_{By: Amanda Guarragi}

There is always something special about romantic comedies, no matter the amount of times we watch them. The conventions are the same, but each film is unique and heartwarming. In Irish Wish, a book editor falls in love with the author she’s working with. After a year of steadily working long hours together, Maddie (Lindsay Lohan) wants to tell Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos) how she feels. Even though Maddie had her best friends present at the book release party, she still phoned her mother, Rosemary (Jane Seymour), to seek advice. The mother/daughter relationship was the focus over the friends that Maddie has been with since childhood. Director Janeen Damien and writer Kirsten Hansen explored romance through fate and the importance of speaking up for yourself. 

The film begins with a cheesy introduction, a voice-over explaining how not everything will be what you wish for and a title card with the backdrop of Ireland. From that moment on you know exactly the film you’re about to watch and it’s still charming. Lohan has always had such a presence on screen, and her comedic timing is perfection. The character of Maddie is more reserved than Lohan is used to playing. Maddie is timid, doesn’t want to upset anyone and bides her time by paying her dues. She knows things will work out for her if she follows one path. And she silently wishes for certain things to happen in her life. It’s not like Maddie doesn’t work for the things she wants, but she isn’t someone who will speak out because she’s afraid of the outcome. The night of the book release, as she is about to tell Paul she’s in love with him, he asks her to write another book with him instead of expressing his feelings towards her. She’s crushed, and the night worsens as Maddie’s best friend, Emma (Elizabeth Tan), charms him into a wedding proposal. 

Once Maddie gets to the airport in Ireland, she has a meet-cute with a British photographer named James (Ed Speelers). They have a great banter on the bus ride to Paul Kennedy’s estate, but she knows she won’t ever see him again. Maddie has to be surrounded by the life she can’t ever have, and she’s in a funk. However, after one excursion with the bridal party, Maddie sits under a tree that coincidentally grants wishes. The concept is charming and far-fetched but works because of Irish mythology. The main issue with the film is that the script feels stale. There’s no solid connection between Maddie and her best friends. There could have been more between Emma and Maddie if they had expressed how they felt about Paul. It’s hard to believe a romantic relationship wouldn’t affect their relationship. The saving grace of this film is the chemistry between Speelers and Lohan. Maddie’s “wish” is skewed to show her a different perspective on life, and that’s where some beautiful meaning comes to the tagline. Some things aren’t what you wished for, but that means something better is waiting for you to come along. 

Irish Wish is a charming film with Lindsay Lohan shining as always. It’s a heartwarming romantic comedy that reminds women to use their voices in every aspect of life. Whether it’s a relationship or work-related, speaking up is a necessity. The message may have been a bit too on the nose, but Lohan’s delivery made it strong. When Maddie wished for a life with Paul, it was a fantasy of what she would have idealized with him, not the life that suited her best. Sometimes, people realize the story about the person you’ve made up doesn’t work. Director Janeen Damien created some humorous moments that worked with Lohan’s comedic strengths and grounded the film with the emotional connection with Speelers. The scenes they shared had this spark making their budding relationship believable and fun to watch.