Most people like a love story. Add drama and a bit of humor and it’s a good template for a box office hit. Circle of Friends was released in 1995 and is set in Ireland in 1957. The movie was based on the novel of the same name, written by Irish author Maeve Binchy.
The stars were Chris O’Donnell and Minnie Driver and Driver won the Most Promising Actress award, given by the Chicago Film Critics Association. The screenplay for Circle of Friends was written by Andrew Davies, a British writer well known for his adaptations of books onto the screen. His credits include the television series of Pride and Prejudice and the script for Bridget Jones’ Diary. Michael Kamen, a prolific film composer and also known for his collaborations with rock bands, created the score.
The story involves two best friends, Benny Hogan and Eve Malone, who go up to University College in Dublin. Minnie Driver, as Hogan, falls for the dashing rugby team star, Jack Foley, played by Chris O’Donnell. Driver put weight on for the part and her character is considered to be out of Foley’s league. However, much to everyone’s surprise, a relationship develops. Geraldine O’Rawe portrays Malone and other parts are played by Colin Firth and Ciaran Hinds.
Hogan, Malone and another friend played by Saffron Burrows are from a small town and going to Dublin, away from family supervision, is a big adventure. Maeve Binchy was educated at University College, Dublin in line with her characters. The scenes in Circle of Friends are lovingly photographed. The themes of love and friendship and rites of passage are rooted in the society of Ireland in the 1950s. Foley and Hogan’s relationship is against the backdrop of the Catholic rules and the restraints they brought. Hogan is spreading her wings after living with over protective parents. Foley, considered to be the best looking boy in the school and a sporting hero, is hard to resist.
It’s possible to re-watch the movie on video or DVD. A video was released in 1998 and a DVD with a trailer, interviews and featurette was released in 2004. Another DVD, a Special Edition, came out in 2007. The Circle of Friends novel is easily available in paperback or hardback and there is an audio cassette version of it too. Binchy’s best known novel is probably Tara Road and that too can be seen as a movie in a version released in 2005.
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