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Parents' Guide to

The Luck of the Irish

By Davis Ryan Cook, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Disney TV movie has mixed messages, stereotypes.

Movie NR 2001 86 minutes
The Luck of the Irish Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

  • The Luck of the Irish Movie: Scene #1
  • The Luck of the Irish Movie: Scene #2
  • The Luck of the Irish Movie: Scene #3

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

Amber S.
Amber S. Parent of 3 and 4-year-old
March 15, 2023
age 2+
Hey, it is definitely very cheesy! It was made in early 2000s, by disney, so of course it is! But in a delightful way. And I actually disagree with the diversity score, the only reason I think it rates so low is because it is amidst so much other media that has a white protagonist male. But in this specific story, it makes sense -- the story is integral to his identity as a American who does not know his roots, specifically from Ireland. Unfortunately, they are right that there are a lot of stereotypes, especially about the Irish, but also, they have a lot of diversity and also talk about our heritage and respectful ways. I haven't watched it in years and I'm watching it right now, so I'll come back and update the movie review at the end :-)
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In THE LUCK OF THE IRISH, teenager Kyle Johnson (Ryan Merriman) is preparing for both his high school's Heritage Day and State Championship basketball game. But then his lucky gold charm is stolen by an evil leprechaun called Seamus McTiernen (Timothy Omundson). Kyle then discovers that he too is part leprechaun and that if he doesn't retrieve the charm then Seamus will have control over all leprechauns.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

This 2001 coming-of-age adventure comedy is something of a contradiction. While The Luck of the Irish exhibits the charm expected from a Disney TV movie -- including unconditional friendship and the importance of moral reasoning -- it has an unavoidable rift at its center. While the characters constantly champion the importance of cultural diversity and the appreciation of one's heritage, the movie rests on several stereotypes that implicitly perpetuate the opposite of these ideas. The wildly cartoonish and stereotype-laden portrayal of Irish culture, in addition to the "Black best friend," and the "responsible and high-achieving first-generation American school girl," are all tiresome and lazy. These cliched portrayals are hard to miss, as is the irony of making a movie about cultural diversity in the U.S. as seen through a White lens.

A movie very much of its time, there's no doubting The Luck of the Irish's good intentions. The underlying messages about culture diversity and the idea that you don't need luck when you have the support of family and friends on your side are all admirable. It's just the way these positive themes are executed that is the problem.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages surrounding identity in The Luck of the Irish. What do you think the movie is trying to say about cultural heritage and history? What do you know about your own heritage?

  • How might some of the portrayals in the movie be identified as playing up to stereotypes? Can you give any examples? What are other ways that movies and TV shows can perpetuate certain harmful stereotypes about people?

  • How did the movie celebrate friendship? Talk about your own friendships and how they compare to those in the movie.

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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