The Commitments (film)

The Commitments
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Alan Parker
Screenplay by	Dick Clement Ian La Frenais Roddy Doyle
Based on	The Commitments by Roddy Doyle
Produced by	Roger Randall-Cutler Lynda Myles
Starring	Robert Arkins Michael Aherne Angeline Ball Maria Doyle Dave Finnegan Bronagh Gallagher Félim Gormley Glen Hansard Dick Massey Johnny Murphy Kenneth McCluskey Andrew Strong
Cinematography	Gale Tattersall
Edited by	Gerry Hambling
Production companies	Beacon Pictures[1] The First Film Company[1] Dirty Hands Productions[1]
Distributed by	20th Century Fox (North America, United Kingdom and Ireland) Sovereign Pictures (International)[2]
Release dates	6 August 1991 (1991-08-06) (West Hollywood) 14 August 1991 (1991-08-14) (United States)
Running time	118 minutes[3]
Countries	Ireland United Kingdom United States[4]
Language	English
Budget	$12–15 million[1][5][6][7] or £5.41 million[8]
Box office	$14.9 million

The Commitments is a 1991 musical comedy-drama film based on the 1987 novel of the same name by Roddy Doyle. It was directed by Alan Parker from a screenplay written by Doyle, Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Set in the Northside of Dublin, the film tells the story of Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), a young music fanatic who assembles a group of working-class youths to form a soul band named "The Commitments". The film is the first in a series known as The Barrytown Trilogy, followed by The Snapper (1993) and The Van (1996).

Producers Lynda Myles and Roger Randall-Cutler acquired the film rights to the novel in 1988, and commissioned Doyle, a first-time screenwriter, to write an adaptation. Doyle spent one year working on the script before Myles brought in veteran screenwriters Clement and La Frenais to help complete it. Upon reading the novel, Parker signed on as the film's director in 1989. An international co-production between Ireland, the United States and the United Kingdom, The Commitments was the first film produced by Beacon Pictures, which provided an estimated budget of $12–15 million. The film's young lead actors were mostly inexperienced, and were cast because of their musical backgrounds and resemblance to the characters in the novel. Principal photography took place in Dublin, from late August to October, 1990.

The Commitments underperformed at the North American box office, grossing $14.9 million during its theatrical run. Reviewers praised the music, performances and humour, while criticism was occasionally aimed at the pacing and Parker's direction. The film resulted in two soundtrack albums released by MCA Records; the first reached number eight on the Billboard 200 album chart and achieved triple-platinum status, while the second album achieved gold sales status. At the 1992 British Academy Film Awards, the film won four of six BAFTA Awards for Best Film, Best Direction, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing. It also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Film Editing. The film has since gained cult status.