The Secret of Roan Inish is a unique film which reveals in a slow paced story, the relationship of the Irish people to the sea and land. Roan Inish weaves its magic through the well written dialogue of characters who tell the story of a family ancestor who was a mythological selkie, as well as the lost infant raised by seals who populate the abandoned island. They comment on the loss of native language and culture by a generation of young islanders who left for jobs in the city. The return of a small island girl to her grandparents permits director John Sayles to examine with the girl, the island's history, and its community whose knowledge is grounded in oral history and the past. Set in the post-war economy, desire to leave the old ways to incorporate benefits of modern urban life is seen only briefly as intrusive on the people whose community is intimately tied to the sea. The strength of the film is in how it presents the need and place of intergenerational knowledge, the preservation of the language, and the unique place of ethnic heritage based in oral traditions.<br /><br />What sets this film apart from others is how it is a "family film" without resorting to clichés, but instead, is the kind of movie entertaining to all age groups without talking down to anyone. That the film was not better marketed is likely the fault of the studio that did not know how to sell the film's idea to American audiences grown accustomed to mindless car chases, exploding buildings, and gratuitous violence as well as irritating, smart-mouth kid actors. Roan Inish has none of these elements although the brief nudity of one child actor could offend some who would find offense in any presentation of the human form in any context. But for this, the film allows audiences to be drawn into the story of children who value and desire to restore their heritage and family, and take responsibility to act.<br /><br />The production values of this film are high, its plot thoroughly believable. DP Haskell Wexler uses the beauty of the Irish countryside to paint a stunning image of the landscape and sea that makes one wish to return to the old sod. Sayles's cast are character actors not familiar to most audiences in the US, but who are able to carry the film with authenticity and grace. The child actors are especially mature and believable. This is a film that should be seen by more audiences but probably won't and that is unfortunate for The Secret of Roan Inish is a gem in a sea of mediocre Hollywood fare.