Mr. Bean returns but not for long as he goes on his travels to the south of France where mishap and mayhem begin. Having entered a church raffle and won a vacation to France as well as a camcorder, Bean boards the Eurostar train to Paris. Just before catching his connecting train down to Cannes, he asks Emil, a film jury member on his way to be a judge at the Cannes Film festival to use his camcorder to record his boarding, but accidentally causes Emil to be left behind at the station with his son, Stepan, already on the train. All havoc breaks loose in the ensuing events as Bean and Stepan make their way to Cannes together to re-unite Stepan with his father and finally make it to the golden beach and blue waters. The events are recorded along the way by Bean with his prize camcorder ever in hand.
Directed by
Steve Bendelack
Written by
Rowan Atkinson (character); Richard Curtis (character); Simon McBurney (story); Hamish McColl (screenplay); Robin Driscoll (screenplay).
Starring
Rowan Atkinson (Mr. Bean); Steve Pemberton (Vicar); Lily Atkinson (Lily at the Stereo); Preston Nyman (Boy with Train); Sharlit Deyzac (Buffet Attendant); Francois Touch (Busker Accordion); Emma de Caunes (Sabine); Arsène Mosca (Traffic Controller (as Arsene Mosca)); Stéphane Debac (Traffic Controller); Willem Dafoe (Carson Clay); Philippe Spall (French Journalist); Jean Rochefort (Maitre'D); Karel Roden (Emil); Max Baldry (Stepan); Pascal Jounier (Tipsy Man). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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A Welcome return of the family comedy
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
Mr Bean's Holiday is something of a rarity these days - a genuinely funny comedy that will appeal to all of the family. I've lauded many 'family' films of late, but in all honesty the majority of those films have children as their primary target audience; the same might or might not have been true in the making of Mr Bean's Holiday, but either way what results is a well-paced, enjoyable comedy in the mould of many a '40s and '50s 'screwball' comedy that all the family will enjoy. I watched Mr Hulot's Vacation some time ago and have to say I wasn't particularly taken by it - in my opinion that film wasn't one that would keep younger generations engaged. I also watched Rowan Atkinson's first big screen outing as Bean, and have to say this film bears no resemblance to the first. Instead, Atkinson's latest incarnation as Bean has him taking in the sumptuous French countryside along his route, as well as a good amount of French culture, to blend together to produce a highly commendable and highly recommended family film. One final mention should also go to the beautiful Emma de Caunes as Sabine, and the impressive young Max Baldry as Sepan.
