You probably won’t understand the joy of a child owning an annoying collection of stuffed animals until you are forced to take small named boulders on family vacation. This non-joy, among other burdens, probably led to the separation between Doug (David Tennant) and Abi (Rosamund Pike). Nothing can try one’s patience quite like a family vacation. Throw in a spouse who doesn’t want to spend time with you, bumper-to-bumper traffic, unforgiving extended family, and a kid who thinks shot puts are the new Beanie Babies, and, well, suffice to say I can sympathize with both adults.
Seeing Tennant navigate British highways is a bit surreal. The last time I saw him do so, his car was on fire, and so was he. “Family man” is a little sedate for Tennant, no? Well, how about Pike, who cycloptically stormed battle fields the last time I saw her? I suppose they both can be forgiven knowing this film is five years old – it only found me yesterday.
Forget about the youngest child for a sec, cuz the offspring I really like is Lottie (Emilia Jones). The eldest and near-tween kid keeps a diary, helpfully and intuitively asking (I paraphrase), “What lies are we sticking to this trip? I’d like to write them down so I won’t forget.” See, mom and dad haven’t let the divorce monster consume them extended fam, and they’re worried that patriarch Gordie (Billy Connolly) might implode or something. Dudes, have you never met Billy Connolly? Kinda hard to imagine him being the “no son of mine…!” dad, isn’t it?
So when Gordie takes the kids to the beach and dies on them, how do you suppose they reacted? And how do you suppose their warring parents reacted? And the in-laws hosting them all? Well, that’s What We Did on Our Holiday. Without giving it away –I’ve said too much already—the kids’ solution to “what’s next?” is unbelievable, fitting, ghastly, and adorable all at the same time: you parents should be shocked! Ashamed! Proud! And Ashamed! all over again in that order.
For a throw away film, What We Did on Our Holiday was amiable background noise. The principals have all done better (and worse for that matter). This film will seem low-budget and trivial to almost every name involved, and yet it was an endearing time-waster. As long as you take the major plot pint with a grain of salt and enjoy the minor plot quirks, like the youngest steering the vehicle of the highway while dad sleeps in the driver’s seat, there’s no reason you can’t half-enjoy this film while playing Candy Crush at the same time.
A couple plum ready for divorce
Stowed their feelings for the children, of course
So they all went away
Yet the stress of vacay
Gave their misery an entirely new source
Rated PG-13, 95 Minutes
Director: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Writer: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
Genre: Dysfunctional families
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Dysfunctional families, I think
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Dysfunctional families, I think
