The Good Vibrations movie is presented as a biopic about the life of an Irish music scene veteran Terri Hooley. The movie tells the story of the record store-owner, who opened up shop at the height of the Belfast civil rights conflict in the 1970’s and the latter stages of the punk scene. Actor Richard Dormer plays the role of Hooley in the Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry-written movie. The movie might be worth seeing as an anthropological curiosity, but, as a fully-formed feature film, it’s lacking in all key categories. Plot is ignored in favour of chunks of key moments in Hooleys life which is presented as legendary. Yet for the most part the portrayal is unremarkable – and legendary only in terms of the myths he propagated around himself, so the whole biopic promotion seems pointless. His life long association with the music industry was only as a fan and amateur protagonist. Yet the film hangs his legendary status not only on the myths but also on the fact that he stumbled upon a band (the Undertones) and passed them on to a U.S. record major whereby they achieved moderate success. Attributing the success to Hooley rather undermines the ability of the band themselves. I am not accusing the Directors Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn of being socially irresponsible, because, as filmmakers, their responsibility is to present their vision, not to teach a history lesson. However, by adopting this approach, they rob the movie of potential dramatic tension. Good Vibrations becomes a sporadically interesting glimpse into the rather tame and parochial world of music nerds. Those wishing for a full-on, comprehensive look at the Punk era will be disappointed. The Directors do have some good ideas that result in a few inspired scenes, but the story – at least what there is of a story – is flaccid, and the characters are porously presented and developed. The directors may sympathize with them, but they never get the audience to that point. There is also some lazy film making, the flying scene sequences stir memories of similarly bizarre moments in The Big Labowsky. It’s possible that Good Vibrations’ target audience (old punks and hippies now in their 50’s to 70’s) will adore this movie. David Holmes’ music supervision is likely to give the film short-lived cult status among record collecting nerds and may be seen as an interesting but embarrassing period piece.

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Francesca Felstead I couldnt disagree with you more! This is a totally fresh look at a time in Belfasts history that so often has been told in a very predictable way. This film has a heart and sprite that is rarely seen in any film. And I’m not the only one saying this, all you have to do is look at other features online and reviews in the press.

(NI Daily Mirror, Box Office supplement)
There are so many moments, so many grace notes, that keep coming back, with goose-bump raising brightness… It’s a film of pride and joy and friendship and soul. See this movie.

Fionola Meredith (Belfast Telegraph/The Guardian)
But this wasn’t just a film about Terri Hooley. It was a love-letter to our complex, wounded, irrepressible city, caught somewhere between the gutter and the stars: a place that can infuriate and inspire like no other… It touched me, because this was a city i could recognise. This was the capricious city that, in spite of all, I love.

Gavin Martin (The Mirror)
Can only reiterate what everyone has said about Good Vibrations, I teared up right at the start, a few times throughout and was punching the air, stomping the feet, laughing my leg off elsewhere. In ‘punk’ terms as validating and empowering as England’s Dreaming: Sex Pistols and Punk Rock , in capturing the emancipatory power of rock n roll and the possibilities of community and human spirit its better than anything I can think of.

Henry McDonald (The Guardian)
This is more authentic in terms of rock n roll teenage rebellion than ‘American Graffiti’, ‘That’ll Be the Day’, ’24 Hour Party People’ or any other rock biopic or movie.

You have every right to have an opinion, as i do, but there seems to be something more than that with you. Everywhere there is a mention or a post about it you post this review. I would suggest that you have a personal problem with either Terri Hooley or the people who have made this, why else would you spend so much time and energy doing this?

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Unlike ‘fenella felstead’ I am not hiding behind a pseudonym! its very clear to me that this person is someone bitter, jealous, nasty and probably pretty unsuccessful. Back under your stone, ‘Felstead’, or reveal your identity…(oh, you wont do that of course, in case you might affect your chances of work) Good Vibrations was made on a miniscule budget and has heart, soul and courage- unlike you. Bet you wish you were in it though.

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I have to disagree with Francesca, I believe that the directors, producers and writers of this movie did have a social responsibility to take an issue as dangerous and complex as sectarianism seriously. Over the 30 years of the civil strife in Belfast many thousands of individuals and organisations worked at great personal risk to oppose sectarianism e.g. community workers, social workers, The Peace People etc. This movie does an appalling disservice to these heroic people in suggesting that the owner of the Good Vibrations record shop was some kind of messianic figure who delivered Belfast from a sectarian hell. Considering the amount of public money used to support this movie the least we could have expected was some semblance of accuracy and not the flippant approach to an issue that resulted in thousands of deaths. Where is the evidence that Good Vibrations brought opposing religious groups or bigots together? The punks appear to have been people who found common ground in a music genre and fashion style and by nature were not sectarian. There were opportunities for punks to address Belfast’s sectarianism in the late 70’s when there was a fledgling Rock Against Sectarianism movement trying to get underway similar to the UK’s Rock Against Racism but the punk bands did not want to get involved! So Belfast’s punks hid from the serious issues of their city in the Harp Bar were they would not be bothered by real life. However this does not make the movie that different from other rock/music movies which usually have a social/political redemption/justification as a subplot and Good Vibrations’ entree here is no different. You know the ending from the very first and so its up to the lead to carry the weight of “Good Vibrations is more than just a shop it’s a way of life ” ballast, which Dormer pulls of admirably, so its “mission accomplished!”. The Galway audience responded well however as few people outside of Ireland have ever heard of the record shop Good Vibrations or Terry Hooley, the movie lacks a broad appeal. I

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