War of the Buttons (1994)

Director:

John Roberts

Writers:

Louis Pergaud (novel)
Colin Welland (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Most wars last years. This one has to be over by dinner.

Plot:

The children of Ballydowse and Carrickdowse engage in battles where they cut of the buttons, shoe-laces and underwear of their captured opponents...

Plot Keywords:

Traitor | Young Boy | Rock Climbing | Fox | Underage Drinking

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Gregg Fitzgerald	...	Fergus
Gerard Kearney	...	Big Con
Darragh Naughton	...	Boffin
Brendan McNamara	...	Tim
Kevin O'Malley	...	Fishy
John Cleere	...	Peter
Anthony Cunningham	...	Little Con
Thomas Kavanagh	...	Riley
Eveanna Ryan	...	Marie
John Crowley	...	Pat
Stuart Dannell-Foran	...	Tich
Danielle Tuite	...	Fionnuala
Helen O'Leary	...	Helen
Yvonne McNamara	...	Maeve
John Coffey	...	Geronimo

Also Known As:

Guerre des boutons, ça recommence, La (France)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | France | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/6 | USA:PG | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Castletownshend, County Cork, Ireland

Company:

Enigma Productions

Trivia:

The parents of one of the boys in this film took a court action to prevent this film being released. The grounds for their action were that their son's naked buttocks could be seen in the film. the action was dismissed on the grounds that they (the buttocks) didn't appear on screen long enough to allow identification and also that the parents should have raised their objection before the scene was filmed.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the boys go to vandalize the church, they take off their shoes. When they are almost caught and the boy with the eggs goes out, he has his shoes on. After he comes out of the house they're off again.

Quotes:

Fergus: Have you finished scrubbin' the paint off the old chaple board?
Geronimo: And what would you know about scrubbin'? You dirty bunch of knackers.
Gorilla: Knacker socks.
Carrick Boy: Does our mammy still wash your socks in the kitchen sink?
Carrick Boy: He doesnt have a kitchen sink.
Gorilla: Here come over to Carrickdowse and we'll lend you a bath.
Fergus: A bath, does it have your rubber ducky in it Gorilla?
Tim: Does your mommy still powder your bum? You big girl's blouse.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Game-On: (#3.2)" (1998)

Heartwarming "slice of life" tale set in the jeweled beauty of Ireland

I was entranced by this perky, quirky tale. My teenage daughter even more so. A wonderful family film, but a treat for all lovers of anything Irish, regardless of age.

Three scenes in particular were memorable: The "rain" of buttons Marie bestows on the Bally boys in their HQ, the look that passes between Fergus and Marie after the Bally boys successfully routed their "enemies" by charging them sans clothing, and the exchange between Fergus and Geronimo when Geronimo asks why the "war" ever started in the first place.

The youngsters are believable in their portrayals, and the beauty of Ireland was a treat for the eyes.