Keeping Mum (2005)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Niall Johnson

Writers (WGA):

Richard Russo (screenplay) and
Niall Johnson (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

2 December 2005 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime

Tagline:

Some family secrets are best kept...buried.

Plot:

A pastor preoccupied with writing the perfect sermon fails to realize that his wife is having an affair and his children are up to no good.

Plot Keywords:

Housekeeper | Golf | Neighbor | Bully | Reverend

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Rowan Atkinson	...	Reverend Walter Goodfellow
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Gloria Goodfellow
Maggie Smith	...	Grace Hawkins
Patrick Swayze	...	Lance
Tamsin Egerton	...	Holly Goodfellow
Toby Parkes	...	Petey Goodfellow
Liz Smith	...	Mrs. Parker
Emilia Fox	...	Rosie Jones
James Booth	...	Mr. Brown
Patrick Monckton	...	Bob (Pond Workman)
Rowley Irlam	...	Ted (Pond Workman)
Vivienne Moore	...	Mrs. Martin
Murray McArthur	...	Vicar's Convention Master of Ceremonies
Morgan Gower	...	Reverend Campbell
Rupert Simonian	...	Billy Martin the Bully

Also Known As:

Trunk (UK) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity.

Runtime:

103 min | Turkey:97 min (TV version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 | Ireland:15A | Netherlands:MG6 | Australia:M | Czech Republic:12 | Finland:K-11 | Singapore:NC-16 | Norway:11 | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:18PL | USA:R | Germany:6 | Iceland:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | France:Unrated | Hungary:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Summit Entertainment

Trivia:

The film is dedicated to James Booth (Mr. Brown).

Goofs:

Continuity: Rosie Jones (Emilia Fox) has brown eyes, whereas her older self Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) has blue eyes.

Quotes:

Petey Goodfellow: [after watching his bullies' bikes give way under them] Billy Martin's dead! Billy Martin's dead!
[runs inside cheering]
Gloria Goodfellow: [whispering to Grace] Is Billy Martin really dead?
Grace Hawkins: [having cut the brakes, whispers back] No, just unconscious if I'm any judge. But please don't tell Petey; he's so excited.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2006-10-07)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Did You Ever Wonder Why

Great black comedy reviving a British tradition

This great black comedy in the British tradition appeals to all generations. I went with my mother, wife and son and we all enjoyed it very much.

My 20-year-old son, who was not accustomed to this type of dark humour, was quite startled at how murder was portrayed in an off-hand, humorous way. I felt it was a revival of a genre going back to the "Wrong Box" [1966] and before. This film does not dwell on the violence, the gore, the sentiment or the psychological aspects of murder. It seems to be standard fare for most films but it didn't seem appropriate here.

As much I respect, Rowan Atkinson as a comedian, I was concerned that this film would be in the Mr Bean or Black Adder vein. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Rowan Atkinson is a very good actor. Most of the time, he played his role as an absent-minded vicar in an understated and sometimes quite touching way. Mr Bean fans will have their moments. There's also lots of innuendo combined with more subtle humour.

Maggie Smith is as ever excellent. The rest of the cast play their archetypal characters or in the case of Patrick Swayze's caricature well.

Though I was able to predict the overall plot, the story is entertaining and there is a gentle message about marital problems, the generation gap and hypocrisy. The scenery mainly in the Isle of Man and partly in Cornwall is stunning.

I recommend it highly.