Circle of Friends
For everyone who ever thought the person they loved was out of their reach
1995 | 103m | English
Popularity: 0.9 (history)
| Director: | Pat O'Connor |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Andrew Davies, Maeve Binchy |
| Staring: |
| Three girlhood friends now at college share first loves, first kisses and first betrayals. At the center of it all is the best-looking boy on campus. Can a self-conscious dreamer hook the biggest fish in the pond? | |
| Release Date: | Apr 07, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Pat O'Connor |
| Writer: | Andrew Davies, Maeve Binchy |
| Genres: | Drama, Romance |
| Keywords | college, forbidden love, moral conflict, childhood friends, 1950s |
| Production Companies | The Rank Organisation, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland, Lantana Productions, Price Entertainment |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $45,000,000
Budget: $15,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 02, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Chris O'Donnell | Jack Foley |
| Minnie Driver | Bernadette 'Benny' Hogan |
| Geraldine O'Rawe | Eve Malone |
| Saffron Burrows | Nan Mahon |
| Alan Cumming | Sean Walsh |
| Colin Firth | Simon Westward |
| Aidan Gillen | Aidan Lynch |
| Mick Lally | Dan Hogan |
| Britta Smith | Mrs Hogan |
| John Kavanagh | Brian Mahon |
| Ruth McCabe | Emily Mahon |
| Ciarán Hinds | Professor Flynn |
| Tony Doyle | Dr. Foley |
| Marie Mullen | Mrs Foley |
| Marie Conmee | Mrs Healey |
| Gerry Walsh | Mr Flood |
| Sean McGinley | Mr Duggan |
| Tom Hickey | Professor Maclure |
| Seamus Forde | Parish Priest |
| Ingrid Craigie | Celia Westward |
| Pauline Delaney | Big House Maid |
| Jason Barry | Nasey Mahon |
| Edward Manning | Paul Mahon |
| Phil Kelly | Hibernian Waiter |
| Gwynne McElveen | Rosemary |
| Stephen Rooney | Bill Dunne |
| Cathy Belton | Moaning Girl |
| Niamh O'Byrne | Dancing Girl |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Pat O'Connor | Director |
| Andrew Davies | Writer |
| Simone Pereira Hind | Casting |
| Mary Selway | Casting |
| David Appleby | Still Photographer |
| Brendan Gunn | Dialogue Coach |
| Michael Kamen | Conductor, Orchestrator, Original Music Composer |
| Maeve Binchy | Novel |
| Anushia Nieradzik | Costume Design |
| John Bohan | Construction Coordinator |
| John Jympson | Editor |
| Simon Harris | First Assistant Editor |
| Libbie Barr | Script Supervisor |
| Andy Chmura | Camera Operator |
| Martin Holland | Gaffer |
| Chris Seagers | Art Direction |
| Kenneth MacMillan | Director of Photography |
| Gerry Humphreys | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Elaine Davis | Makeup Artist |
| Jim Clay | Production Design |
| Christopher Brooks | Music Editor |
| Peter Pennell | Sound Editor |
| Debbie Alexander | Assistant Costume Designer |
| Michael McGrath | Still Photographer |
| Brian Simmons | Sound Recordist |
| Dorka Nieradzik | Makeup Artist |
| Carmel Jackson | Makeup Artist |
| Judy Farr | Set Decoration |
| Jonathan Hession | Still Photographer |
| Dina Eaton | Music Editor |
| Leila Kirkpatrick | Production Coordinator |
| Keith Batten | Boom Operator |
| Martin Grace | Stunt Coordinator |
| Bill Levins | Best Boy Electric |
| Barry Gibbs | Property Master |
| Terence A. Clegg | First Assistant Director |
| Alan Paley | Dialogue Editor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Frank Price | Producer |
| Alex Winitsky | Producer |
| Arlene Sellers | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 6 |
| 2024 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 6 |
| 2024 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 6 |
| 2024 | 7 | 11 | 20 | 5 |
| 2024 | 8 | 8 | 13 | 5 |
| 2024 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 4 |
| 2024 | 10 | 15 | 49 | 4 |
| 2024 | 11 | 7 | 16 | 4 |
| 2024 | 12 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| 2025 | 1 | 7 | 18 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Trending Position
Circle of Friends is a little feel good sort of movie. The ensemble characters interact quite well. I have always liked Minnie Driver, and Alan Cummings seems to nail the smarmy characters like this. I think he was in a Jane Austen adaptation film with a similar role. The film is based on one of ... the best Maeve Binchy novels, in my opinion. It concerns Bennie, Driver’s character, who has a self-esteem problem based partly on her weight and unpopularity. But she stands up for herself when she has to, and makes friends. She overcomes problems I won’t go into and risk giving details away, but suffice to say you should really end up rooting for her. My only problem with the movie is the ending. I felt the book had the perfect ending, and the movie went a different way. Don’t get me wrong; if I hadn’t read the book, I am sure I would have been a-okay with the movie ending. I just thought the book nailed it. But movies and books have different story arcs sometimes, and it wouldn’t stop me from watching Circle of Friends again if the opportunity comes along. You be sure to also, because as near as I can see, it can be hard to find it streaming nowadays.