Customer Reviews

Love Divided [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Based on a true incident in County Wexford, Ireland, "A Love Divided" tells how one family's problem in dealing with a religious decision swept up first a town, and then a country. Sean and Sheila Cloney (played magnificently by Liam Cunningham and Orla Brady) are Catholic and Protestant, respectively. In order to marry in the Catholic church in Ireland (after having a civil and a Protestant ceremony first), Sheila signs the required Ne Temere pledge that she will raise any children from the marriage as Catholics. She honors this pledge for a long time as her little girls part to go to Mass with their father on Sundays while she goes to services with her father and sister. However, she draws the line when the local parish priest, Father Stafford (Tony Doyle) insists on her oldest daughter going to the Catholic school without any regard for the idea that the parents have the right to make this decision.

Initially, Sean doesn't understand her insistence that the decision is theirs to make and insists the priest is right - she signed a pledge. Feeling betrayed, she steals off with her daughters, not realizing the consequences that lay ahead. It is not my intention to moralize on what the viewer should come away thinking after seeing this movie or to give my own interpretation of the message. Just see the movie . . .

This movie is among my top 25 favorites of all time. It is very much worthwhile. It is intelligent, thought-provoking, funny, sad, honest, gritty, heroic. The first time I saw it, I wrote to my closest friends and my family, and recommended it to all of them. It is a movie that touches your head and your heart, and stays with you long after you have viewed it. When the final scene is over, you will sit in amazement, and be in awe that it is a TRUE story, about people with vision, courage, and hearts full of love and committment to each other and to the truth.

Based on the true life of Sean and Sheila Cloney, this is a beatiful story of love, family, and friendship being torn apart by blind prejudice and religious bigotry. It's a courageous story that will make you think, make you cry, make you smile, and make you cheer. A must-see and one of my favorite movies.

This film is a feast for the eyes as it tells a heartbreaking and ultimately triumphant story of a woman who challenges the power of the Catholic Church in Ireland in the 1950's. The cost is dear for her, her family, the whole village, and all Ireland, but she fights for what is right. All the actors are excellent and the story stays with you long after the film ends.

RARELY WILL I EVER SAY THAT 5*s ARE NOT ENOUGH TO AWARD A FILM!!! Well..now I have said it!!!...MORE THAN 5*s!!!
The true story of Sheila and Sean Cloney in 1950's Ireland is a story of love tested under the greatest of odds.This young and much in love couple make four marriage vows:first ,secretly before the Justice of the Peace,then in Sheila's sparcely congregated Protestant Church,next In Sean's dominant village Catholic Church and then finally a private vow strictly between the two of them that was agreed upon to be the MOST binding-their love and right to decide above any other clamour.Life was idyllic in their village.Everyone of all faiths,and even of NO faith peacefully coexisted.BUT DID THEY?When it comes time to send one of their children to school, the Catholic Priest,Father Stratton, insists that it is the parents' sworn AND signed vow before God promising to raise their children Catholic that must hold sway.Sheila believes that her and Sean's secret vow was to be the most binding...and THAT'S when the test of their true love begins.What they decide will effect their families,their friends and ultimately their own ability to keep their own private vow!
Written by Stuart Hepburn, the screenplay by Deidre Dowling is briskly paced and never lacking in tention and action.Beautifully directed by Stephen Macarthy,A LOVE DIVIDED is a cinematic eyefull filmed on location in the most breathtaking parts of Ireland and Scotland by Cedric Culliton.The film is one of the rare examples of EVERYTHING and EVERYONE coming together to film THE PERFECT STORY in THE PERFECT WAY.The continued playing and singing of the immortal Robert Burns'AE FOND KISS is woven into the texture of this cinematic marvel reminding the viewer that,as the barkeep in the town put it,"Love's too precious...and life's too long without it!" What is most interesting at the end of the film are the observations that Sheila makes:"Was it the right decision?....We may never know!" It lends pause to the Bible verse "Make no vow before men"....for you just may have to actually be holden to it! GOOD STUFF!!!!!

A compelling story of the diffuculties caused by religious differences and the effects on families and friendships. Set amongst the beautiful rural scenery of Ireland and Scotland with traditional music and dance. A very moving film that still has relevance in the modern world.

This Irish film is based on a true story, about a couple (he is Catholic, she is Protestant) who end up separated over the question of where the children will attend school. She promised to raise them Catholic but she didn't promise to send them to Catholic schools, and when she resists, pressure is put to bear on her. She takes off, and after that, there's a feeding frenzy with first the local Catholic priest and his congregation and then the whole nation involved in the dispute. Religion comes across looking pretty unattractive in the film, but since this story is true, it is helpful to know that the Church eventually apologized for its role in fueling the conflict.

This is a film well worth seeing, but I imagine it could be painful to watch at times for some, since the Church does not look very good in this movie.

The church does not look good in this movie, indeed. But then, the church never does look good in anything. How many lives have been destroyed in the name of religion, how many wars fought, how many people killed? The church apologized after . . . well, thats what they always do. Children got sexual abused by priests and other church members over years and the church knew about. Now that it makes headlines everywhere, they apologize . . . I have been to Ireland a million times and talked to catholics and protestants, they still want to get over each other and can't decide which god is "the right one" the things the movie talks about are still present there . . . makes me sick to think about . . . one more reason out of many to be an atheist!

Based on the true life of Sean and Sheila Cloney, this is a beatiful story of love, family, and friendship being torn apart by blind prejudice and religious bigotry. It's a courageous story that will make you think, make you cry, make you smile, and make you cheer. A must-see and one of my favorite movies.

I seen this programme on tv many years ago. I think the priests years ago needed a good beating because the way they interfer with families lives by making them send their children to a Cataholic school just because her mother is from Northern Ireland and her husband was from Souhern Ireland.

I would not blame her from leaving and taking the children with her because of the way the church was treating her and her family making them choose between the church or sending the kids to a school. Liam Cunningham's character has a brilliant the way love's his family and also how he sides with the church. As for Orla Brady's character i a loving mother and wife and would do anything for her family torn apart thats why she leaves her husband and flees the country. As time passes her husband tracks her down and brings her home. Before that happenend they disowned him because he wife ran off with the kids and wanted them back as part of a Cataholic community. It is horrible with the two churchs are divided. But nowadays the two churchs a combind together and dont care what people do so why do it all those years ago?

I would reccomend this film to anybody and see what the Irish people lived like and how they were treated by the priests.