Review: Finding You, and Ireland isn’t so bad either

Finding You is a romance with some substance. I hesitate to call it a romcom because it doesn’t quite fit the genre, but it’s definitely a love story. It was filmed in Ireland and takes its time showing you the sights, which is a treat. It’s available on Prime Video.

Finding You stars Rose Reid and Jedidiah Goodacre in the romance, but has some wonderful other actors such as Vanessa Redgrave that make the cast glow.

Finley (Rose Reid) keeps auditioning to be a violinist in the symphony. And she keeps failing. So she decides to spend a semester in Ireland, just as her brother did 4 years ago.

On the plane, she sits by a famous actor named Beckett (Jedidiah Goodacre). He makes fantasy adventure movies in Ireland and is loved by teenage girls everywhere. According to social media, he’s in a tumultuous relationship with his co-star Taylor (Katherine McNamara). Even though Finley is attracted to Beckett, she’s wary because of his public life and viral shenanigans with Taylor.

Finley will be staying in the home of a host family – where her brother also stayed. Thus, Emma (Saoirse-Monica Jackson) considers her a sister and leaps into her arms at the airport. The adults, Sean (Ciaran McMahon) and Nora (Fiona Bell) are more restrained. Finley learns they now run a bed and breakfast, so her accommodations will be slightly different from her brother’s.

And – you could see it coming – Beckett is a guest at the B&B. He’s everywhere, all the time. He tries to convince Finley that his romance with Taylor is strictly the invention of his father/manager (Tom Everett Scott).

Beckett takes Finley to meet the local fiddler Seamus (Patrick Bergin), who plays in the pub. Seamus tells her is isn’t the notes you play on your instrument, it’s how you play them. She has been accused of being too stiff and technical in her playing, so this advice is exactly what she needed.

Part of Finley’s college work is to do community service. She is assigned to spend time with the world’s grumpiest senior citizen, Cathleen (Vanessa Redgrave).

More than any potential romance with Beckett, more than any amount of Irish fiddling in pubs with Seamus, her relationship with Cathleen is what changes the direction of her life.

Overall this was a warm and heartfelt film, better than the usual romcom. The scenic tour of Ireland that was built into the plot added to the feeling of wonder and beauty about the film.