There’s a lot of dramatic potential in the premise of Finnegan’s Foursome, the new film from writer, director, and star Edward Burns. Two brothers and their adult children must travel to Ireland, the country their late father left behind decades ago to become a professional golfer, to honor his final wishes: scatter his ashes, and keep up the tradition of the Finnegan’s Cup, their family’s annual golf tournament. There is some friction within the family, including with the deceased, and this trip gives everyone the perfect excuse to work their way through it.
To dwell on that potential, as I did initially, is to be frustrated with this movie. Burns is going for smooth entertainment here, and the light tone keeps Finnegan’s Foursome from diving into some of the emotional territory it could have. He’s also conceived this as a story about the brothers first and foremost, and the children function mostly as an extension of their drama, rather than a chance to explore a whole new set of relationships. One can only imagine what this script might’ve accomplished in the hands of a more ambitious dramatist.
However, those frustrations are only really allowed to surface because Burns’ film takes its time getting into a groove – once it does, it’s easy to become swept up in its gentle current. It’s a pleasant drama that makes enough of a meal out of the brothers’ conflict to feel filling. Once we get a chance to realize these are characters we enjoy spending time with, the rest of the viewing experience is a breeze.
Finnegan’s Foursome Is A More Nimble Character Dramedy Than It Seems At First Glance
Knowing the premise going in, I was surprised to discover how much time Finnegan’s Foursome gives us with Jack (Ian McElhinney), the grinning Finnegan patriarch, who is awaiting the family’s arrival for their annual tournament when the film begins. Teddy (Brian D’Arcy James), the eldest son, is a successful author struggling through a long stretch of writer’s block. Freddy (Burns) has made golf his life and runs an apparel and equipment business. Though Freddy seems to be the better golfer of the two, he sees Teddy as his father’s favorite son, and still carries resentment from Jack’s frequent absence throughout their childhood.
No small part of that resentment is that Jack, a fierce competitor, has never lost the Finnegan Cup. Nor is he above getting in Freddy’s head at the critical moment, which has ensured his second son a decade-plus streak of finishing in second place. Freddy is so sick of it that he’s determined not to go this year. His son Frankie (Brian Muller) has been practicing and is determined to make his mark this year; Teddy’s daughter Marie (Erica Hernández) is eager to participate, but has never been allowed to show what she can do.
All of this, along with the first day of the initial tournament, happens before Jack dies. As nice as it is to get time with McElhinney’s performance, and to have a clear sense of this charismatic figure before going through a story defined by his absence, the movie would’ve been better without it. At two hours, Finnegan’s Foursome has more runtime than it really needs to tell the story effectively, and all of this tablesetting could’ve been more engagingly done once these four characters are on the trip itself. Not to mention the film’s tone, which it starts with and never lets go of, is far more jarring immediately after witnessing a character die than it would have been with greater distance.
…there’s a good deal of showing going on beneath all that telling, without calling much attention to itself.
When there’s no longer this narrative burden, and the characters can just exist with each other, things start to improve. The script is schematic in a way that can at first feel simple, hitting the same few emotional notes on repeat: Freddy’s gripes with his father, even after his death; Freddy and Teddy’s incessant need to turn everything into a competition, usually through an in-the-moment wager; Frankie and Marie joining the fun by jabbing each other until one of them tips over the edge. These are inevitable features of the movie’s many rounds of golf.
What eventually becomes clear is that there’s a good deal of showing going on beneath all that telling, without calling much attention to itself. Freddy may think of this as his dad’s last ego-trip, but with time, his protestations sound more like he’s trying to convince himself the feelings he’s held onto for years are still there. Teddy casually mentions that he and his brother might’ve both had just one child to spare them a life of sibling rivalry, as if that isn’t a major revelation worth unpacking. And, perhaps more destabilizing for the Finnegans, there are signs that Teddy is a much better golfer than he’s let on.
I don’t have much affinity for golf, but as much as Finnegan’s Foursome is clearly invested with a love of the game, you don’t need to share it to lock into this story. Burns understands that sports movies work because, as with action movies, playing the game is just an opportunity to reveal character. And that’s what’s really on offer here: a character-driven family dramedy about a group of generally likable people working through their issues to grow closer together. Sometimes, it’s enough to sit with a movie that promises, and delivers, a nice time.
Finnegan’s Foursome is available to buy or rent on digital platforms from Friday, June 19.
- Release Date
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June 7, 2026
- Runtime
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122 minutes
- Director
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Edward Burns
- Writers
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Edward Burns
- Producers
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Aaron Lubin, Ellen H. Schwartz
Cast
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Monica McCarthy
Sarah Finnegan