What We Did on Our Holiday

Just like it's cousin, the British comedy series Outnumbered, What we Did on Our Holiday presents a dysfunctional family with hilarious, quirky kids, a strong British cast and plenty of comedy along the way. As the feature-length debut for directors Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, this is a strong start.

Doug (David Tennant) and Abi (Rosamund Pike) McLeod are going through a rough period in their marriage, with a divorce likely immanent. To make things worse they have three difficult kids, the aspiring geologist - and five-year-old - Jess (Harriet Turnbull), the viking-obsessed Mickey (Bobby Smalldridge) and the honest Lottie (Emilia Jones), but they at least seem to understand the situation. However, when the family are to visit Doug's father, Gordie (Billy Connolly) for his 75th birthday in the Scottish Highlands, Doug and Abi want to ensure that Gordie, who is dying of cancer, isn't left to worry about their issues.

When they finally arrive, they are reluctantly greeted by Doug's brother Gavin (Ben Miller), a rich short seller, who has kitted out the house with an expensive automated system. Gavin is meticulously organising the large birthday celebrations with his wife Margaret (Amelia Bullmore). Whilst many tense disputes break out between the brothers, Gordie turns to his grandchildren to take them to the beach, hoping to show them that none of the arguments really matter, and that life is short and should be enjoyed.

As a big fan of Outnumbered I was hoping for a similar plot-setup, and Hamilton & Jenkin certainly borrow from their television roots, but they manage to do so without blatantly rehashing past material. Whilst the three kids have similar traits to their tv counterparts, they come off as distinct individuals, mainly due to the fantastic performances from the trio. The comedic style of What we Did on Our Holiday is inherently clean (surprising for a film starring Billy Connolly), more-so than most family movies, but the back-and-forth between adults and the kids never fails to amuse. When turning to the dramatic elements of the plot, I felt that some of the scenes were a little over done and somewhat cheesy, but they're countered by just as many moments that manage to be quite touching. There's an underlying motif of time and making the most of life, that was at some stages, too blatantly pushed down the audience's throats, yet it contributes to the film's positive ending message.

Most of the dramatic sequences are given to Connolly, who manages them ok, but sometimes by the skin of his teeth. This is certainly not up there with his performances in films like Mrs Brown and A Series of Unfortunate Events, but generally he manages to give an all-rounded display here. Although I couldn't help but think that he could have flourished a bit more if he had some of his favourite non-PG phrases to back him up. It seems unusual to see Rosamund Pike in a light-hearted family movie so soon after her chilling portrayal in Gone Girl, but she's fantastic as usual. Tennant and Miller work well off each other as the quibbling immature adult siblings and Amelia Bullmore provides a surprisingly layered performance. Annette Crosbie was by far my favourite though, bringing the same sturdy and often fiery displays that she made as Margaret Meldrew (One Foot in the Grave) to Doreen.

What We Did on Our Holiday is not going to win any Academy Awards, but with all the recent releases, it's nice to be able to relax with a good light-hearted and undoubtedly funny family film. With great performances and strong characters, it's a sweet movie and great for a lazy afternoon.