The story follows Maddie (Lindsay Lohan), an aspiring writer who pines for her employer, Paul Kennedy (Alexander Vlahos), who’s set to marry her best friend Emma (Elizabeth Tan). Before the wedding celebrations, a chance encounter with Saint Brigid (Dawn Bradfield) grants Maddie a wish. She makes a wish to marry Paul Kennedy and in a quick turn of magical events, wakes up to find herself as his bride. However, wishes have consequences, and when unexpected twists arise, Maddie’s plan goes awry.
Starring Lindsay Lohan, “Irish Wish” is a 2024 fantasy rom-com flick on Netflix. Janeen Damian, who directed Lohan’s popular Netflix rom-com “Falling for Christmas,” is also the director behind “Irish Wish.” This light, heartwarming romantic comedy will take you on a captivating love trip through the scenic beauty of Ireland.
Let us go through 10 captivating scenes from the Irish Wish that we couldn’t look away from!
1. Meeting James, the Photographer (09:54-11:20)
This is a hilarious scene that takes place when Maddie meets James for the first time. When Maddie arrives in Ireland, something goes wrong at the airport. A luggage mishap happens when Maddie grabs her suitcase only to find out that it’s not hers. The funny banter between James and her ends up in an awkward situation when she realises that she has lost her suitcase and has to take the bus to Kennedy House.
2. The Wishing Chair (20:17-24:12)
Maddie, Paul, Emma, Kory, and Heather all set out for a picnic in the Irish landscapes. Maddie, feeling like a fifth wheel, opts out of boating with the rest of the party. While exploring the beautiful surroundings, she comes across a breathtaking spot with a chair made of slabs of stone under a flowering tree.
She video calls her mother, but the cut abruptly cuts, and a lady appears out of nowhere. The lady asks her for what she wishes the most, and Maddie, albeit hesitant, tells her that she wishes to marry Paul.
With a whoosh of wind, Maddie wakes up in Paul’s room. This is the scene where Saint Brigid makes Maddie’s wish come true.
3. Revelation (24:12-28:00)
Maddie is flabbergasted when she finds herself waking up in Paul’s bed. She thinks everything else was a dream, but everybody else seems to think that she’s the bride! Soon, she realises that her dream has come true, and she’s going to be marrying Paul instead of Emma! Initially confused, she’s now beyond elated about her longtime crush!
4. Maddie chases the lady and meets James (33:48-36:00)
During the dress fitting, Maddie spots the lady who granted her the wish and goes on a wild chase to catch her for an explanation. While erratically running, she lands on James’ photographer’s car, who just got his sheep-shearing gig cancelled. In this scene, she meets James for the first time in an alternate reality. They start talking, and she realizes that James doesn’t remember meeting her. A brief encounter with Paul’s mother makes them hire James as the wedding photographer, as the original photographer was cancelled.
5. Maddie falls in love with James (46:43-53:08)
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After a heart-to-heart photo session in the mountains, Maddie and James are stuck in the rain as a tree falls on the road to Kennedy House. James takes a different route and takes them to an Irish pub. The pair spent the whole night together talking, drinking, dancing, and playing darts. Meanwhile, Maddie’s mother is having trouble trying to get to Ireland.
6. Wedding Rehearsal Shenanigans (54:15-55:58)
In this scene, we see the wedding party at the rehearsal, who are agitated about Maddie. She finally reaches the rehearsal covered in dirt and sees Emma taking her place in front of Paul. Maddie and Paul explain everything, and Maddie takes her place instead of Emma.
Paul and she were going to kiss when she saw the glass painting in the church wink at her. She consequently screams and falls down, leading to a blackout.
7. Post-rehearsal Dinner and Realizations (57:23-01:00:06)
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This dramatic scene unfolds after the rehearsal. At dinner, Kory proposes a game of truth or drink where the soon-to-be couple is asked questions about each other, and if they get it right, they both drink. Paul gets all the questions wrong, and Maddie realises that it wasn’t Paul who proposed to her, but she did. The scene ends with her quite disheartened.
8. The Wedding Speech (01:10:05-01:16:58)
After having a talk with the priest, Maddie gets informed that Saint Brigid gives people what they need, not what they want. She also sees how much Emma loves Paul and realises her grave mistake. She comes into the wedding in normal attire and gives a heartfelt speech on why she won’t be marrying Paul. Secrets are revealed, a fight breaks out between Paul and James, and everything is in chaos.
9. The Kiss Scene (01:17:00-01:18:35)
James leaves the wedding chaos, and seeing that, Maddie tries to catch up to him. He tells her that it was a mistake and feels guilty about coming between Paul and her. She emotionally declares that they are meant to be, and the couple share a kiss. However, James does say goodbye and leave.
10. The Reversal Scene (01:18:42-01:21:52)
In a frantic manner, we see Maddie drive to the location of the wishing chairs and call for Saint Brigid, telling her how her wish was a mistake. The saint tells her that’s not possible and mischievously vanishes. Desperately, Maddie sits on the wishing chair and wishes to undo her previous wish. Suddenly, everything goes back, and she finds herself back in her actual reality, where Paul is marrying Emma.
“Irish Wish” Ending Explained
Although Maddie’s wish was granted, things don’t exactly feel right in the alternative universe. Paul and Emma still have a lot in common and strong chemistry. Meanwhile Maddie is falling in love with a photographer named James. Should she have trusted that everything was meant to be? Adding to the chaos, Saint Brigid has been up to her trickster nonsense, ensuring her mother can’t make it to the wedding. Here’s how it all ends.
After a dramatic speech at the wedding sparks a huge fight among Paul, James, and most of the guests, the wedding is called off. James decides to leave, not wanting to be involved in the toxic situation. Distraught, Maddie returns to the bench where she made the wish that started it all. Saint Brigid appears, and Maddie asks to take back her wish. Brigid initially refuses, but Maddie convinces her, and she wakes up back in the real world as a bridesmaid at Emma and Paul’s wedding.
All of this was Saint Brigid’s doing to teach Maddie a lesson—that things happen for a reason. She loved Paul but didn’t realise sooner that they were not compatible.
As for her writing career, Maddie realises Paul was exploiting her work. Before moving on with James, she ends her professional ties with Paul and resolves to write her own story in both life and literature. She reconnects with James, and they start anew.
If you’re a fan of Lindsay Lohan and rom-coms, you’re going to enjoy “Irish Wish”. This is just the kind of movie you can watch with a bowl of popcorn on a lazy Sunday afterwards.
