Keeping Mum
Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson), the well meaning vicar of the parish of Little Wallop, is so obsessed with writing the perfect sermon that he is oblivious to his wife Gloria’s (Kristin Scott Thomas) dalliance with her brash golf instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze): neither does he notice that his daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) has a different boyfriend every week, and his young son Petey (Toby Parkes) is the whipping boy for the school bullies.
Gloria feels her life is spiraling out of control. She is sick of the incessant barking of the dog next door, her loveless marriage and her adolescent kids’ escapades – she prays every night for salvation. Enter Grace (Maggie Smith), the answer to the family’s prayers: a sweet grey haired old lady, the charming and the discreet new housekeeper, who has her own unique definition of keeping house – and a very unusual way of solving problems.
Member Reviews
Smashing from beginning to the very last moment - Sooze
We watched this one on a wet Saturday afternoon and I can't think of a better time for it. Beautifully acted by a raft of stars, filled with laughs for everyone, even the darkish theme was funny. Rowan Atkinson made full use of his excellent speaking voice, Maggie Smith was, well, Maggie Smith. Set in a typical English small village, filmed in cornwall and Yorkshire. It is a story of right winning over wrong winning over right. Fully recommended.Enjoyable Black Comedy - B00B00
In the spirit of "Waking Ned Devine", this dark, quirky British comedy, starring Rowan Atkinson and Maggie Smith, was very entertaining.
Pastor Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is completely out of the loop with his family. Atkinson does a superb job playing a role that seems to be out of his comfort zone. Yet he still manages to incorporate some of his "Mr. Bean" antics in the situation where he's got two left feet when playing goalie in the town soccer tournament.
You can imagine what crazy influence Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith) has on the Goodfellow household when she escapes from a mental institution to work for the Goodfellow family as a housekeeper. And for whatever reason Maggie was institutionalized, she's sure to bring her dark secrets along with her.
Well then, "Keeping Mum" is the word and so I'm not going to say anymore so that you can enjoy this black comedy as much as I did.Delightful Little Black Comedy - McJayJay
Picked up this DVD a couple of weeks ago while on a quest to take in a Maggie Smith performance, *any* Maggie Smith performance.
To be honest, I more than likely would have let this one stay right where it was on the shelf had Smith not been involved as it just has that air of a film and story that could go very, very wrong. Still, with Maggie featured so prominently on the cover, I couldn't help but take a chance.
I was pleasantly surprised, then, to find a truly charming black comedy with great performances and a light and breezy script (in a good way), all set in the picturesque English countryside. Every member of the cast does fine work (even Patrick Swayze nails his role as an American cad), but it is Maggie Smith's performance and that mischievous twinkle in her eye, that truly carry the film.
It's a trifle, to be sure. But when the trifle's this fun, I say go for it.
Member Reviews
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Smashing from beginning to the very last moment - Sooze
We watched this one on a wet Saturday afternoon and I can't think of a better time for it. Beautifully acted by a raft of stars, filled with laughs for everyone, even the darkish theme was funny. Rowan Atkinson made full use of his excellent speaking voice, ...Enjoyable Black Comedy - B00B00
In the spirit of "Waking Ned Devine", this dark, quirky British comedy, starring Rowan Atkinson and Maggie Smith, was very entertaining.
Pastor Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson) is completely out of the loop with his family. Atkinson does a superb job playing ...Delightful Little Black Comedy - McJayJay
Picked up this DVD a couple of weeks ago while on a quest to take in a Maggie Smith performance, *any* Maggie Smith performance.
To be honest, I more than likely would have let this one stay right where it was on the shelf had Smith not been involved ...