These cliched portrayals are hard to miss, as is the irony of making a movie about cultural diversity in the U.S. 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. 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.

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. This 2001 coming-of-age adventure comedy is something of a contradiction. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails. In the end, the movie is a fanciful high school romp with life-affirming - albeit contradictory - messages about culture and friendship. In addition, the movie's messages about cultural diversity might have less of an impact due to it being seen solely through a White lens. The most prominent of these involves Irish culture, such as over-the-top accents, cartoonish clothing styles, and ginger hair. Although the movie's stated messages about the importance of cultural diversity and heritage are praiseworthy, it struggles to prove those messages itself because of its use of various stereotypes. Despite Seamus' intentions, there's no serious threat or peril. The culprit is an evil leprechaun called Seamus McTiernen ( Timothy Omundson) who plans to control all leprechauns. Kyle Johnson ( Ryan Merriman), a high school basketball star, discovers that he is part leprechaun after his lucky charm is stolen.

Parents need to know that The Luck of the Irish is a lighthearted fantasy comedy Disney TV movie with some positive messages about cultural diversity that are undermined by problematic stereotypes.

Luck o the irish child board game