Shamrock and Rye Roll

Depending on how Irish you are people will load up on the green in varying levels today--and the beer. There are plenty of cinematic options to help you celebrate this most ethnic of days, so if you are sitting and pondering which of the hundreds of Irish films you can shake a shillegah at I'll throw some ideas at you.

A solid choice would be "The Commitments" with a soundtrack and plenty of bar scenes, now on DVD.

You can have a stateside Irish-roots melodrama with "The Brothers McMullen".

If you need a Garafalo fix you can go with "The Matchmaker"--It is a sappy tale but they actually make it to Ireland and Dennis Leary is included.

If you want to see the Irish depected by a squat American and a statuesque Aussie you can of course take on "Far and Away". Laugh at Cruise in his bowler, but Nikkie Kidman looks rather fetching in more than a few scenes.

"The Secret of Roan Inish" is a sparkly emerald of a movie for leprechauns of all ages.

If you have a masochistic bent "Celtic Pride" is as painfully unfunny as a comedy as "Far and Away" is hilarious as a drama.

Myself? I'm torn between "Ned Kelly"--the 1970 version--with Jagger at times playing himself and a scared rock star who doesn't know how to behave in front of the camera. But I am sure I will opt for "The Crying Game". Great performances, but a word of caution: you may want to hold off on the corned beef until after the big reveal scene. You'll thank me.