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How a bittersweet coming-of-age love story became the Light House's longest running film ever

Call Me By Your Name was a hit with Irish audiences, running for 30 weeks in the Smithfield cinema.

A COMING-OF-age drama centred on a romance between the two lead male characters was set to have its last showing this week at Dublin’s Light House Cinema, after becoming its longest running film of all time.

Call Me By Your Name first came to the Light House in October, and has been running at the cinema in Smithfield ever since, with at least one showing a week.

Set in 1983, it tells the story of 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and the experience of his first love while spending the summer at his family’s holiday home in Italy.

This love comes in the form of Oliver (Armie Hammer), a doctoral student hired to assist Elio’s father in his research.

Their relationship develops but with a bittersweet edge in this coming-of-age drama.

The film received critical acclaim and a number of award nominations, including nominations for best picture, best adapted screenplay and best actor for Chalamet at this year’s Academy Awards.

call me by your name 2 Chalamet (left) and Hammer in the film Sony Pictures Classics / Youtube Sony Pictures Classics / Youtube / Youtube

But why has it so gripped Irish audiences that they kept coming to see the film week after week?

 

Charlene Lydon, programmer for the cinema, told TheJournal.ie that they was general awareness that they had a really good film on their hands, but didn’t believe it would do as well as it did.

She said: “It’s been going on for 30 weeks now. We all had an instinct it’d do very well.

It became clear once we were doing one or two shows during the week well into the New Year that it was something special.

Lydon said that a community had developed around the film, and that staff at the cinema often see the same faces returning to see it again and again.

“We also realised people were going to see it for the fifth or sixth time,” she said. “I know a lot of people thought it was good, but it really is a beautiful film experience.

You’re watching people fall in love. Visually, it’s a nice space to be in… And so many different types of people come to see it. It’s obviously had a positive reaction in the LGBT community but it’s not just that. It’s a love story.

Lydon added that the awful weather during the winter and early spring may have played a part in drawing more people into the cinema generally.

The previous longest running film at the 10-year-old cinema had been Manchester By The Sea, which ran for weeks and months after its release at the end of 2016.

That plot of this focuses on Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), who becomes the guardian of his temperamental nephew Patrick, when his brother dies of a heart attack.

That ran for 26 weeks and Lydon said a similar community grew up around that film.

“We’d have it every Sunday at 10 o’clock,” she said. “We kept seeing the same people, and some even made friends with each other over the film. It was nice to see.”

Looking ahead, it could be take time before a film eclipses Call Me By Your Name in terms of longevity on the cinema listings, but Lydon had a few recommendations if you’re heading to the cinema but steering clear of the blockbusters this summer.

“There’s the new documentary about Alexander McQueen which is a fantastic watch,” she said. “There’s Dublin Oldschool coming out at the end of June, and then a lovely horror film called Hereditary out in the middle of the month.”

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    Mute Jason Byrne
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:38 PM

    The bit where the inlaws go home is my personal favorite.

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    Mute Sean71
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:36 PM

    @Jason Byrne: ha ha your not wrong there mate

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    Mute Mark
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    Dec 25th 2019, 8:02 PM

    @Jason Byrne: Brilliant :-)

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    Mute Martin Harte
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:34 PM

    The family around the table and the laugher is the best part of the Christmas Dinner

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    Mute Terry Cunningham
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:40 PM

    The End of it.

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    Mute Veronica Conway
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:41 PM

    @Terry Cunningham: yes definitely

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    Mute Just Some Guy
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:40 PM

    Some people mentioned Croquettes. That is a big thumbs up from me. Turkey and Stuffing always wins

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    Mute Greg Ward
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:32 PM

    Roses and after dinner coma.

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    Mute Clark Griswold
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:41 PM

    I think a vegan option should have been included

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    Mute Clark Griswold
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:41 PM

    @Clark Griswold: completely taking the piss obviously!

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    Mute Dow Dubrov
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:54 PM

    @Clark Griswold: You couldn’t help yourself and ruined the joke

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    Mute Ole dan tucker
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:24 PM

    @Clark Griswold: feck off with ur vegan humbug

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    Mute Sean71
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:37 PM

    @Clark Griswold: jaysus there’s always one.. Enjoy your leaves

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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:34 PM

    Piggies in Blankets

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    Mute Marty Lawless
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:50 PM

    Everything I can’t just pick one thing my wife is an awesome cook nearly as good as my mother god rest her

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    Mute PolyglotPaul
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:53 PM

    Has to be the sausage meat!

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    Mute Mirabelle Stonegate
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    Dec 25th 2019, 6:09 PM

    Spiced beef. Despite it being available year round, I really only eat it at Christmas, which makes it extra special.

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    Mute Eugene H. Krabbs
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    Dec 25th 2019, 3:38 PM

    Krabby patty

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    Mute Jonny Chip
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:16 PM

    @Eugene H. Krabbs: I cant hear you

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    Mute Martin Harte
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    Dec 25th 2019, 7:46 PM

    @Jonny Chip: AYE AYE CAPTAIN

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    Mute Kieran
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:05 PM

    Bread sauce.

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    Mute Kay English Curtin
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    Dec 25th 2019, 7:29 PM

    @Kieran: homemade only

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    Mute Mark
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    Dec 25th 2019, 8:04 PM

    Brussels Sprouts, par boiled for a few minutes and fried with smoked streaky bacon!!!!

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    Mute Rb1kan
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:38 PM

    Croquettes…..hands down

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    Mute Sean71
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:36 PM

    Stuffing without doubt

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    Mute Reuben Gray
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:21 PM

    All of it, none of it is off limits at any time of the year to be honest. You can get Turkey and ham at any carvery on any given Sunday.

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    Mute Alex Nevin
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:06 PM

    @Reuben Gray: You seem like good craic, do you write the jokes in the crackers

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    Mute Katie Wrest
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:54 PM

    @Reuben Gray: might be able to have it any time during the year, but christmas is the only time we do it with the all out extras!!!

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    Mute Jonathan James
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    Dec 25th 2019, 4:23 PM

    Cabbage

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    Mute Dialadogwash Gerald Barry
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    Dec 25th 2019, 8:38 PM

    Has to be sausage meat stiffing

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    Mute James Gaughan
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:39 PM

    All good except the farts on a fork. Aka sprouts.

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    Mute Louise B
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    Dec 25th 2019, 8:01 PM

    Sprouts

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    Mute Jane Alford
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    Dec 25th 2019, 5:24 PM

    Just having the one meal a year where I turn on the cooker and cook a meal…

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Dec 25th 2019, 7:33 PM

    Turkey curry. It means the whole thing was yesterday.

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    Mute Colm Curran
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    Dec 25th 2019, 11:33 PM

    8 hrs later visit to the loo wit the rte guide

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    Mute Kay English Curtin
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    Dec 25th 2019, 7:30 PM

    Croutons and cream in the soup

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    Mute David Grey
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    Dec 25th 2019, 9:00 PM

    The Goose

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    Mute Zmeevo Libe
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    Dec 26th 2019, 1:00 PM

    @David Grey: With you there. Far superior to turkey.

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    Mute Beer Wolf
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    Dec 26th 2019, 4:11 AM

    Spiced Beef with Horse Radish… gorgeous.

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