What We Did On Our Holiday

Synopsis: Despite their imminent divorce,Doug (David Tennant) and Abi (Rosamund Pike) decide to take their three children on a road trip to Scotland to attend their ailing grandad Gordy’s (Billy Connolly) 75th birthday party. The children are instructed to keep the divorce a secret from the rest of the family including uptight Uncle Gavin (Ben Millar) and unhinged Aunt Margaret (Amelia Bullmore). A surprising and slightly macabre turn of events sees the couple reassess the way they are handling their failing marriage.

What We Did On Our Holiday is a delightfully daggy comedy by the writers of TV’s Outnumbered, which starred Hugh Dennis and Claire Skinner as the harried parents who are literally and metaphorically outnumbered by their three quick-witted and fast-talking youngsters.

The series’ successful format, a signature of which is ad-libbing by the boisterous and very talented children, is recreated on the big screen with trademark cutting one-liners and clever comedic set-ups and pay-offs. Indeed, the success of the film lies in its intelligent script with its typically British self-deprecating humour.  Beyond that, however, the writers handle the story's more maudlin moments with sensitivity rather than sentimentality, so much so that the film could serve as an excellent vehicle to introduce younger audiences to cycle-of-life issues.

Playing Gordy McLeod is a cakewalk for comedy veteran Billy Connolly and there is a wonderfully genuine chemistry between he and the three children. But fresh from her very different role in Gone Girl, Rosamund Pike’s skilled handling of comedy is perhaps the most surprising and pleasing aspect of the film.

Martin Hawkins’ cinematography highlights the rolling hills and dramatic coastline of the Scottish Highlands, providing further enjoyment in this already highly entertaining film that with a PG rating an entire family could enjoy.

 

 

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