The Secret of Roan Inish

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The Secret of Roan Inish

PG

1994

1h 43m

Kids & Family

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

43 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Fiona is a young Irish girl with an unusual family history, including a long-missing baby brother. When she goes to live with her grandparents on the west coast of Ireland, Fiona hears stories about her ancestors, tales that involve mythical creatures called selkies who can shift from seal to human form. After Fiona ends up on the small island of Roan Inish, her family's ancestral home, she believes she may have found her little brother living by the sea.

Critics Consensus

The Secret of Roan Inish is a gentle fairy tale filled with optimism that's suitable for the whole family.

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Anne Billson

Daily Telegraph (UK)

11/27/2017

I wish I liked it more, but there's more than whiff of worthy Irish heritage in the air, and the story drifts all over the place. I'm afraid I kept drifting off as well.

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Bruce Diones

The New Yorker

05/03/2013

The rhythms are placid and the camerawork (by Haskell Wexler) is simple and unfussy. The film's a charm.

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Dennis Harvey

Variety

03/11/2008

John Sayles' latest marks his entry into family-pic terrain, a crossing that draws pleasant but unexciting results.

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Melinda Miller

Buffalo News

05/11/2021

Roan Inish is a beautiful tale of a lovely legend, of love and seals and, instead of giving up your hopes, of giving them a chance to come true.

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

07/18/2014

3.5/4

...a story about storytelling, and how folk tales and real life can intermingle.

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TV Guide

03/11/2008

3.5/4

It's family entertainment in the best sense of the term.

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Rick M

@RT28141542 May 11

What a total surprise. A most unique Irish story. One of the most delightful movies I have seen in years.

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Kathy B

@Kbache 01/20/2025

Sometimes you just need a quiet movie to enjoy and this movie will do it for you.

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Devra B

@DeeBee27 08/14/2024

I loved this movie! It’s for all ages, not just for kids.

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Whitney L

@RT32140968 04/07/2024

This film captures the essence of Irish life alongside it's folklore.

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Allison S

@RT96487063 01/06/2024

As an Irish American who grew up watching this movie, it is so ridiculous and Irish. The grandpa literally spends half the movie just telling long stories about his ancestors, and there's a lot of superstition and praying… so it's definitely Irish AF. It's a movie with love to watch and make fun of. I'm sure it's fun to watch in earnest if you didn't grow up with it, but I just can't take seriously grown adults that just fully accept that a small child may be out there but don't look for him because "the sea has taken him". For that alone, it's hilarious.

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Mark B

@Mbindon 01/04/2024

Hate to be the bug in the soup but this was not well acted and the dialogue was stilted and pretty poor. It is definitely family friendly from a content standpoint but it does not hold up and doubt it will hold your attention.

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Synopsis

Fiona is a young Irish girl with an unusual family history, including a long-missing baby brother. When she goes to live with her grandparents on the west coast of Ireland, Fiona hears stories about her ancestors, tales that involve mythical creatures called selkies who can shift from seal to human form. After Fiona ends up on the small island of Roan Inish, her family's ancestral home, she believes she may have found her little brother living by the sea.

Director: John Sayles
Producer: Maggie Renzi, Sarah Green
Screenwriter: John Sayles
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company, Columbia TriStar Home Video
Production Co: Jones Entertainment, Skerry Productions
Rating: PG
Genre: Kids & Family, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 12, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $82.6K
Runtime: 1h 43m