“The Commitments” quotes

(1991)
Movie The Commitments
Title The Commitments
Year 1991
Director Alan Parker
Genre Drama, Comedy, Music
Plot – Jimmy Rabbitte, who lives in a working class neighborhood of Dublin, made up his mind to organize a band. By his point of view, the poor people of the city with no work needs soul music. Thanks to a newspaper ad, Rabbitte selects some unemployed guys, more or less talented: Dean, Fay, Outspan, the bespectacled Steven Clifford, Deco the fat man, Billy the drummer and Joey 'The Lips', a bizarre and trumpet player. In addition Natalie, Imelda and Bernie, three striking and bold girls, become the vocal trio. Everyone must be at the rehearsals, then they start performing in sheds and popular bars. The enthusiastic manager is able to convey passion and ambitions to the group of reckless performers and the amateurish and provincial band seems to have a brilliant future ahead, but it ends up in a failure because of disagreements, inconclusiveness, petty jealousies and rivalries between the band members. The drummer is the first one who walks away and soon Jimmy Rabbitte's ambitious dream evaporates into nothing.
All actors – Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan, Bronagh Gallagher, Félim Gormley, Glen Hansard, Dick Massey, Johnny Murphy, Ken McCluskey, Andrew Strong
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  • “The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin.”
    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
    [Tag:dublin, ireland]
  • “There's a lot of different music you can get off on but soul is more than that. It takes you somewhere else. It grabs you by the balls and lifts you above the shite.”
    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
    [Tag:music]
  • “Soul is the music people understand. Sure it's basic and it's simple. But it's something else because it's honest, that's it. It's honest. There's no fuckin' bullshit. It sticks its neck out and says it straight from the heart.”
    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
    [Tag:music]
  • “- Unemployment Official: Mr. Rabbitte, you've been collecting unemployment benefit for two years. Are you trying to tell me you can't get a job?
    - Jimmy Rabbitte: We're a third world country - what can you do?”

    Pat Leavy - Unemployment Official
    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
    [Tag:job, unemployment]
  • “- Jimmy Rabbitte: What do you play?
    - Failed Drug Buyer: I used to play football in school.
    - Jimmy Rabbitte: I mean, what instrument?
    - Failed Drug Buyer: I don't.
    - Jimmy Rabbitte: What are you doing here, then?
    - Failed Drug Buyer: Well, I saw everyone else lining up, so I thought you were selling drugs.”

    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
    Eanna MacLiam - Failed Drug Buyer
    [Tag:drugs, music]
  • “- Joey 'The Lips' Fagan: Look, I know you're hurting now, but in time you'll realize what you've achieved.
    - Jimmy Rabbitte: I've achieved nothing!
    - Joey 'The Lips' Fagan: You're missing the point. The success of the band was irrelevant - you raised their expectations of life, you lifted their horizons. Sure we could have been famous and made...” (continue)
    (continue reading)
    Johnny Murphy - Joey 'The Lips' Fagan
    Robert Arkins - Jimmy Rabbitte
  • “I'm black and I'm proud.”
    Félim Gormley - Dean Fay
    [Tag:ethnicity, pride]
Highlights