Widows' Peak

Widows' Peak is set in the 1920s in Kilshannon, a small Irish town where the wealthiest residents are widows living in a hilltop neighbourhood known as Widow's Peak. The community is dominated by Mrs. Doyle-Counihan, a formidable older woman who has outlived two husbands and keeps close watch on her neighbours' business through a telescope. Her son Godfrey is the only man living among them and the town's most eligible bachelor. The arrival of Edwina Broome, a young and wealthy American widow, disturbs the established order: she charms some residents, including Godfrey, while drawing the hostility of the unmarried Miss O'Hare. What begins as a clash of personalities develops into an open conflict with hints of scandal and, eventually, a suspected murder.

John Irvin directed the film, which sits between Robin Hood and Freefall in the chronological list of his features, from a screenplay by Hugh Leonard. Mia Farrow plays Katherine O'Hare, Joan Plowright plays Mrs. Doyle-Counihan and Natasha Richardson plays Edwina Broome, with Adrian Dunbar as Godfrey and Jim Broadbent as Con Clancy. Jo Manuel produced.

The film was released in April 1994 and runs 101 minutes, mixing comedy, mystery, romance and thriller elements. On TMDB it holds a rating of 6.4 out of 10 from a small number of votes. That modest score reflects a limited, mixed response rather than broad acclaim, which fits a title that has remained better known among admirers of its three leads than in wider circulation.