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JIMMY’S HALL

What You Need To Know:

JIMMY’S HALL is an Irish movie recounting the true story of communist Jimmy Gralton. Jimmy was deported from 1920s Ireland after leading workers to fight against the totalitarian edicts of the Catholic Church. Jimmy ran a community hall that became a center of leftist politics and culture. The church leaders felt Jimmy was usurping their role as educators, which led to his exile to America. Upon Jimmy’s return to Ireland during the Great Depression, the people persuade Jimmy to reopen the hall, which pits him against the church once again. Jimmy also helps people fight what they perceive as unfair treatment by wealthy landowners.

JIMMY’S HALL is richly colorful in both cinematography and a portrayal of life in Ireland during the Great Depression. Although the accents and lingo are sometimes hard to understand, it also has some charming humor. However, the movie clearly glorifies evil communist, leftist, anti-capitalist ideology while sporting an excessive amount of PG-13 foul language. Also, the Catholic Church and the priest, along with wealthy landowners, are seen as the villain. So, JIMMY’S HALL is ultimately unacceptable and abhorrent.

HEADLINE: ** Comrades and Catholics Clash **

Title: JIMMY’S HALL

Quality: * * * * Acceptability: -4

SUBTITLES: None

WARNING CODES:

Language: LLL

Violence: VV

Sex: S

Nudity: None

MPAA RATING: PG-13

RELEASE: July 3, 2015

TIME: 109 minutes

STARRING: Barry Ward, Francis Magee, Aileen Henry, Simone Kirby, Stella McGirl, Sorcha Fox, Martin Lucey, Jim Norton, Brían F. O’Byrne, Andrew Scott, Mikel Murfi, Shane O’Brien, Denise Gough, Aisling Franciosi

DIRECTOR: Ken Loach

PRODUCERS: Rebecca O’Brien

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Pascal Caucheteux, Andrew Lowe, Vincent Maraval, Grégoire Sorlat

WRITER: Paul Laverty

BASED ON THE NOVEL/PLAY BY: Donal O’Kelly

DISTRIBUTOR: Sony Pictures Classics/Sony Pictures Entertainment

CONTENT: (HHH, CoCoCo, AbAbAb, AcapAcapAcap, RHRH, C, LLL, VV, S, A, D, M) Very strong humanist, communist worldview about an Irish communist leader active in the 1920s to 1940s in Ireland and America, where Marx’s “The Communist Manifesto” is mentioned favorably and many of its ideals are touted throughout the movie, people illegally take back land they had been evicted from because they believed they were entitled to their “fair share,” communism is openly discussed among working class people, and people call each other comrades, with the Catholic Church and a local priest being seen as the enemy, along with some strong anti-capitalist content where the wealthy are seen as greedy and evil and capitalists are called fascists and a strong implication of revisionist leftist history regarding the Great Depression in the 1930s, although prayer occurs several times and many of the town’s citizens refer to God in a positive way; 34 obscenities and profanities including some considered European in nature, the names of several biblical characters are used as cuss words, “bastard” and “arse” are used, communist leaders are referred to as antichrists; two groups of people draw guns on each other, a solider slaps a woman in the face, soldiers shove around some citizens, father beats his daughter with a whip and bloody marks are shown on her back, gunshots are fired into a building full of people but no one is hit, man is punched in the stomach; man and woman have adulterous feelings because woman got married when he was forced to leave the country and some people dance using pelvic thrusts; two priests have a casual drink; cigarette smoking in a couple of scenes; several racist remarks are made about blacks.

GENRE: Drama

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Older teenagers and adults

REVIEWER: Sarah Kenney with Tom Snyder

REVIEW: JIMMY’S HALL is another leftist drama from English filmmaker Ken Loach about a real life communist leader who returns to Ireland during the Great Depression in the 1930s and resumes the community center that became a popular center of communist, leftist politics and culture.

JIMMY’s HALL takes place a decade after Ireland’s War of Independence, and opens with a montage of historical footage showcasing the Roaring Twenties in New York City. The images quickly devolve into something less optimistic, moving into the Great Depression years of the 1930s. That’s where Jimmy Gralton’s story begins as he has just returned to his boyhood home in Ireland after spending nearly a decade in semi self-imposed exile in the Big Apple.

Before the War of Independence, Jimmy ran the Pearse-Connolly hall which served the community with dances, art and culture classes, literary discussion groups, sporting events, and music lessons. The local Catholic Church, headed by Father Sheridan, saw Jimmy’s hall as a socialist threat to the God-fearing capitalists of society, poised to take over the education of the youths. The hall was forcibly closed and Jimmy driven out of ireland. He wanted the love of his life, Oonagh, to go to America with him, but she wasn’t interested in the instability that life with him would bring.

