Making a move is not always easy. One of the most heart-tugging scenes of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard features a character who fails to do so. In one the most affecting scenes of 35 Shots of Rum, a character goes in for the kiss, with mixed results.

Still, we are likely to be puzzled when it comes to the awkward and oblivious Irish farmer Anthony Reilly (Jamie Dornan). Neighbor Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) has loved him her whole life and, though her feelings are unvoiced, they are also not a secret. Anthony’s father, Tony (Christopher Walken), is so confused by his son’s perpetual bachelorhood, especially since it seems that Anthony and Rosemary are so clearly made for each other, that he considers leaving his farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm) instead. Wild Mountain Thyme, which begins with a fairy-tale narration about two families and contains the deaths of several parents, is the story of Anthony and Rosemary’s strange romance. 

John Patrick Shanley directs his script based on his 2014 play Outside Mullingar. A prolific playwright, Shanley is no stranger to film. His screenplay for Moonstruck was a delightful vehicle for Nicolas Cage and Cher. His 2008 adaptation of his play Doubt contained brilliant performances and sported a command of pace and imagery that demonstrated Shanley grasped the differences between the stage and screen. 

When it comes to Wild Mountain Thyme, it’s generous to assume that something has been lost in translation, though I am at a loss to say exactly what. One could argue that there is a clumsy overemphasis on dialogue, which might not have felt out of place in the theater. Similarly, one could say that too many scenes take place in a room between two people, yet so do plenty of scenes in brilliant films by Almodóvar, Renoir, Bergman, and others.

There are certainly many forced aspects of Shanley’s filmmaking. For instance, the film has barely started before a sentimental soundtrack has launched, giving the movie an emotional grandeur it hasn’t yet earned, and it’s overbearingly present until the credits roll. Even if the Irish vistas are beautiful, the photography is as glossy as a Hallmark Card, and though the cast is full of fine actors, not every Irish accent convinces. 

Still, one senses that the root of the problem is in the writing, and it’s worth noting that Shanley’s play did not receive universal acclaim (though some reviews were positive). Many scenes bristle with unearned sentiment, heavy-handed symbols abound toward the end (in the manner of a horse breaking out of its stable), and much of the dialogue sounds like an American’s approximation of Irish speech rather than the real thing. 

The biggest problem, however, lies in the central tension of the story and how it’s resolved. We are wondering, the whole time, what keeps Anthony from proposing to Rosemary, who is clearly smitten. We do get an answer. I will not spoil it, but I will say that it’s a sudden, jarring verge into the ridiculous that Shanley has not adequately prepared the audience for, and it does not convincingly tie things up. 

Though the film does not stand up, many of its performances do, faulty accents and all. Emily Blunt is especially strong as Rosemary, conveying a richness of feeling beyond the confines of her script. Wild Mountain Thyme is worth it for the reminder of just how good she can be.