---
title: "Waking Ned"
year: 1998
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/waking-ned"
fi1m_id: "waking-ned"
imdb_id: "tt0166396"
tmdb_id: 10162
wikidata_id: "Q1804855"
fi1m_score: 73
critics_score: 65
critics_reviews: 9
published: "2026-10-05T01:31:43.345623+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T01:31:43.833691+00:00"
region: "UA"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Waking Ned (1998)

Directed by Kirk Jones · 1h 31m · Comedy

## Identity

Waking Ned

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/waking-ned
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** waking-ned
- **IMDb ID:** tt0166396
- **TMDB ID:** 10162
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1804855
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166396/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/10162, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1804855

**Fi1m score: 73** · Critics 65 from 9 reviews

*In a sentence:* Two greedy old men make better company than a whole village determined to be charming

> *Waking Ned* is a likeable comedy made worth an evening by Ian Bannen and David Kelly. Kirk Jones pushes the village charm too hard, but the two leads bring enough mischief to stop it turning entirely cosy.

## Synopsis

In an Irish village, Jackie O’Shea (Ian Bannen) and Michael O’Sullivan (David Kelly) are two elderly men with money on their minds. The village ensemble includes Annie O’Shea (Fionnula Flanagan), Maggie O’Toole (Susan Lynch) and Pig Finn (James Nesbitt). Jim Kelly (Brendan Dempsey) and Mrs. Kennedy (Maura O’Malley) are also among the locals. The comedy centres on the older men’s avarice and their place among these eccentric neighbours. Village life supplies the setting for their behaviour, with physical comedy and a darker streak of humour accompanying the pair.

## Review

*Waking Ned* is a good-natured comedy worth an evening for Ian Bannen and David Kelly, provided we can forgive a village that works rather hard at being lovable. Kirk Jones writes and directs with an affection for greedy people that gives the film its appeal. The plotting is thin, and the charm occasionally becomes a nuisance. But the leading pair make the prospect of spending 91 minutes with two avaricious old men considerably more attractive than it sounds.

Ian Bannen gives Jackie O’Shea an energy that prevents his avarice feeling merely sour. David Kelly, as Michael O’Sullivan, gives the partnership an ease that the plotting cannot supply. We believe in these men as company for one another before being asked to find them funny. Their exchanges have the familiarity of people who know how much nonsense they can get away with, and who have little incentive to stop. They are the main reason the dialogue lands.

We laughed at the nude motorcycling. The indignity is so blunt that it briefly frees the film from its own effort to be endearing, and the joke needs no speech about the pleasures of village life. This willingness to look foolish helps, as does the occasional darkness of the humour. Kirk Jones is not making a comedy of exemplary behaviour, and the men’s appetite for money gives the geniality something usefully grubby to work with.

Henry Braham’s cinematography and John Ebden’s production design make the village easy to like, perhaps too easy. The place has the cosy appeal the comedy wants, but there are stretches when that appeal is doing work the writing ought to do. We need enough particularity in the people to stop an Irish village becoming a collection of amusing locals. The film gets this from its central pair more reliably than from the ensemble.

Alan Strachan’s editing leaves the comedy at an easy pace, which suits the leading pair. It is less helpful when Kirk Jones’s script runs short of incident: there is time to notice how little is happening. Shaun Davey’s score supplies warmth, occasionally more than these performances need. When the film is already pressing its welcome quite hard, the music can feel like another request to settle in.

Some of the villagers remain collections of quirks, and the insistence on Irish eccentricity can become tiresome. That limits the sense of community on which this sort of comedy depends. The writing gives us reasons to recognise these people quickly without always giving us reasons to take much interest in them. Kirk Jones has a persuasive central partnership, but the supporting characters do not all benefit from the same attention.

This belongs to the gentler end of ensemble comedy, where spending time with the characters is a substantial part of the pleasure. There is enough mischief to keep the friendliness from becoming oppressive, though not enough invention to make every stretch equally enjoyable. We would not choose it for a night that needs constant laughter. Choose it when two elderly men being cheerfully greedy sound like company worth keeping.

*Fi1m score 73, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Waking Ned’s gentle comedy, with praise concentrated on Ian Bannen and David Kelly. Their performances and rapport are the clearest point of agreement, giving the village antics much of their appeal. The favourable reviews also welcome the sharp dialogue, eccentric supporting characters and flashes of darker humour, though enthusiasm ranges from affectionate approval to wholehearted enjoyment of its traditional comic approach.

Reservations centre on thin plotting, modest laughs and Irish charm that some find overdone. Variety remains positive despite finding the story slight and the comedy short of outright hilarity. The Guardian is the emphatic dissenter, rejecting the villagers as insulting Irish stereotypes and finding the comedy unfunny. The spread is therefore wide, but uneven: most reviews find enough warmth and performance skill to enjoy the film, while the harshest objection concerns the caricatures that others accept as part of its charm.

