The Van, directed by Stephen Frears, is Roddy Doyle's third and final story of life in Barrytown, followingThe Commitments and The Snapper. The all-Irish cast is headed by Colm Meaney, who has gone through the trilogy in varying roles. "It would be difficult to imagine Barrytown without Colm," says producer Lynda Myles.
Doyle himself says he saw The Van as a buddy movie only after he started to write it: "As the script developed, we began to think of it as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and before we were through, we were openly referring to it as 'Thelma and Louise with Chips'."
Humour is always in the wings when Doyle's involved, but actor Brendan O'Carroll, who plays Weslie in the film, identifies The Van not as Irish comedy, but as Irish drama. As he says, "it's impossible in Ireland to have comedy without tragedy...or tragedy without comedy." Nick Thomas
Prod Co: A Fox Searchlight-BBC lms presentation of a Deadly Films
Production Prod: Lynda Myles
Dir: Stephen Frears
Scr: Roddy Doyle, from his own novel
Ph: Oliver Stapleton
Ed: Mick Audsley
Cast: Colm Meaney, Donal O'Kelly, Ger Ryan, Caroline Rothwell
Running time: 102 mins
Int sales: The Sales Co (Europe), Fox (rest of world)
Screenings: Friday 8 November, 13.30 and 18.30, Odeon West End 2
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