Select delivery location
See All Buying Options

The Commitments

Robert Arkins (Actor), Michael Aherne (Actor), Alan Parker (Director) Rated:
R
Format: DVD
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,478 ratings
IMDb7.6/10.0
Additional DVD options Edition Discs
Price
New from Used from
DVD
January 1, 1991 		—
1
$12.99
$12.99 $3.69
DVD —
1
$18.48
$14.36 $14.36
DVD
Collector's Edition
1
$16.88
$16.88 —
DVD
November 2, 1999 		—
1
—
— $3.59
Format Closed-captioned, Dolby, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
Contributor Robert Arkins, Dave Finnegan, Ian La Frenais, Johnny Murphy, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Roddy Doyle, Alan Parker, Bronagh Gallagher, Glen Hansard, Flim Gormley, Dick Clement, Dick Massey, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Andrew Strong, Ken McCluskey See more
Language English
Runtime 1 hour and 58 minutes
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product Description

There's no resisting The Commitments...A film with a sound so potent it could probably change the world. Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times. What a concept: a frank, entertaining and utterly believable movie about the sweet, small victories and fatal screw-ups of a young rebel soul band straight outta the Dublin ghetto, starring real musicians and singers whacking away at great R&B crackers from the sixties. Susan Granger, American Film Classics.

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.33:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ R (Restricted)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.25 x 5.25 x 0.5 inches; 2.4 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Alan Parker
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Closed-captioned, Dolby, Color, Full Screen, NTSC
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 58 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ November 2, 1999
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Robert Arkins, Michael Aherne, Angeline Ball, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Dave Finnegan
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, Spanish
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Unqualified
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ 20th Century Fox
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 6305622922
  • Writers ‏ : ‎ Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Roddy Doyle
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 2,478 ratings

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
2,478 global ratings
Great Movie!!
5 Stars
Great Movie!!
I was so happy to find this movie as it is one of my favoritesThe DVD came on time- greatIt’s in perfect condition- yayI would buy from this seller again.
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Receiver
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleased
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
The delivery and contents were fine!
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
wonderful movie, great singing and dvd in perfect condition.
Helpful
 Report
S. Black
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
Verified Purchase
I was so happy to find this movie as it is one of my favorites
The DVD came on time- great
It’s in perfect condition- yay
I would buy from this seller again.
Customer image
S. Black
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Movie!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2024
I was so happy to find this movie as it is one of my favorites
The DVD came on time- great
It’s in perfect condition- yay
I would buy from this seller again.
Images in this review
Customer image
Customer image
Helpful
 Report
Jonny Too Bad
5.0 out of 5 stars Da' Blues!!!!
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Funny and visceral! Loved years ago and loved a short time ago. Whoaaaaa Mustang Sally!
Helpful
 Report
a walther
5.0 out of 5 stars AYY, GINGA' SHUTE THE F*** UP!
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
"AYY, GINGA'...Shut(e) the F*** up!!
What a line. When I heard that Ginger Baker reference from music store clerk, tired of hearing the incessantly loud, auditioning, drum play I was officially hooked; and laughing more than I could have imagined with this music, comedy.
THE COMMITMENTS is one of those rare movies that can be seen and heard a second and 3rd time without losing an ounce of entertainment value since the songs are done so well while the dialogue, and a bevy of great lines, can be 'rediscovered' once you figure out exactly what these Dublin blokes are saying. Yes, accents are quite authentic.

But, this Irish "Soul" band that is put together by unemployed Jimmy Babbitte (Robert Arkins - a musician, singer himself) is simply outstanding as they perform songs by such greats as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett (there's a back story involving Pickett that is vital to proceedings...) with a bit of James Brown "for the moves" , and Aretha Franklin "for a lil' of everything..."
Felim Gormley plays saxophone player Dean "Nipples" (funny scene/story behind nickname) Fay while Joey "the Lips" Fagan (John Murphy) claims to have played with everyone from B.B King to the Beatles! Is he full of it? Hard to say. He can sure play the trumpet though.
By the time Maria Doyle (Orphan Black tv show on BBC...) sings "...I never loved a man/ the way that I/ I loved you..." I am very personally simmering to mesmerized by her 'smokin' vocals. Angelina Ball (plays Imelda Quirk) is the pure blonde, leggy eye candy who solos hot on "Chain of Fools". The 'other' girl is worth a mention too, singer Bronagh Gallagher, who is the only one "bringing in any money" in her family and is forced to bring a baby to the practice sessions which gives resident obnoxious front man Decko (Andrew Strong - the second coming of Joe Cocker ... but better...?) permission to torment the little tyke with inappropriately loud drum play. Decko is definitely "the prick" of the group.

