An uncouth youth is arrested in Singapore on drugs charges. He has no idea where he is, how he got there and why he is in jail. It would appear that he went on a package holiday,on a whim, uncaring of his destination. There is a likelihood that another English youth may have given him drugs. No matter; both have been sentenced to death.
Meanwhile, in England, his parents, a not overly intelligent pair, are trying to come to terms with the news they receive from the Foreign Office.
The parents together with their uncouth daughter travel to Malaya. When they arrive they find that their son is being represented by an Indain barrister. The father, David Jason, playing against type, is outraged and his latent racism sets up a barrier immediately. Meanwhile his sluttish wife starts a liaison with an Indian waiter and the daughter seems totally unmoved by the dilemma, constantly complaining about the climate and the awful food. What is particularly arresting about this film, is its normality. An ignorant family confronted by a situation over which they have neither control nor resources to influence the situation. Their son keeps screaming for them to "do something". He is scared and one can only watch, in horror as his fate is sealed. David Jason plays the stupid, pathetic, weak father to perfection. There is a futility about every action of this dysfunctional family and it reflects situations which one can realise will happen again. This is a brilliant piece of docudrama & worth releasing in DVD format.
Meanwhile, in England, his parents, a not overly intelligent pair, are trying to come to terms with the news they receive from the Foreign Office.
The parents together with their uncouth daughter travel to Malaya. When they arrive they find that their son is being represented by an Indain barrister. The father, David Jason, playing against type, is outraged and his latent racism sets up a barrier immediately. Meanwhile his sluttish wife starts a liaison with an Indian waiter and the daughter seems totally unmoved by the dilemma, constantly complaining about the climate and the awful food. What is particularly arresting about this film, is its normality. An ignorant family confronted by a situation over which they have neither control nor resources to influence the situation. Their son keeps screaming for them to "do something". He is scared and one can only watch, in horror as his fate is sealed. David Jason plays the stupid, pathetic, weak father to perfection. There is a futility about every action of this dysfunctional family and it reflects situations which one can realise will happen again. This is a brilliant piece of docudrama & worth releasing in DVD format.
