01
The Snapper
Why this pick
Frears brings the same warm, unsentimental eye to a boisterous Dublin working-class family, balancing sharp comic embarrassment with real affection and everyday resilience.
A FILM WORTH A CLOSER LOOKTHE FEATURE PRESENTATION
MOVIE1996 1h 40m GBR
IF THIS ONE STAYED WITH YOU
Movies like
The Van
ComedyDrama
CINEHUNCH / THE NEXT FRAME
Keep the feeling.
SIMILAR PICKS / A PERSONAL CONNECTION
If you loved The Van, try these.
01
02
The Commitments
Why this pick
Its lively Dublin ensemble, rough-edged humour and underdog camaraderie echo the energetic community spirit and affectionate social observation of The Van.
03
The Guard
Why this pick
A mordantly funny Irish character piece driven by abrasive banter, local texture and an unlikely partnership, with comedy that never loses its human weight.
04
Pride
Why this pick
Like The Van, it finds buoyant comedy and heartfelt solidarity among ordinary people facing economic hardship, letting its ensemble’s clashing personalities carry the story.
05
The Full Monty
Why this pick
A scrappy working-class venture gives this the same mix of financial pressure, male friendship, hopeful improvisation and big-hearted comic momentum.
Finding the atmosphere, tension and little details that made this one stay with you.
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01 / THE STORY
A little about the film.
Brendan "Ay llorón" Reeves gets laid off from his job as a baker in Barrytown, a working-class quarter of Dublin. With his redundancy cheque, he buys a van and sells fish and chips with his best mate, Larry. Due, in part, to Ireland's surprising success at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, their business starts off well.
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02 / FACES IN THE FRAME
The people who bring it to life.
Colm Meaney
Larry
Ger Ryan
Maggie
Brendan O'Carroll
Eileen Walsh
Crushed Girl