Little things like this don’t show the ‘pleasures’ of life in the 1980s – Quinn

Cillian Murphy is new Little things like this The film is too ‘simplistic’ – and fails to capture the ‘joys’ of life in 1980s Ireland, claims David Quinn.

The film is set in 1985 in a small Irish town where a woman becomes pregnant out of wedlock.

It follows the male character Bill Furlong, a middle-aged married man who grew up stigmatized for being born out of wedlock.

On Newstalk breakfastDavid Quinn, director of the Iona Institute, disagreed with the portrayal of life in Ireland in the 1980s as a melancholy place where everyone lived in fear of the church.

“They are all terrified that if anyone challenges the nuns there will be serious consequences,” he said.

“Bill Furlong, played by Cillian Murphy, is told by his wife: ‘Don’t do anything about what’s happening there because if you do it will have terrible consequences for our daughters.’

“It doesn’t look like the 1980s; it barely resembles the 1850s and in some parts it looks like the 1850s.

“I also read the book and thought, ‘Is that what life was like in the 1980s?’ That might have been true for some people, but it would have been a very small minority.”

Politics of the 80s

Mr Quinn said the Church was not something his contemporaries thought much about, and was far from a “big cloud in our lives”.

“We were not afraid that the priests or nuns would get in the way of our freedom and our joys,” he said.

“The main thing on our minds when discussing current events was not the Church, but Charlie Haughey versus Garret FitzGerald.”

Crucifix in the library of a Catholic school. Image: lovethephoto / Alamy Stock Photo

In 1985, the sale of contraception without a prescription was legalized; However, marital rape remained legal until 1990 and homosexuality was still a crime.

State censorship remained in place and screenings of the 1979 comedy continued Brian’s life were kept in secret.

Despite this, Mr Quinn feels that most people had a good time.

“I saw little enough in the way of my contemporaries and their pleasures in the 1980s,” he said.

“A lot of people had a lot of fun.

“For example, we had things like Slane Castle; the pubs were busy, there was a great music scene.”

Public opinion

In the 1980s, two referendums were held on social issues.

In 1983, a large majority of voters decided to add the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which banned abortion.

Three years later they also decided to uphold the constitutional ban on divorce.

“There was a two-to-one majority in both cases,” Quinn said.

“That was the Democratic will – for the Eighth Amendment to be passed and Garret’s divorce referendum to be rejected.”

Little things like this is an adaptation of Claire Keegan’s bestselling novella of the same name.

Main image: Cillian Murphy. Photo by: Alamy.com