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

UK area code 01632 is not allocated to any area and is reserved especially for fictional use in films, television shows and books. It is recommended that numbers beginning 01632 are used wherever a realistic landline number is needed, unless a more specific block of fake numbers exists. The 01632 area code is usually followed by a random six-digit number, mimicking the style of phone numbers found in much of Britain.

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Goofs

The blue Volvo family car parked outside of school has mud on its front-right door, but one minute later it's clean.

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Quotes

Gloria Goodfellow: Aren't we forgetting the small matter of dead bodies?
Grace Hawkins: How did you know about the other bodies?
Gloria Goodfellow: What other bodies?
Grace Hawkins: Oh. You didn't know about the other bodies...
Gloria Goodfellow: WHAT other bodies?
Grace Hawkins: Oh, just Mr. Brown's dog. And... and Mr. Brown.
Gloria Goodfellow: You killed them too?
Grace Hawkins: I did it for you, dear.

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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

a wonderful British black comedy

highly entertaining, good black comedy.

What seems like a perfect setting in middle england, with Rowan Atkinson who plays the local vicar.

But all is not perfect in the family, with his wife yearning for more fun in life & his daughter getting too much fun & his son being bullied at school.

The vicar has lost his sense of humour over the years.

Things all change with the arrival of the new housekeeper, played by Maggie Smith.

A surprising role for Patrick Swayze as the local gold pro but played well.

Good fun film