September 20 & 21

7 pm Nightly
Thursday Matinee @ 1:30 pm
Rated PG — 1 hr 31 min
Comedy

Picturesque and genuinely heartfelt (if a smidge corny) the Irish-set dramedy The Miracle Club serves mainly as a showcase for its trio of talents, Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, and Maggie Smith, billed in that order. The three are enduring stars for a reason, and together they bring verve to this story about faith in its many — sometimes unexpected — forms. Set in 1967 Dublin, this mild-mannered comedy explores grief and grievances. touches on grief and grievances, unwanted pregnancies and the Catholic Church, while wearing the guise of a redemptive romp. It’s a delicate balance.

A cast of Oscar winners and nominees, and a screenplay that isn’t afraid to dig beneath the surface, lift this heartwarming comedy-drama into something more than a sweet tale of road trip friendship. The Miracle Club unites three generations of women in shared trauma and watches them unravel before coming together to heal. It’s not surprising with the likes of Smith, Bates, and Linney onboard that the acting both tugs on the heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud, while relative newcomer O’Casey proves one to watch, with plenty of screen presence of her own.

The Miracle Club may not be a faith-based movie in the traditional sense (that is, a film made with an explicitly evangelical Christian agenda), but this Ireland-set art-house offering is a movie about faith all the same — specifically, about the conviction that drives four women to make the pilgrimage from Ireland all the way to Lourdes, France, where the waters are believed to have holy healing powers. Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s gentle film, with its sweeping vistas, top-drawer cast, and period costumes is delightful, occasionally very humorous, and a reminder that life really does happen at its most profound when we are busy doing other things.