War of the Buttons

War of the Buttons is set in a small Irish village, where the boys of Ballydowse and the neighbouring Carrickdowse carry on a long-running feud. Their battles are fought not with weapons but by stripping the opposing side of buttons, laces and anything else that can be seized as a trophy. The punishment that awaits a boy who comes home with his clothes in ruins raises the stakes. At the centre of the story is Fergus, the son of poor parents who treat him with particular harshness, and who eventually runs away from home rather than face what waits for him. The screenplay was written by Colin Welland and the film is a remake of an earlier French production.

John Roberts directed the film, his first feature, and went on to make Paulie in 1998. Liam Cunningham and Colm Meaney are among the adult cast, with Gregg Fitzgerald as Fergus, alongside Gerard Kearney and Darragh Naughton in a credited cast of forty. David Puttnam produced, and the film was a co-production involving British, Irish, American, French and Japanese companies.

Released in August 1994 and running ninety-four minutes, the film blends adventure, comedy, drama and family viewing. It holds a rating of 7 out of 10 on TMDB from 127 votes, while film critics give it 7 out of 10 from 222 reviews, placing the two measures closely in line.