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STARRING Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan, Susan Lynch

DIRECTED BY Kirk Jones

British writer-director Jones hit the jackpot when Fox Searchlight paid more than $4 million to acquire his charmer about what happens to an Irish village when an unclaimed lottery ticket is discovered. Chasing after the pot of gold, Bannen and Kelly sort through a stand of red herrings and ill-planned schemes -- one of which leads to a hilarious, bare-naked motorcycle ride. ''I was as nervous to talk to Kelly about it as I would be talking about a love scene to a young actress,'' confesses Jones. But it wasn't the full monty keeping the actor awake at night. ''I'd never been on a motorbike in my life,'' says Kelly, 69. ''All worries and modesty went out the window; I just concentrated on staying alive.'' (Nov. 6)

THE LOWDOWN Much of Hollywood is dubbing Ned this year's Full Monty. If audiences agree, this Cannes sensation could contend for the Oscar-underdog slot.


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Posted Aug 21, 1998 | Published in issue #446-447 Aug 21, 1998 | Order Article Reprints