Bernard and the Genie (1991) (TV)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Paul Weiland

Writer:

Richard Curtis (writer)

Release Date:

13 December 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A genie is punished by an evil wizard by being confined to a lamp somewhere in Arabia. 2000 years later in England Bernard Bottle an art dealer...

Plot Keywords:

Genie | Wish | Repeated Event | Reverse Footage | Product Placement

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Lenny Henry	...	Josephus the Genie
John Gabriel	...	Wizard
Alan Cumming	...	Bernard Bottle
Rowan Atkinson	...	Charles Pinkworth
Denis Lill	...	Frank Kepple (as Dennis Lill)
Beaux Bryant	...	Nurse
Kevin Allen	...	Kevin
Andrée Bernard	...	Judy (as Andree Bernard)
Melvyn Bragg	...	Himself
Janet Henfrey	...	Miss Purse
Marcia Ashton	...	Miss Temple
Sheila Latimer	...	Bernard's Mother
Sally Geoghegan	...	Waitress
Angela Clarke	...	Carrie (as Angie Clarke)
Bob Geldof	...	Himself

Runtime:

Argentina:70 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | UK:PG

Company:

AttaBoy

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Josephus takes Bernard flying on his magic carpet for the first time, he says "The real skill is in the landing". Supposedly they crash-land in a back alley full of bins and rubbish, creating a huge mess. However, the prop-explosion that blows up all the bins is visible because they are all neatly stacked at the first moment when the camera shot shows the alley where they "landed".

Quotes:

Genie: One day I was in the Temple when they tried to turn it into a supermarket; Jesus went in there and kicked ass!
Bernard Bottle: Like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Genie: Yes, but with smaller pectorals.

Movie Connections:

References Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

Simple, sweet, superb

This film never fails to cheer me out of the holiday blues. In fact, I can think of no other film that so succinctly brings the true message of Christmas to the fore without being preachy or heavy-handed. Alan Cumming is simply adorable as luckless Bernard and Lenny Henry is utterly engaging as the titular genie. Henry's tour-de-force performance as the ancient genie discovering modern delights like Big Macs and action films is a wonder to behold. I am tearing up just thinking of the ending, but this truly is a heart-warming film; (though I don't like using that clichéd term, it really means something in this movie.) Rowan Atkinson may have a thankless role as the rat bastard art dealer, but he handles it perfectly. It was my passion for Atkinson's work that made me look at this film in the first place, and I am so grateful I taped it off A&E those many years ago. This is required viewing at Christmastime.