War of the Buttons (1994 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids War of the Buttons |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John Roberts |
| Produced by | David Puttnam |
| Screenplay by | Colin Welland |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Rachel Portman |
| Cinematography | Bruno de Keyzer |
| Editing by | David Freeman |
| Studio | Enigma Productions Fujisankei Communications Group Hugo Films Les Productions de la Guéville Warner Bros. |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) | 5 August 1994 (Republic of Ireland) 14 October 1994 (UK) 29 September 1995 (US) |
| Running time | 94 minutes |
| Country | Republic of Ireland United Kingdom France Japan United States |
| Language | English |
| Money made | $12,712 |
War of the Buttons is an exciting adventure and drama film from 1994. It was made in Ireland and directed by John Roberts. The movie tells the story of two rival groups of boys. It's based on a famous French book called La Guerre des boutons by Louis Pergaud.
The film is set in the beautiful County Cork in Ireland, where it was also filmed. It shows how conflicts can start and grow, and how people who might seem like enemies can actually become friends. The movie has a fun and lighthearted feel, even though it talks about serious topics like arguments and their results.
Contents
What the Movie is About
The story takes place in the 1960s in the Republic of Ireland. There's a white line on a bridge that separates two villages: Carrickdowse and Ballydowse. Most young people from one village don't dare to cross into the other. The boys from each village spend their time trying to get the better of the other side.
This "War of the Buttons" is a long-standing tradition. The goal is to capture buttons from the clothes of your enemies! Even though they say it's "to the death," usually no one gets hurt except their pride.
The Leaders and Their Teams
The leader of the Ballys is a boy named Fergus (played by Gregg Fitzgerald). He lives in a trailer with his mother and has a difficult home life. Fergus might not be the best student, but he's a fantastic leader. The other boys in Ballydowse look up to him and will follow him anywhere. Marie (played by Eveanna Ryan) is also part of the Ballys, and she tells the story as an adult looking back.
The leader of the Carricks is Jerome (played by John Coffey). He comes from a wealthier family and is nicknamed Geronimo, like the famous Apache chief.
The Escalating Conflict
The movie shows how the rivalry between the two groups grows. A big reason for their war is the differences between their social classes. Fergus also faces challenges at home, which adds to the story. Things get complicated when the adults in the villages find out about the boys' feud. There are also disagreements within the Ballys group.
The film shows many of their clever plans to "win" the war, including surprising their enemies. After several battles, Fergus accuses Riley (played by Thomas Kavanagh) of being a traitor. In the final big fight, the Ballys attack an old castle ruin that the Carricks are defending. The Carricks lose, and Geronimo himself cuts off his buttons and gives them to Fergus.
While the Ballys celebrate their victory, Geronimo drives Riley's father's tractor like a tank. He uses it to knock down the Ballys' clubhouse! This brings the War of the Buttons to a very bitter end.
The Aftermath
Finally, the adults from both towns, including Geronimo's father (played by Colm Meaney) and Fergus's stepfather (played by Jim Bartley), step in to stop the fighting. Fergus runs away to the mountains. Geronimo follows him, showing that he supports Fergus without saying a word.
After they are found, both boys are sent to a church orphanage. There, they put their differences aside and become the best of friends. Marie, the narrator, tells us that she later married one of the boys, and the other became their closest friend. But she doesn't tell us which boy she chose!
Cast
- Liam Cunningham as The Master
- Gregg Fitzgerald as Fergus
- Colm Meaney as Geronimo's Dad
- Ger Ryan as Fergus' Mom
Behind the Scenes
The story for War of the Buttons comes from a popular French book called La Guerre des boutons. Louis Pergaud wrote this book in 1912, and it has been printed over 30 times!
This book has been made into movies before. The first French films were La Guerre des gosses (1936) and La Guerre des boutons (1962), which was a black and white film directed by Yves Robert.
The script for this Irish movie was written by Colin Welland. The film was directed by John Roberts. The producer, David Puttnam, had worked with Colin Welland before on the Academy Award-winning movie Chariots of Fire. War of the Buttons was their second film together.
Interestingly, in September 2011, two new French movies based on the same book were released in the same week! One was War of the Buttons, directed by Yann Samuell, set in the 1960s. The other was also called War of the Buttons, directed by Christophe Barratier and set during World War II.
