The Quiet Man1952The Quiet Man
1952
Sean Thornton, an American ex-boxer with a secret, returns to his birthplace of Innisfree, Ireland, to buy his family's old cottage. He falls for fiery Mary Kate Danaher, whose bullying brother refuses to pay her dowry.
The default: films the whole family can watch together; any scary or intense moments for the littlest viewers are flagged in the Context Notes.
Why it’s here
A man haunted by his past and a proud woman learn to understand each other within the customs of a village. The Catholic priest and the Protestant vicar are friends, and the Technicolor Ireland is gorgeous.
Context notes
For parents, before you press play.
Sean drags Mary Kate across the fields over the dowry and a long fistfight follows, both played as rousing comedy approved by the town, so parents will want to talk about how husbands and wives should treat each other. Heavy pub drinking is played for laughs, the newlyweds' separate rooms are subtly referenced, and a death in the boxing ring is backstory.
The Quiet Man (1952)
Discussion questions
When the credits end, go around the room. Each person gives the film a score out of ten and says why.
- Why did the dowry matter so much to Mary Kate?
- Why wouldn't Sean fight at first?
- What did you think of how Sean treated Mary Kate at the end? Was it right?
- Which villager was your favorite?
Content advisory
Common Sense Media 9+: fistfighting; lots of pub drinking; subtle references to the newlyweds not sleeping together after the wedding.
Trailer
Best edition
The disc comes first.
The Quiet Man Blu-ray (60th Anniversary Special Edition)
Blu-ray · January 22, 2013
Coming later
Where to stream
Streaming services are not listed yet. When they are, this note stays secondary to the disc.