DVD (2010) Written by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont/Directed by Anand Tucker STARRING: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott
The story If a man receives a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day, he must accept it — that’s what tradition says. So with February 29th around the corner, and no proposals on the horizon from her long-time boyfriend Jeremy, Anna Brady (played by Amy Adams) decides to take matters into her own hands. She will hunt down Jeremy (Adam Scott) on his Dublin business trip and pop the question! If it worked for her grandma Jane, it’s gotta work for her too, right? We quickly discover the answer to that as a storm redirects Anna’s flight and she ends up washed ashore in a tiny Irish town a day’s journey from Dublin. It’s there where she meets Declan O’Callaghan (Matthew Goode) — a tall, dark and brooding Irishman who runs the town’s only hotel as well as taxi service. In the shadow of Declan’s rugged manliness and Mr. Rochester-like aloofness, the trendy metrosexual weasel-face that is Anna’s fiance-to-be melts away like a bad dream come morning. But Anna is determined to get to Dublin and propose to Jeremy. Declan agrees to drive her to Dublin and the journey begins.
It’s a 6.5 Leap Year is a quiet movie, with a script that borders on pathetic at times. But heaven help me, I really like it. Despite the flaws of the film (dreadfully dull and contrived Boston scenes book-end the film), the movie springs to life once in Ireland, and is full of romantic little vignettes. Leap Year is formulaic, but the chemistry between Adams and Goode totally wins you over. I can count three girlfriends of mine who speak of Leap Year with a happy sigh, and Roger Ebert, my go-to critic, gave this movie three stars out of four.
Sweet extras As film critic Roger Ebert once wrote: “When was the last time you saw a boring Irishman in a movie?” With phrases like “jabs” (boobs) and “brown trout” (poop), the world is never dull. Here are some of the Irish phrases or objects referenced in Leap Year. You’ll find these useful for understanding some of the movie dialogue, as a few of them are never explained. What is a tripe and why should you be repulsed by it? You’ll find out below.
chancer: a scheming opportunist
eejit: an idiot
diddly-eye: foolish or foolishness
bob: money, cash
hang sandwich: a ham sandwich
tripe: edible sections from the stomachs of farm animals, in particular oxen, sheep, or goats. (Note: if you ever want to eat again, don’t google images).
Sláinte! (pronounced slán-jah): an Irish toast, meaning “to your health.”
a claddagh ring: A traditional Irish ring that features two hands clasping a heart topped by a crown. It is most often given as a token of love, though it can also mean friendship. When worn on the right ring finger with the heart pointing to the fingertip, the wearer indicates they are single. Worn on the same finger but with the heart pointing toward the palm suggests the wearer is in a relationship. When the ring is on the left hand wedding ring finger, it means the person is married or engaged.
Good for who? Leap Year is great for a quiet night at home alone. And this one is for rom-com lovers only. We are a special breed and no one but the forgiving rom-com aficionado will find the worthwhile moments beyond the movie’s flaws. Sexual references are minimal, with some hells, a couple of as*es, and one very loud and distinct JC which will grate on the baptist minister’s wife like fingernails on a chalkboard. That’s too bad, because I think she would have liked this one.
Loved this movie? Live this movie! Coq au vin and the toast you’ve been looking for
The toast Anna and Declan stumble upon an Irish wedding, and are invited to stay. The bride gives this toast to her husband, which several readers of this blog have asked me about over the past two years. This would be a lovely one to recite at your own wedding or that of a friend.
“May you never steal, lie or cheat.
But if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows.
And if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life.
And if you must cheat, then please cheat death,
because I couldn’t live a day without you.”
The recipe On their travels, Declan and Anna stay in a small farmhouse and cook dinner for their hosts. They make the french dish coq au vin with fresh ingredients found in the garden. Rumour has it this dish — a sort of chicken and veg stew braised with red wine — takes several hours to prepare authentically, but quick and dirty recipes for it abound online. Here’s a delicious quicky coq au vin recipe from http://www.eatingwell.com that I tested on the weekend. It took about an hour, and I swapped out the dry red Zinfandel for red cooking wine which was cheaper and still delish!
Eatingwell.com said it makes four servings, but I found it only made three. Note: I served my dish with yellow baby potatoes — halved, sprinkled with olive oil, and baked in the oven on a cookie sheet while I prepared the recipe. Also note: Unlike Declan O’Callaghan, I did not kill my own chicken to make this.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 bone-in chicken breasts (about 12 ounces each), skin removed, trimmed
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 ounces mushrooms, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 large carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, halved and sliced
- 1 teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
- 1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry red wine, preferably Zinfandel
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Place flour in a shallow dish. Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to get 4 portions about equal in weight. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and roll through the flour.
- Whisk water with 2 tablespoons of the leftover flour in a small bowl; set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. (To make sure the chicken would be cooked completely through, I gave the thicker pieces a head start in the microwave. Just a few minutes for each piece).
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan; reduce heat to medium-low. Add mushrooms, carrots, onion and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and browned in spots, about 5 minutes.
- Add broth, wine, tomato paste and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Stir until the tomato paste is dissolved. Bring to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Cover, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring once or twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate. (Note: I did not have a thermometer to test the chicken — another reason I pre-cooked the chicken a bit in the microwave first).
- Increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high. Stir the water-flour mixture, add it to the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Serve the chicken with the sauce, sprinkled with parsley. Optional baby potatoes placed along side.
Enjoy!
Paula Jane
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