Now the Great Depression has reached Ireland as well, causing massive unemployment and the eviction of many working-class families by wealthy property owners. With little to occupy their time, the townsfolk beg Jimmy to reopen his hall and bring life back into their community. He does so, but finds himself faced off against the authoritative Father Sheridan once more. This time the priest is backed by the property owners and soon the social divide splinters even further as Jimmy’s experiences abroad have emboldened him to lead the people with his communist-leaning doctrine. The people rally behind him as he leads them in a revolt against the wealthy and the edicts of the church. The townspeople fight for their perceived rights as Jimmy tries to avoid deportation again.

JIMMY’S HALL is based on the true story of Jimmy Gralton and partly serves as a glimpse into the Great Depression era of Irish history. It’s richly colorful both in cinematography and Irish culture, but the colloquial language and accents make it difficult to understand at times. There’s also some charming humor and a chase scene reminiscent of the Keystone Cops.

However, the movie wages a heavy-handed, leftist ideological war, filled with communist platitudes and some politically correct attacks on the Catholic Church as a religious institution. The Catholic Church and a priest are made to appear as the evil party, coupled with the local wealthy landowners. They’re the ones who commit nearly all the violent acts in this movie. There are, however, some prayers and many of the town’s citizens refer to God in a positive way, so it’s the movie isn’t completely hostile to all faith. It’s just placed in a leftist context promoting communist ideology. Of course, communism, as conceived by its creators, is ultimately inherently atheist, though some have tried to meld communist with Christianity, as some misguided, heretical leftist theologians have done. Although the Great Depression was a difficult time for capitalism, that’s no excuse for resorting to even more socialist policies, which just exacerbated the Depression when instituted by leaders like President Hoover President Roosevelt in the United States. Eventually, Jimmy was exiled once again to New York, where he helped lead Communist Party activities there as well.

As a leftist movie, JIMMY’S HALL also has a leftist attitude on foul language. So, the movie contains an excessive amount of it. Finally, the protagonist and a married woman clearly have adulterous feelings toward one another. When he was forced to leave Ireland, she eventually married another man. Both these things show that, once you go down the road of leftist politics, any sense of true morality (especially one based on the objective standards of the Word of God, the Bible) starts to go out the window.

JIMMY’S HALL is unacceptable and abhorrent.

Please send your thanks or concerns, and copy us, to:

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard, Co-Presidents, Sony Pictures Classics (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

550 Madison Avenue, 8th Floor

New York, NY 10022

Phone: (212) 833-8833; Fax: (212) 833-8844

Web Page: www.sonyclassics.com; Email: Sony_Classics@spe.sony.com

SUMMARY: JIMMY’S HALL is another leftist drama from English filmmaker Ken Loach about a real life communist leader who returns to Ireland during the Great Depression in the 1930s and resumes the community center that became a popular center of communist, leftist politics and culture. Though well made, with some charming humor, JIMMY’S HALL is an abhorrent movie that glorifies communist ideology while attacking local church leaders and that sports an excessive amount of foul language and a subplot featuring adulterous feelings.

IN BRIEF:

JIMMY’S HALL is an Irish movie recounting the true story of communist Jimmy Gralton. Jimmy was deported from 1920s Ireland after leading workers to fight against the totalitarian edicts of the Catholic Church. Jimmy ran a community hall that became a center of leftist politics and culture. The church leaders felt Jimmy was usurping their role as educators, which led to his exile to America. Upon Jimmy’s return to Ireland during the Great Depression, the people persuade Jimmy to reopen the hall, which pits him against the church once again. Jimmy also helps people fight what they perceive as unfair treatment by wealthy landowners.

JIMMY’S HALL is richly colorful in both cinematography and a portrayal of life in Ireland during the Great Depression. Although the accents and lingo are sometimes hard to understand, it also has some charming humor. However, the movie clearly glorifies evil communist, leftist, anti-capitalist ideology while sporting an excessive amount of PG-13 foul language. Also, the Catholic Church and the priest, along with wealthy landowners, are seen as the villain. So, JIMMY’S HALL is ultimately unacceptable and abhorrent.

