I do not remember this film at the time it was first shown because at that time I would have only been 10 years old.
I have since become a very big fan of Mike Leigh and being keen to see every thing he has done I bought this film on video fairly recently.
The film is both very good and very funny. It is much better than something like carry-on-camping(although that was good)because it is much more life like. Keith and Candice-Marie are ordinary people on an ordinary camping holiday. I loved the bits where Candice Marie is struggling to keep up with her husband on the walks. I have that problem sometimes, except in our case it is me who wants to go whilst she is dragged along.I would not have recognized her as the same actress who played Beverly in Abigails party(Alison Steadman).In that she was the bossy one whilst in this she is one getting ordered around by her husband.She has been in several Mike Leigh films and I think she is one of his best actresses, in each one her character is so different it could be a completely different person . Keith's character was great, he appears to want his own way all the time and keeps on laying down the law.Whilst I am sure he meant well I can see how he would have driven everyone mad. Ray was good too I could see how embarrassed he was when Keith and Candice Marie made him join in with their singing. Well worth watching.
I have since become a very big fan of Mike Leigh and being keen to see every thing he has done I bought this film on video fairly recently.
The film is both very good and very funny. It is much better than something like carry-on-camping(although that was good)because it is much more life like. Keith and Candice-Marie are ordinary people on an ordinary camping holiday. I loved the bits where Candice Marie is struggling to keep up with her husband on the walks. I have that problem sometimes, except in our case it is me who wants to go whilst she is dragged along.I would not have recognized her as the same actress who played Beverly in Abigails party(Alison Steadman).In that she was the bossy one whilst in this she is one getting ordered around by her husband.She has been in several Mike Leigh films and I think she is one of his best actresses, in each one her character is so different it could be a completely different person . Keith's character was great, he appears to want his own way all the time and keeps on laying down the law.Whilst I am sure he meant well I can see how he would have driven everyone mad. Ray was good too I could see how embarrassed he was when Keith and Candice Marie made him join in with their singing. Well worth watching.