There was roughly a twenty-year period between the 1980s and early 2000s where it was impossible to take a step outside one’s own front door and not be bombarded by the latest cinematic British sensation. For some reason, Hollywood grew to really appreciate these irreverent stories of the British Isles and their prodigious offspring, so much that it formed something of a secondary invasion of English culture. It’s difficult to argue against the growing popularity of these films, since they represented a kind of warmth and candour that American filmmaking was sorely lacking at the time. One of the most pivotal entries into this decades-long exploration of the United Kingdom was Waking Ned, the irreverent Irish comedy about a small, quaint village that comes to find out one of their relatives has won the national lottery, but died as a result of the shock, leading the whole population (all 57 of them) to concoct a fake story to allow for the winnings to be distributed equally among them. It’s a charming, enticing tale of pastoral life with a healthy dose of deeply human comedy, and it is the primary reason behind Waking Ned being such a success, since it never takes itself too seriously, but seems like something that is skirting around very important issues, embodying the spirit of unrestricted joy from beginning to end, while having a bittersweet foundation. It is a challenge to not fall deeply in love with this film, and while it may be extremely conventional in many ways, it does have a sense of humour that makes up for its shortcomings, leading to a tremendously satisfying and really fascinating character-based comedy with a lot of heart and an even more potent sense of compassion.

Waking Ned has come to be seen as something of a cult classic for a number of reasons, primarily in how this small independent comedy has reached an audience that spans every generation across the globe, joining an elite group of comedies that has remained fresh and resonant, despite its deep connection to a particular place and its culture. Finding any film that can delight and enthral viewers from any walk of life is not an easy achievement, and is primarily the reason why this has become such a cherished work. Taken entirely on its own, the premise doesn’t seem all that intriguing or complex – the story of a small village overcoming some challenging situation is hardly revolutionary, especially during this specific era where there was a notable influx of these stories, making them essentially a dime a dozen. The difference here is that there’s a sense of heartfulness that makes a film like this so endearing – it never takes itself too seriously, and it is in search of discussions that are much deeper than what we see on the surface. This is all tied together by a genuinely charming sense of humour that never grasps at low-hanging fruit, despite being presented with many opportunities to feasibly get away with cheaper jokes without it feeling inadequate. Director and screenwriter Kirk Jones knows exactly how to draw on the smaller peculiarities that would define such a community without it feeling like he is aiming to mock these people, which adds to the genuine sense of affection everyone involved had for this film and the world it evokes through this enchanting story.

Much of this emerges from how the film shows such genuine compassion for its characters, which are brought to life but a wonderful cast of local actors, some of which are recognizable to casual viewers, others slightly more obscure, but not any less interesting. Veteran actors Ian Bannen and David Kelly are the de facto leads of the ensemble, playing the trouble-making retirees that are first to hear the news that someone from their small hamlet has won the lottery, and do everything they can to ensure that they can take hold of that fortune, only to realize the importance of distributing it amongst their community. Both of them are terrific, and despite being well-known character actors, they fit seamlessly into the world, so much that we are often fooled into genuinely believing that we’re getting a closer look at real residents of this village. Kelly in particular is an absolute riot – there are few performances where the actor is so committed to the outright absurdity of the role, and yet still manages to deliver a performance that resounds with a genuine fondness for every moment he is on screen. However, it’s not only the characters to which we have our attention drawn that leave an impression – so much of Waking Ned depends on the ever-reliable actors in the periphery, since it is so indebted to the feeling of a sprawling community. Every character in this film feels like an essential component of a broader puzzle, an endearing and complex set of individuals that come together to form a vibrant tapestry, which is what sets the foundation for the film and makes it such a deeply captivating piece.

When you have a film so intent on providing the viewer with a good time, the small details don’t really matter. However, this doesn’t prevent Waking Ned from being genuinely quite moving in how it addresses a few fundamental themes. Primarily, the film is focused on the idea of community – it would be peculiar for this film to take place in a close-knit working-class village and have it not revolve around the idea of communal values. The film is not quite a deeply complex ethnographic study of the residents of rural Ireland, but it does feature a vivid attention to detail in choosing how it represents these people. It uses comedy as a way to convey a particular message – while the premise itself does lend itself to a more comedic situation (since the irony of someone dying from joy after winning the lottery is fertile ground for more humorous interactions), there isn’t a complete lack of more serious subject matter, especially in how the film seamlessly assimilates discussions on ageing, mortality and familial relations in the spaces between outrageous comedy. These moments exist more to be supplementary (such as the sub-plot of two younger characters who are slowly falling in love, which is charming but not entirely interesting), rather than guiding the narrative, which is firm in its commitment to using this strange little story as a starting point for a lot of thought-provoking commentaries, nearly all of which is executed with the same precise and peculiar charm as the rest of the film.

Waking Ned is a small film, but one with a lot of heart, which makes a big difference. It is often compared unfavourably to films like The Full Monty and Saving Grace in terms of small, quaint films from the United Kingdom that charm audiences with their irreverent humour and genuinely moving sense of compassion for their characters. It’s difficult to argue against any of this, because it is undeniably true – but the main difference being not the specific social or cultural surroundings in which they take place (since they’re almost identical), nor the particular tone that is used to construct the story. Instead, it’s the hidden complexities that make it so unique and charming. It may come across as slight and inconsequential, but one needs to realize that there are many films that intentionally do this, since not all works need to be hard-hitting or entirely original. Sometimes, the story of two eccentric old men who hatch a plan to make a fortune is more than enough to warrant our attention, and anything else that comes about as a result is merely an additional reward for venturing into this peculiar and charming little world. It’s funny, enticing and always entertaining, and offers the viewer much more than we expect to receive, which only makes Waking Ned even more of a gem of a film, and one that has rightly persisted as a cherished comedy about very serious matters.