“Irish Wish” tells the story of a book editor who travels to Ireland for the wedding of her friend and the author of a book she edited. She makes a wish, and things do not turn out how they were planned. The movie was directed by Janeen Damien and stars Lindsay Lohan, Ed Speleers, and Alexander Vlahos. It was written by Kirsten Hansen and released in 2024.
Maddie is a relatable character. Bad stuff keeps happening
to her, no matter how hard she tries. Like many people in her situation, she
makes a wish that would have her life turn out exactly like she wants. However,
the lesson learned here is that even when her wish came true, she still had
difficulties and saw that things were not what she had imagined they would be.
It is obvious that Maddie and James were meant to be
together. Anyone who has seen similar movies can see that this is how it was
meant to be. Even though the plot took a bit of a turn, it was pretty predictable
that the ending would have Maddie and James together. We do not even need a
sequel to know that they end up together while they work together.
TJames, as an Englishman, saying “luck of the Irish” is
offensive. The English and the Irish have a rough history, where the British
colonized the Irish. There are still struggles to this day. The phrase, “luck
of the Irish,” stems from the Irish immigrants who found gold in California
during the Gold Rush. The phrase minimizes their struggles, passing it off as sheer
luck instead of it being a result of their hard work and difficult path.
Maddie got more of a glimpse of Irish culture with James
than with Paul. She gets to drink Guinness, visit the Cliffs of Moher, and dance
to traditional Irish music. Paul’s version of Irish culture is more classist
and pretentious. Even without Paul and
James, she learns about St. Brigid and Wishing Chairs, which are often
overlooked in Irish culture.
Overall, the movie is a bit hokey at points, but it is
heartwarming all the while. The message of being careful what you wish for is
universal. There are a few points, especially in terms of predictability and
Irish stereotypes, that are less than great, but they are not major dealbreakers.
Personally? My favorite part of the movie was the music.
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