Keeping Mum (2005)

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.

Director:

Niall Johnson

Writers:

Richard Russo (screenplay), Niall Johnson (screenplay)

Stars:

Rowan Atkinson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Maggie Smith

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rowan Atkinson	...	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

Storyline

Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson), the vicar for the small English country parish of Little Wallop, has allowed his marriage to Gloria (Kristin Scott Thomas) go stale, and he is so detached from his family, that he has not taken notice that his seventeen-year-old daughter Holly (Tamsin Egerton) is going through a succession of relationships with unsuitable boyfriends, and his son Petey (Toby Parkes) fears going to school, owing to being bullied. Out of desperation for affection, Gloria begins to fall for the advances of Lance (Patrick Swayze), an American golf pro who is giving her "private" lessons. The problems upsetting the family start to fade away after Grace Hawkins (Dame Maggie Smith), the new housekeeper, arrives and starts tending to matters as an older, and rather darkly mysterious version of Mary Poppins.

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Plot Keywords:

school | neighbor | housekeeper | golf | hiding | 

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Taglines:

They took her in. Now she's taking them out.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content/nudity

Details

Country:

UK USA Isle Of Man

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 October 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Secrets de famille

Filming Locations:

Pickering Station, Pickering, North Yorkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$169,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£645,886 (United Kingdom), 4 December 2005, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$27,112, 17 September 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,618,957, 21 January 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Isle of Man Film, Azure Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min (dvd) 97 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is dedicated to James Booth (Mr. Brown), who died four months before the first release. This was his final film.

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Goofs

When everyone is taking the trunk upstairs, the shadow is visible above Grace's head moving around.

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Quotes

Train Ticket Collector: Miss Jones? Rosemary Jones?
Rosie Jones: Rosie, please. I prefer Rosie.
Train Ticket Collector: I was just checking the trunk. The big leather trunk. Is, er, is that yours?
Rosie Jones: Yes that's mine. Is there a problem?
Train Ticket Collector: Er.
[uncertain]
Train Ticket Collector: No.

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Connections

Referenced in The Lady in the Van (2015)

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Soundtracks

Did You Ever Wonder Why?
(2005)
Produced and Written by Dickon Hinchliffe
Sung by Dickon Hinchliffe and Cara Dillon
Guitar: Neil Fraser
Engineered by Philip Bagenal at Eastcote Studios and Mat Bartram at Angel Studios
Mixed by Ian Caple
Published by Keeping Mum Productions Ltd

User Reviews

Charming comedy, beautifully played.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gentle comedy which as other reviews have mentioned is in the best traditions of British film comedy, pre "Carry On". The action is gentle paced and contains no surprises, as the plot opener spells out the likely twists and turns. The characters are stock British parts, almost "off the peg". It is not a film for belly laughs but the comedy is there, but not from Rowan Atkinson who plays the role of vicar with as straight a bat as one could wish. The other well knows actors all ham it up beautifully and the Isle of Man looks wonderful and, like the film, twenty years out of date. I particularly liked Patrick Swayze's reptilian lothario and Maggie Smith was her usual immaculate self.