inexperienced, and were cast because of their musical backgrounds and resemblance to the characters in the novel. Principal photography took place in Dublin, from late August to October, 1990.
The Commitments underperformed at the North American box office, grossing $14.9 million during its theatrical run. Reviewers praised the music, performances and humour, while criticism was occasionally aimed at the pacing and Parker's direction. The film resulted in two soundtrack albums released by MCA Records; the first reached number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart and achieved triple-platinum status, while the second album achieved gold sales status. At the 1992 British Academy Film Awards, the film won four of six BAFTA Awards for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing. The film has since gained cult status.
- ^ a b c d "AFI Catalog". American Film Institute. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ Groves, Don (3 May 1993). "Beacon, J&M pact for pix". Variety. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "The Commitments (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 10 July 1991. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ^ Rockett 1996, p. 200
- ^ Gritten, David (11 August 1991). "MOVIES : Irish Soul : How Alan Parker drew upon the working-class kids of Dublin to power his movie 'The Commitments,' about a fictional Irish band". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 November 2010.
- ^ Pettitt 1992, p. 35
- ^ Ryan, Tom (25 September 1991). "Surprise! A musical without the schmaltz". The Age. Melbourne. p. 25.
- ^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s – An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 20.