Before Sony Pictures Classics unveils Irish comedy The Miracle Club at its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival, the studio has released a new trailer to coincide with a release date announcement. The film led by Laura Linney, Kathy Bates, Maggie Smith, Stephen Rea, and Agnes O’Casey will open in theaters on July 14th.
Directed by Emmy-nominated filmmaker Thaddeus O’Sullivan, the story is set in “1967 and follows the story of three generations of close friends, Lily (Smith), Eileen (Bates) and Dolly (O’Casey) of Ballygar, a hard-knocks community in Dublin, who have one tantalizing dream: to win a pilgrimage to the sacred French town of Lourdes, that place of miracles that draws millions of visitors each year. When the chance to win presents itself, the women seize it. However, just before their trip, their old friend Chrissie (Linney) arrives in Ballygar for her mother’s funeral, dampening their good mood and well-laid plans. The women secure tickets and set out on the journey that they hope will change their lives, with Chrissie joining in place of her mother. But the glamor and sophistication of Chrissie, who has just returned from a nearly 40-year exile in the United States, are not her only difficult traits. Old wounds are reopened along the way, forcing the women to confront their pasts even as they travel in search of a miracle.”
On that July 14th weekend, The Miracle Club will be counterprogramming against one of the season’s biggest summer blockbusters, Mission: Impossible-Dead Reckoning, which opens two days prior. A tough draw? Maybe, but it’s been proven before that films targeting specific audiences in the summer can be quite successful.
