Synopsis

In the remote Irish village of Tullymore, Jackie O'Shea discovers that a recently deceased neighbor has won the national lottery. With his friend Michael, Jackie devises a scheme to impersonate the winner and share the prize among the villagers. Their plan becomes increasingly complicated as the community protects the secret from an investigating lottery official.

Factoids & Trivia

• Although the story is set in Ireland, the film was shot on the Isle of Man.

• The production was made on a reported budget of about $3 million and became a substantial sleeper hit, earning more than $50 million worldwide.

• The screenplay was originally developed as a 10-minute short film before being expanded into a feature.

• The film's original title was "Waking Ned Devine." Distributors in several territories shortened it to "Waking Ned," while American distributors retained the longer title.

• Gaffer Larry Randall took the role of Father Mulligan after the production had begun and there was not enough time to cast the part separately.

• The cast and crew accepted reduced fees to help the low-budget production get made.

• The film received recognition during awards season, including a Screen Actors Guild nomination for David Kelly's supporting performance.