Content:

(HHH, CoCoCo, AbAbAb, AcapAcapAcap, RHRH, C, LLL, VV, S, A, D, M) Very strong humanist, communist worldview about an Irish communist leader active in the 1920s to 1940s in Ireland and America, where Marx’s “The Communist Manifesto” is mentioned favorably and many of its ideals are touted throughout the movie, people illegally take back land they had been evicted from because they believed they were entitled to their “fair share,” communism is openly discussed among working class people, and people call each other comrades, with the Catholic Church and a local priest being seen as the enemy, along with some strong anti-capitalist content where the wealthy are seen as greedy and evil and capitalists are called fascists and a strong implication of revisionist leftist history regarding the Great Depression in the 1930s, although prayer occurs several times and many of the town’s citizens refer to God in a positive way; 34 obscenities and profanities including some considered European in nature, the names of several biblical characters are used as cuss words, “bastard” and “arse” are used, communist leaders are referred to as antichrists; two groups of people draw guns on each other, a solider slaps a woman in the face, soldiers shove around some citizens, father beats his daughter with a whip and bloody marks are shown on her back, gunshots are fired into a building full of people but no one is hit, man is punched in the stomach; man and woman have adulterous feelings because woman got married when he was forced to leave the country and some people dance using pelvic thrusts; two priests have a casual drink; cigarette smoking in a couple of scenes; several racist remarks are made about blacks.

More Detail:

JIMMY’S HALL is another leftist drama from English filmmaker Ken Loach about a real life communist leader who returns to Ireland during the Great Depression in the 1930s and resumes the community center that became a popular center of communist, leftist politics and culture.

JIMMY’s HALL takes place a decade after Ireland’s War of Independence, and opens with a montage of historical footage showcasing the Roaring Twenties in New York City. The images quickly devolve into something less optimistic, moving into the Great Depression years of the 1930s. That’s where Jimmy Gralton’s story begins as he has just returned to his boyhood home in Ireland after spending nearly a decade in semi self-imposed exile in the Big Apple.

Before the War of Independence, Jimmy ran the Pearse-Connolly hall which served the community with dances, art and culture classes, literary discussion groups, sporting events, and music lessons. The local Catholic Church, headed by Father Sheridan, saw Jimmy’s hall as a socialist threat to the God-fearing capitalists of society, poised to take over the education of the youths. The hall was forcibly closed and Jimmy driven out of ireland. He wanted the love of his life, Oonagh, to go to America with him, but she wasn’t interested in the instability that life with him would bring.

Now the Great Depression has reached Ireland as well, causing massive unemployment and the eviction of many working-class families by wealthy property owners. With little to occupy their time, the townsfolk beg Jimmy to reopen his hall and bring life back into their community. He does so, but finds himself faced off against the authoritative Father Sheridan once more. This time the priest is backed by the property owners and soon the social divide splinters even further as Jimmy’s experiences abroad have emboldened him to lead the people with his communist-leaning doctrine. The people rally behind him as he leads them in a revolt against the wealthy and the edicts of the church. The townspeople fight for their perceived rights as Jimmy tries to avoid deportation again.

JIMMY’S HALL is based on the true story of Jimmy Gralton and partly serves as a glimpse into the Great Depression era of Irish history. It’s richly colorful both in cinematography and Irish culture, but the colloquial language and accents make it difficult to understand at times. There’s also some charming humor and a chase scene reminiscent of the Keystone Cops.

However, the movie wages a heavy-handed, leftist ideological war, filled with communist platitudes and some politically correct attacks on the Catholic Church as a religious institution. The Catholic Church and a priest are made to appear as the evil party, coupled with the local wealthy landowners. They’re the ones who commit nearly all the violent acts in this movie. There are, however, some prayers and many of the town’s citizens refer to God in a positive way, so it’s the movie isn’t completely hostile to all faith. It’s just placed in a leftist context promoting communist ideology. Of course, communism, as conceived by its creators, is ultimately inherently atheist, though some have tried to meld communist with Christianity, as some misguided, heretical leftist theologians have done. Although the Great Depression was a difficult time for capitalism, that’s no excuse for resorting to even more socialist policies, which just exacerbated the Depression when instituted by leaders like President Hoover President Roosevelt in the United States. Eventually, Jimmy was exiled once again to New York, where he helped lead Communist Party activities there as well.

As a leftist movie, JIMMY’S HALL also has a leftist attitude on foul language. So, the movie contains an excessive amount of it. Finally, the protagonist and a married woman clearly have adulterous feelings toward one another. When he was forced to leave Ireland, she eventually married another man. Both these things show that, once you go down the road of leftist politics, any sense of true morality (especially one based on the objective standards of the Word of God, the Bible) starts to go out the window.

JIMMY’S HALL is unacceptable and abhorrent.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.