EAMON
Ireland, 2009, 86 minutes, Colour.
Robert Donnelly, Amy Kirwan, Darren Healy.
Directed by Margaret Corkery.
Eamon is a first feature film by Margaret Corkery, maker of a number of short films which won awards.
The story is simple, a focus on a family. The mother, Grace (Amy Kirwan), is self-absorbed, irresponsible – and finds that her mother won’t lend her money. She is absorbed in her young son, Eamon. He is a precocious boy, mollycoddled, sleeping in his mother’s bed and the object of her adoration. She is not married. However, Daniel, the father of Eamon, lives with the family and works to support them. He feels ousted by Grace’s attention to Eamon.
During the school holidays they go for a week to the beach. Grace also becomes involved observing a man who comes to swim every day. At one stage she floats out to see – with Daniel, who doesn’t swim, and Eamon concerned to find her. In the meantime they have no money for Eamon to join the group of young children who are guided each day by an over-exuberant supervisor. When he is excluded from the group, Eamon becomes very moody.
There is a crisis when Grace discovers that the man is married – and also makes an advance on Daniel. This brings the two of them closer together. In a surprise ending, Eamon goes away, hitchhikes in a car and claims that he is an orphan.
1.An interesting film about Ireland? Young adults? The son? The dramatic crisis?
2.The credibility of the plot, Grace and her situation, Daniel and his work, living with the family? Eamon and his age, his relationship with his mother? The holiday at the beach, Grace’s behaviour, Daniel’s reactions? The man, Daniel and the confrontation, the advance? Believable in the circumstances? The reconciliation – and the credibility of Eamon going off at the end?
3.The Irish setting, the suburb, the house, the beach and the coast? The musical score?
4.The character of Eamon, his age, spoilt by his mother, in the house, in the bedroom, ousting Daniel? Getting things that he wanted? But the lack of money in the household? At school, at the beach? Wanting to play, with the children, his enjoying the group, the friends? His not being able to swim well and not going into the water? The tension between Daniel and Grace? His siding with his mother? His mother’s offhanded behaviour and his siding with Daniel? Daniel setting him up to like him? The ending, the tension, his hitchhiking – the credibility of his leaving the parents and denying that they existed?
5.Grace, spoilt, her mother’s rejection of her requests? The suggestion of the beach house? With Daniel? With Eamon? Her complaining, Daniel’s not overtaking the tractor? Setting up the house, concerned about the money? Daniel having the beer, her drinking the white wine? At the beach, ignoring Daniel? Playing with Eamon? Looking at the man, dreaming about him, following him, discovering that he had a wife? The humiliation, finding Daniel with the man? Her change of attitude, going to the bar, the drinks with Daniel, her continued drinking the white wine, the barman telling her to go home? Leaving Eamon outside? Finally allowing Daniel into the bedroom – alienating Eamon?
6.Daniel, quiet, his work, supporting the family? The holiday, on the beach, not going into the water? Rejected by Eamon? Taking him to the group, his inability to pay? Setting up Eamon to like him? The following of the man, the encounter? The drinking in the bar? Together with Grace again?
7.The final impact of the ending and the emotion for the mother, for Daniel? A future for Eamon?
