St. Patrick's Day

The luck of the Irish is not shining on anyone looking for a spot of whiskey or stout in this comedy about an unusual family get-together. Mary Pat Donnely McDonough (Piper Laurie) is the matriarch of a large Irish-American family, and as is her custom, she has invited as many of her family as can attend to a weekend-long party and reunion to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. However, upon arrival her guests discover this year's gathering will be a bit different; Mary has decided that it's time she gave up alcohol, and not only will she not be drinking any spirits during the weekend, she will not permit anyone else to drink in her home, either. Needless to say, the nearly two-dozen guests on hand are not sure just what to expect from two days together with no social lubricants, and soon more than a few secrets fall by the wayside: Thomas (Redmond M. Gleason), the family servant, decides to proclaim his love for Mary; Priss (Joanne Baron), Mary's daughter, announces she's leaving her husband for a much younger man; a pair of distant cousins decide a roll in the clover is in order; and teenaged Cassie (Colleen Fitzpatrick) is on hand to capture everyone's most embarrassing moments on videotape. Incidentally, Colleen Fitzpatrick would later become a successful pop singer under the name Vitamin C.