Harry Cronin (newcomer James Hickey) is an eight-year-old boy growing up in Dublin, Ireland, in 1960 with his doting but dis-spirited widowed mother, May (Rita Tushingham) and grumpy older brother, Paul (Hugh O’Conor).
Harry feels lonely and isolated following his father’s death. He is bullied at school, and his only real friend is his dog, Max. His greatest joy and obsession is the Flash Gordon series, which he watches each Saturday at the local cinema.
A perpetual dreamer with a rich imagination, Harry is convinced he doesn’t really belong to his family and believes that he and Max are extraterrestrials from the planet Mercury. He is also convinced that the Mercurians will come to his aid if times get bad.
When Harry’s friend Sean (Sean O’Flanagain) is bullied by Mucker Maguire (Kevin James), he sets in motion a chain of events that lead to a time when he desperately needs the Mercurians to come to the rescue.
Believing himself to be endowed with extraordinary powers, Harry tries to fight against Mucker.
Usually distant, his older brother Paul comes to school to threaten the unbeliever.
This lovely Irish-made film is a bittersweet story about childhood with plenty of humour and more than a little sadness.
Tom Courtenay co-stars as Harry’s eccentric uncle Tony, who rides a scooter and speaks in hilarious malapropisms.
May Cronin
Rita Tushingham Uncle Tony Cronin
Tom Courtenay Harry Cronin
James Hickey Paul Cronin
Hugh O’Conor Brother Dowdall
Ian McElhinney Sarah
Joanne Gerrard Sean McCarthy
Sean O’Flanagain James ‘Mucker’ Maguire
Kevin James Usher
Liam Heffernan Ice Cream Girl
Rachel Martin Foyer Usher
Paddy Nalty Sean’s Perfect Father
Patrick J. Brady Sean’s Perfect Mother
Irene Parsons Sean’s Perfect Sister
Aisling Duffy Neenan Brother Quinn
Brendan Morrissey Joe
Ciaran O’Brien Noel
Graham Reddy Harry’s Father
Mark O’Regan
Director
Martin Duffy
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A perpetual dreamer with a rich imagination, Harry is convinced he doesn’t really belong to his family and believes that he and Max are extraterrestrials from the planet Mercury. He is also convinced that the Mercurians will come to his aid if times get bad.
