MovieChat Forums > What We Did on Our Holiday (2015) Discussion > What a lovely little film!

What a lovely little film!

posted 9 years ago by Mandy999
6 replies | jump to latest

I love low-key films like this. The British seem to excel at them:

The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain
Waking Ned Devine
Billy Elliot

They're not zany comedies; they're not heavy dramas; they're not action films; they're just stories about real(ish) people. No special effects, no overpowering score, no enormous set pieces. Just life.

I guess if you've been raised on Marvel movies and R-rated shoot 'em ups, then this would be tame and boring, but I like it.

The kid actors were amazing, and the adults seemed very realistic in that that's how people really might actually behave. I'm not much of a Connolly fan, but he was okay. I started watching it for Tennant (I thought he was going to cry when he was about to lose access to his kids), but I kept watching it for the kids themselves. They were very nicely directed.

I also enjoyed the views of the Scottish countryside.

Why the hell isn't this rated higher? What else were people expecting when they decided to watch this?

[–] TxMike 9 years ago

Don't forget Millions (2004). Since you enjoyed the ones you named I know you would enjoy this one too, if you haven't seen it yet.

And how about Little Voice (1998) or Secrets and Lies (1994)?

..*.. TxMike ..*..
Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes not.

[–] Mandy999 9 years ago

I haven't heard of them. I'll look them up. Thanks.

[–] burnells 8 years ago

This film was fantastic until the very end when the family gathered together to celebrate a life only to be told by the officious all too serious son that death is it and there is nothing else...then after being told this terrible depressing no hope news....the family dance around in joy!...it was the one and only fault in the film that i cared to notice because everything else was wonderful...for the record , we do go on ,i have had an amazing personal experience that puts this beyond all doubt....for me..and that is fine, whatever you believe, but that final speech in that otherwise great movie was absurd because in reality such comments would have deflated the joyful mood of all involved so it killed the reality , no one celebrates darkness and hopelessness unless your dark and hopeless.

[–] Westwindnotnorth 8 years ago

I don't think you caught all of what Gavin said. He said that personally he didn't believe anything came after death but we needed to remember to celebrate life because that's what we've got. This is a beautiful sentiment I can fully embrace and I bet others do as well.

[–] rthomp-8 8 years ago

I thought it was delightful.

If you like charming, humorous, quirky films set in Scotland with great music then try Local Hero - my favourite film. Some of it was filmed just south of where this one was.

[–] louiseculmer 8 years ago

i think it is delightful. i agree the kids are great. And the bit where they are explaining to the grownups what has happened is excruciatingly funny.