Check this one out although it is a shame of all the movies to have no xtras this really is a classic example of dialogue that should have had Subtitles. Oh well, still a great Widescreen picture and I can't say it enough: This is great rock-n-roll "Soul" music brought to us by (as Jimmy Babbitte points out) "Dubliners" (who)are the blacks of Ireland; and WE are the blacks of Dublin."
Ladies and Gentleman THE COMMITMENTS.
25 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Rob K
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
Reviewed in the United States on September 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Too few know about this gem.
Helpful
 Report
R.L. Holly
4.0 out of 5 stars Here's an Irish party game...
Reviewed in the United States on May 11, 2010
Verified Purchase
... that you can play while watching The Commitments. Buy a few cases of Guinness, and every time a character says the naughty F-word, take a good long gulp. I guarantee no one will be sober when the movie ends. I think the director, in his commentary track, says something like over 280 swears had to be overdubbed for the television version.

Apart from the amazingly high cussing quotient, this is a fairly sprightly Dublin take on the old "hey, gang, let's form a band and become famous" trope. It doesn't take itself too seriously, pokes fun at many music industry sacred cows, and fairly reeks of 1980s Irish working class sensibilities. While it may seem less than ambitious to merely aspire to become a famous soul cover band -- as opposed to making *original* music, which never seems to enter anyone's head -- you can't deny these youngsters' sincerity or drive to succeed. Miraculously, they manage to do so despite the incessant bickering, but things fall apart quickly and predictably once show biz-size egos start to collide.

One thing you can't deny the Irish, they gotta a whole lotta soul, and in this film we see the proof. Ninety proof, n'yuk-n'yuk!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars An All-Time Favorite!
Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2009
Verified Purchase
There are two types of folks that may buy this DVD: those that haven't seen it, and those that have.

For those who haven't, there's a reason so many have posted 5-star reviews singing the praises of this film: it's truly great. The music, the story, the acting, the music, the humor -- and did I mention the music? -- all come together to make an enjoyable and memorable movie. It's the kind of film you can watch over and over again without it ever getting old. One caution, though: unless you're from the UK, the first couple times you watch the movie you may want to use subtitles. While the strong Irish accent is certainly part of the charm, until you get used to it you may miss some of the dialogue.

Released in 1991, this was filmed when Dublin was still in the economic pits. The impact of this situation is manifest in every aspect of the setting: the unemployment, the depressed air in the community, and everyone's need for The Commitments (not just the band members, but the local population as well). The characters are all so believable, the story keeps you entertained, and you'll be humming classic soul songs for days.

For those that have seen the flick, this edition is not only the long-awaited widescreen and Dolby digital sound, but the extras are great as well: the making of the movie and the retrospective comments from the actors are great additions.

Ladies and gents, in the end you'll simply enjoy it -- and that's what it's all about.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Arismar Sousa
5.0 out of 5 stars Simplesmente D+
Reviewed in Brazil on July 1, 2022
Verified Purchase
Boas canções, vocalistas fenomenais e lições de vida.
Report
Trinity
5.0 out of 5 stars classic nineties movie
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 3, 2024
Verified Purchase
a classic movie that looks great on blu ray, absolutely brilliant sound track and a good buy.
Report
Gustel Bocuse
5.0 out of 5 stars Suuuuper schöner Film!
Reviewed in Germany on January 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Wer schräge irisch-britische Filme aus den Anfang 90er mit hinreißender Musik mag, sollte es sich unbedingt ansehen. Trotz, bzw. vielleicht deswegen, dass der Film über 30 Jahre auf dem Buckel hat, ist er grandios.
Report
Lourdes
5.0 out of 5 stars Buenísimos recuerdos!
Reviewed in Spain on October 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
Necesitaba volver a verla y ponérsela a mis alumnos. Maravillosa!
Report
Trim Vis 44
5.0 out of 5 stars A jobless young hustler decides it would be fun and perhaps supply some much needed cash if he ...
Reviewed in Canada on December 19, 2017
Verified Purchase
The movie is set in the depressed northside of Dublin in the 1980s. A jobless young hustler decides it would be fun and perhaps supply some much needed cash if he puts together and manages a band. Positing that Northsiders are Dublin's equivalent of U.S. inner-city blacks, he figures it should be a soul band. The music is so totally 60s soul that I found myself forgetting the story is set in the 80s. If you want a genre for this, it would be musical comedy. It's not the tale of a group's rise from rag-to-riches, but focuses on the relationships (in the broad rather than romantic meaning of the term) of the diverse members of the band. Apart from Colm Meany who plays the hero's Elvis-loving Dad, it has a cast of unknowns (to me, at least) who inhabit their characters to perfection. It's extremely funny and entertaining and the music is great. There are flaws, chiefly director Parker's refusal to let go of a good scene, rather like the guy at a party who gets a good laugh from a joke so repeats it over and over. The auditions for the band go on so long they become tedious, as compared to a similar scene in "The Fabulous Baker Boys" which works much better because it is kept brief. But overall the movie's so much fun it's weaker points become insignificant. A warning to the language-sensitive: these kids' vocabulary does not appear to have progressed beyond 4 letter words which they use so prolifically I ceased to notice after a while.
Report