Quote:
Originally Posted by Rain Man
Did you nominate that one? What's going on? I don't speak Russian. I saw an English clip that started later and it seemed like he was giving his wife back and getting back some dowry money? And then he threw it in the furnace and they were a happy couple.
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Nuh uh, I saw the clip and barely remembered the story, so I just looked it up.
Plot
In the 1920s, Sean Thornton (
John Wayne), an
Irish-born American from
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, travels to
Ireland to reclaim his family's farm in Inisfree. He meets and falls in love with the fiery Mary Kate Danaher (
Maureen O'Hara), the sister of the bullying, loud-mouthed landowner Squire "Red" Will Danaher (
Victor McLaglen). Danaher, angry that Sean outbid him for the Thornton land adjacent to his property, initially refuses to sanction the marriage until several town locals, including the
Catholic priest, Father Lonergan (
Ward Bond), conspire to trick him into believing that the wealthy Widow Tillane (
Mildred Natwick) wants to marry him, but only if Mary Kate is no longer living in his house. After learning the truth on Sean and Mary Kate's wedding day, an enraged Will refuses to give his sister her full
dowry.
Sean, unschooled in Irish customs, cares nothing about the dowry, but Mary Kate is obsessed with obtaining it. The dowry represents her independence, identity, and pride. Angered and shamed by Sean's refusal to confront her brother and demand what is legally hers, she brands him a
coward, and, despite living together, they are estranged as husband and wife.
Sean had been a
boxer in the
United States, a heavyweight challenger known as "Trooper Thorn". After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, Sean hung up his gloves, vowing never to fight again. This is known to only one person in the village, the
Church of Ireland minister, the Rev. Playfair (
Arthur Shields).
Later, in an attempt to force Sean to confront Will, Mary Kate leaves him and boards a train departing Castletown and headed to
Dublin. Infuriated, Sean drags her off the train, and, followed by the townspeople, forces her to walk the five miles to Inisfree from Castletown to the Danaher farm. Sean demands that Will hand over her dowry and threatens to return Mary Kate to his household if he refuses. Will finally relents and gives him the cash. Mary Kate and Sean throw it into a furnace together, showing that Mary Kate never cared about the money, but only what it represented. A long, memorable fistfight ensues between Sean and Will. They slug it out through the village, stop for a drink, brawl again, then become best friends. Sean regains Mary Kate's love and respect. Will and the Widow Tillane begin courting, and peace is returned to Inisfree.