If “Finnegan’s Foursome” was a Hinge dating ad, it would read, “Must Love Golf.”
Writer/director Edward Burns’ latest is a mash note not just to his Irish roots (again) but for The Long Walk. It’s self-indulgent at two hours long, but it’s undeniably endearing and brims with Irish lore and family dysfunction.
Even those indifferent to the sport will come away thinking it might be cool to hit a bucket of balls, and soon.
Burns stars as Freddy Finnegan, part of an Irish-American clan obsessed with golf. That came from their father Jack (Ian McElhinney), who excelled at both the sport and any trash talk on the green.
Jack dies early in the film, and his final request seems oddly fitting. He wanted Freddy, brother Teddy (Brian d’Arcy James), and their adult children Frankie (Brian Muller) and Marie (Erica Hernandez) to spread his ashes at his favorite Irish haunts.
That includes some gorgeous golf courses, captured with a loving eye by cinematographer Jeff Muhlstock. (Burns has been making movies since the 1990s, and this may be his most elegantly shot film to date.)
To do so, they’ll have to keep the family’s annual golf competition alive. Four very different golfers. And, alas, little in the way of actual stakes.
Burns is known for his cheeky banter and interpersonal drama, but the latter is in short supply here. What’s not? Endless bickering on the links.
It’s all in good fun, but the film’s unforgivable running time is to blame for this “Foursome’s” Flaws. Sure, some of the golf conversations are fun and illuminating, but many exchanges could have been left behind.
We’d love to see more of Ireland and the fascinating characters they meet along the way. A brief encounter with Jack’s brother (Owen Roe) proves the point. He’s a grouchy old soul, but he spikes the story just when it needs it.
Dear old Dad landed differently with his sons, the film’s core tension. Freddy resents how little time he spent with the family, while Teddy idolizes the old man, full stop.
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The film teases a woke subplot involving Marie, the family’s first woman to compete in the annual golf tournament. Instead, the story avoids that detour and shows she’s just as charming, and gently flawed, as the others.
“Finnegan’s Foursome” has its Kleenex moments, no doubt, from obvious sources – a prayer for dear, old Jack – to a pub sing-a-long that will stir the heart of any parent.
Sometimes, Burns is at his best without his signature sense of humor.
What’s best about Burns’ latest? The foursome feels like a real family, from the endless ribbing to the bonds that defy the medium. If you bumped into them on the street, you’d swear they’ve been acting together for years.
That’s partially ture with Burns and James, who first teamed for 2011’s “Friends with Kids” and reunited for multiple Burns joints.
You may regret playing behind this garrulous “Foursome” in real life, but on screen they’ll win you over by the 18th hole.
HiT or Miss: “Finnegan’s Foursome” is a mash note to golf, but it’s also a sweet ode to family and fatherhood.
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