## Straight answers

**Is Waking Ned worth watching?**

*Waking Ned* is worth watching for its mischievous central partnership, and we score it 73 out of 100. Ian Bannen and David Kelly make two greedy old men excellent company, though the thin plotting and determinedly charming villagers test our patience. We recommend it for a gentle comedy evening rather than one that needs constant laughter.

**How long is Waking Ned, and what is it rated?**

*Waking Ned* runs 1h 31m. It is a comedy film.

**Where can I watch Waking Ned in Ukraine?**

*Waking Ned* is not on any streaming or rental service in Ukraine at the moment. It is available in 8 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How does Waking Ned compare to Local Hero?**

*Waking Ned* offers a likeable comic double act, while [*Local Hero*](https://film.one/film/local-hero) is our preference for a comedy about a community’s relationship with money. Both favour gentle pacing and eccentric locals, sometimes too fondly, but Bannen and Kelly carry much of *Waking Ned* through its thinner stretches; *Local Hero* gives its coastal property deal more room to raise awkward questions.

**What should I watch after Waking Ned?**

After *Waking Ned*, try [*Local Hero*](https://film.one/film/local-hero) (1983, Fi1m 86): Another small community weighing money against habits it has no intention of changing. Then [*The Ladykillers*](https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers) (1955, Fi1m 86): For a sharper dose of criminal foolishness beneath respectable British manners.

### Reviews we read (9)

- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a roguish, delightful comedy whose traditional approach remains entertaining. He especially praises Ian Bannen and David Kelly, whose performances and rapport make the film charming and engaging. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-nov-20-ca-45396-story.html)
- **Empire**, William Thomas (80/100, inferred): Thomas gives the film a warmly positive verdict, praising its wit, invention and sustained humor. He particularly singles out the energetic performances of Ian Bannen and David Kelly. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/waking-ned-review/)
- **Total Film**, Total Film (4/5): The review finds the film an entertaining, gently funny crowd-pleaser, though its Irish charm is laid on a little thick. It singles out the believable story, sharp dialogue, and especially the leads’ terrific performances. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/waking-ned-review/)
- **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden (70/100, inferred): The review is positive about the comedy’s appeal. It singles out its lively Irish setting and eccentric characters. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/20/movies/film-review-we-have-a-winner-too-bad-he-s-dead.html)
- **Variety**, Derek Elley (70/100, inferred): Elley finds it a genial, warmly observed comedy, though its plotting is thin and it is not laugh-out-loud funny. He praises the chemistry between Ian Bannen and David Kelly and the charm of the village ensemble. [Read](https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/waking-ned-devine-2-1200455141/)
- **The AV Club**, Joshua Klein (65/100, inferred): Klein finds the film a charming, good-natured fable with a wicked streak, though it lacks class. He especially praises its grungy charm and comic willingness to go for dark laughs. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/waking-ned-devine-1798196001)
- **Time Out**, TJ (64/100, inferred): The page identifies this as a review, but the review text is unavailable. Its verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/waking-ned)
- **Radio Times**, Lorien Haynes (3/5): Haynes calls the film an utterly charming gem. The review singles out Ian Bannen and David Kelly in the roles of the two avaricious old men. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l3ggcw/waking-ned/)
- **The Guardian**, Lawrence Donegan (10/100, inferred): Donegan strongly pans the film as unfunny and built on insulting Irish stereotypes. He particularly objects to its caricatured villagers and scenes such as nude motorcycling. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/books/1999/mar/27/books.guardianreview4)

## Details

- **Director:** Kirk Jones
- **Director:** Kirk Jones
- **Writer:** Kirk Jones
- **Cinematography:** Henry Braham
- **Editor:** Alan Strachan
- **Music:** Shaun Davey
- **Production design:** John Ebden
- **Costume design:** Rosie Hackett
- **Producer:** Richard Holmes, Glynis Murray
- **Cast:** Ian Bannen as Jackie O'Shea; David Kelly as Michael O'Sullivan; Fionnula Flanagan as Annie O'Shea; Susan Lynch as Maggie O'Toole; Brendan Dempsey as Jim Kelly; James Nesbitt as Pig Finn; Paul Vaughan as Narrator (voice); Maura O'Malley as Mrs. Kennedy
- **Runtime:** 1h 31m
- **First release (Canada):** 15 September 1998
- **Genres:** Comedy
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $44 million

## Where to watch in Ukraine

Not streaming, renting or buying in Ukraine at the last check.

Also available in: AT, CA, CH, DE, ES, GB, IT, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Local Hero* (1983), Fi1m 86: Another small community weighing money against habits it has no intention of changing. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/local-hero.md)
- *The Ladykillers* (1955), Fi1m 86: For a sharper dose of criminal foolishness beneath respectable British manners. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-ladykillers.md)
- *The Castle* (1997): Australian domestic comedy whose affection for ordinary people survives their considerable eccentricity.
- *Le Havre* (2011): Neighbourly solidarity with drier delivery and considerably less insistence on being charming.
- *The Band's Visit* (2007): Small-town encounters played with patience, awkwardness and a welcome resistance to fuss.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/waking-ned