Lindsay Lohan’s transformation from a troubled child star to a happy, healthy, and hydrated adult is aspirational. Like Robert Downey Jr. and Drew Barrymore before her, Lohan’s journey in the spotlight was rife with controversy as the pressures of stardom took a toll on her professional and personal life. For many millennials who grew up watching Mean Girls and The Parent Trap on basic cable, it was hard to watch a young woman full of potential struggle with substance abuse. After several years in the wilderness, the starlet regained control of her narrative and rose above her terrible circumstances. Now her star is rising again with Irish Wish.
Granted, Lohan’s current romantic comedy films with Netflix are not on par with her talent as an actor. It is as if she is cautiously dipping her toe back into the Hollywood machine. And considering how much the industry exploited her and many other child stars during the early aughts, I honestly cannot blame her for playing it safe. Although Lohan continues to charm her way back into our hearts with Irish Wish, the paint-by-numbers rom-com lacks distinction due to its nondescript secondary characters and dull romantic male leads.
Every rom-com trope is present
Irish Wish begins at the book launch party of Two Irish Hearts by Irish author Paul (Alexander Vlahos). During the event, Paul’s editor, Maddie (Lohan), wants to express her feelings to the successful writer but lacks the confidence to tell him. As an intelligent woman and a great writer in her own right, Maddie’s insecurities prevent her from standing up for herself. Unsurprisingly, the editor misses the opportunity to secure her wants and needs since Paul catches the eye of her childhood best friend, Emma (Elizabeth Tan). Much to Maddie’s dismay, the disgruntled editor must put her feelings aside as she watches Paul and Emma’s relationship blossom.
Three months later, Maddie travels to Ireland with her good friend Heather (Ayesha Curry) to attend Paul and Emma’s wedding. While in Ireland, Maddie runs into a mischievous spirit named Saint Brigid (Dawn Bradfield), who grants her the wish to switch places with Emma so she can marry Paul instead. Though Maddie’s dreams come true, she soon realizes there is more to life than Paul as she connects with her wedding photographer, James (Ed Speleers).
If Netflix’s mission is to create the ideal second-screen experience (i.e., watching television while viewing content on an additional device like a tablet or smartphone), they succeed with Irish Wish. However, if the studio aims to create a distinct romantic comedy with appealing characters and situations, they fumble the bag. Viewers do not need to give their undivided attention to the film since it includes nearly every classic rom-com trope. This includes but is not limited to Maddie’s clumsiness with her scarf, an Irish pub dance scene between forbidden lovers, the addition of the sassy Black best friend, and the classic uptight monster-in-law. As much as it is enjoyable to see Lohan frolic in the Cliffs of Moher with her love interest, she deserves better than this generic romantic comedy.
Not quite Nancy Meyers
The material is not the equivalent of a classic Nancy Meyers joint, but Lohan’s performance makes the romantic comedy palatable to watch. She may not have the star power of an Emma Stone or a Zendaya, but after all these years, Lohan is still “That Girl.” The actor brings what we loved about her in Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, which is her effortless relatability, charm, and comedic chops, to her role as Maddie. Take, for example, the airport shuttle bus scene with Maddie and James in Ireland. Despite the mediocre script by Hallmark scribe Kirsten Hansen, Lohan sells the awkwardly tense meet-cute between the two leads. Hopefully, Lohan can take a page from her Netflix rom-com contemporary, Vanessa Hudgens, and take on meatier roles.
Lohan performs admirably as Maddie in Irish Wish. Yet, despite Speleers and Vlahos’s best efforts, the two romantic leads are as bland as a bowl of flaxseed. Unfortunately, there is no need to invest in James and Paul’s journey since the film emphasizes early in the movie that Maddie will choose the journeyman over the self-obsessed writer. This critique is not a knock against Speleers and Vlahos’s acting abilities, as their characters are half-baked. However, the only thing that separates Paul and James is that one is a (terrible) author, and the other is a (mediocre) nature photographer. Nonetheless, the rom-com portrays the male leads slightly better than Maddie’s best friends, considering the rom-com minimizes Emma and Heather (Ayesha Curry) as Maddie’s “friends of color.” Unlike their white counterparts, we barely see Maddie’s mates go on their own romantic adventures.
The bottom line.
It warms my geriatric Millennial heart to see Lohan back on the screen after all these years. Sure, her recent outings are limiting. However, the actor proves she is ready for the next phase of her career with Irish Wish. Though the second-rate film does not necessarily waste Lohan’s acting abilities, we all know she has the capacity to take on more challenging roles.
Irish Wish is out now on Netflix.
Images courtesy of Netflix
REVIEW RATING
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Irish Wish - 5/10
5/10
Phylecia Miller is a quirky Black freelance writer and creator of the blog, Hi, Phylecia. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, she resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her lovely husband and lazy tuxedo cat. Her professional experiences include working for Rotten Tomatoes and Film Independent. When she is not agonizing over her first sentence, Phylecia takes long scenic walks at Stanley Park and the VanDusen Botanical Garden. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @hiphylecia.
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