Small Things Like These: A Movie, A Snowplow, A Thanksgiving Meal

Small Things Like These, a film based on the book by Claire Keegan, is the story of Bill Furlong (Cillian Murphy), a coal merchant, set in 1958 in a small Irish town that contains, on its outskirts, one of Ireland’s now infamous Magdalene laundries. The laundries were run by the Catholic Church for decades; they housed, in total, tens of thousands of young women who had “misbehaved” by becoming pregnant or otherwise flaunting (or maybe just failing to observe) social expectations for women. The laundries were punitive, like prisons, and babies were taken from mothers and set up with or “sold” to adoptive families. In recent years, the history of the laundries has been revealed and recognized for the horror it was.

In Small Things, the townsfolk whisper about the laundry but mostly just ignore it. Not Bill Furlong, who comes face to face with the dehumanizing and cruel treatment of the young women, and the creepiest of Mother Superiors, a chilling character portrayed by the inimitable Emily Watson. Despite threats to his own well-being and that of his family, Bill steps up. What he does is a small thing that is not so small.

Small Things Like These is currently playing at the Nugget Theater in Hanover, NH but unfortunately, according to its website, is available only until this Thursday, November 21. Must step lively, then.

The story takes place almost entirely on Murphy’s face, swimming in the infinite sadness of those ice blue eyes.—Sean Burns, North Shore Movies, 11/18/24

A deliberate film that uses small moments to examine one of the great questions of our time: how good people let bad things happen, and how we might push back against the dark.  —Helen O’Hara, Empire Magazine, 11/13/24

In real life, the Upper Valley is filled with its own people doing not-so-small things:

Rosalind Finn has had a snowplow named after her. In a state program through which schoolchildren can name their local snowplow, names are often clever puns, like “Frosten Powers,” and “Snoah Cahn .” Kids from the Newton School called theirs, simply, “Roz,” in honor of the woman who volunteered for many years “reading to children and then as they became readers, listening to them as they read to her. . .” (Valley News, 11/16/24.) (She also lent her time and talents to the Upper Valley Humane Society, at one time appearing on videos with adoptable cats and dogs. It was my favorite local TV production.) Ms. Finn’s contributions to her community were indeed no “small” things. And to have children name a snowplow after you . . .well, what’s better than that?

Also in the “stepping up” category is the relatively new REDCAN restaurant in White River Junction, Vermont. They will be offering free Thanksgiving meals—turkey with all of the expected sides—to anyone in need. Such good neighbors.

And a small note: In this season of giving thanks, I am grateful for you, my readers. After ending recent posts here with mention of Artful’s steady progression to 3000 subscribers, we have finally reached 3000! Thank you for contributing to Artful’s growth. Much appreciated.

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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.