What We Did on Our Holiday (TV 2006)

Thirty-something Nick Taylor and his wife Laura have been together for ten years and things aren't going too well. She senses her biological clock is ticking away and she wants children ... See full summary »

Director:

Jeremy Webb

Writers:

Andy Watts (screenplay), Ben Brown (screenplay),

Stars:

Shane Richie, Pauline Collins, Roger Lloyd-Pack

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shane Richie	...	Nick Taylor
Pauline Collins	...	Lil Taylor
Roger Lloyd-Pack	...	Jim Taylor
Angeline Ball	...	Laura Taylor
Rodolfo Corsato	...	Anthony Spiteri
David Crellin	...	Len Ferguson
Rebecca Clay	...	Barbara Ferguson
Manuel Cauchi	...	Father Anthony
Sheila Reid	...	Mrs. Piscopo
Sarah Shipton	...	Mrs. Masini
Colin Zammit	...	Tony
Matthew Attard	...	Tony's Son
Malcolm Galea	...	Customs Official
Maria Pia Meli	...	Car Hire Woman
Charlotte Grech	...	Air Hostess

Storyline

Thirty-something Nick Taylor and his wife Laura have been together for ten years and things aren't going too well. She senses her biological clock is ticking away and she wants children while Nick is not as sure. Not because he does not like kids but because he feels a child could be just one responsibility too many. Nick's problem is his elderly parents. He loves them of course, but sometimes even he finds his patience is wearing a little thin which in turn brings on the guilt. His parents are a handful. They're conservative, highly eccentric and increasingly infirm. His Mum Lil is reliant on her cigarettes making her own health decrease and she is certainly no longer up to looking after his dad Jim by herself. He has Parkinson's Disease - not the shaking kind, as Lil is always reminding people - but he's unable to do even the simplest task himself such as going to the toilet and needs constant care and attention. Nick knows the time has come to take the matter in to his own hands ...

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Plot Keywords:

holiday | parkinson's disease | disabled father | briton abroad | based on novel

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 2006 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Malta

Company Credits

Production Co:

ITV Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 120 min

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Holiday From Hell?

Remember Angeline Ball, the beautiful blonde back-up singer in Alan Parker's superb Irish Musical "The Commitments"? Well into her thirties she's still an extremely attractive woman in TV movie "What we did on our Holiday" so you can imagine my surprise when her husband, played by English soap star Shane Ritchie, sticks a jagged piece of glass into the sole of his foot rather than make love to her. (She wants a baby, you see). I'm afraid your character lost a little credibility for me, Shane.

"What we did ….." didn't work for me as comedy, I didn't care for Roger Lloyd-Pack's Parkinsons' sufferer being treated as a figure of fun. There is one good line when they go into a church where Pauline Collins' reply to "Make a wish if you want" is "The technical term is praying" However this Granada International comedy/drama has something to say about our responsibilities for our aging parents and the ending packs a real punch.

"What we did on our Holiday" is crisply edited but has excessive use of the Stedicam, its Maltese setting is attractive and Pauline always gives a performance.