DIRECTOR NIALL JOHNSON and ACTORS ROWAN ATKINSON and KRISTIN SCOTT THOMAS aren't KEEPING MUM about their new film. They took time out to chat about their new dark-humoured British comedy last week.
"I've been wanting to do a comedy for quite a long time, this one just seemed to have the right amount of awfulness," explains Kristin.
Keeping Mum is a darkly comic tale set in the small town of Little Wallop. We follow Gloria Goodfellow (Thomas), a bored housewife who is married to the town priest Walter (Atkinson). Walter is so focused on delivering the perfect sermon that he seems to miss his more immediate family problems: his wife's infidelities, his teenage daughter running wild, and the fact that his son is the school punch bag.
This film was originally written by Richard Russo and was soon picked up by director Niall Johnson. Niall (writer of White Noise) worked with Russo to convert the American script into a British version.
Now, fittingly sat in a darkened room in the penthouse of a London hotel, Atkinson and Thomas sit calmly at the table while Niall speaks about the location of the film, "The Isle of Man came about because they have a very attractive deal. The Isle of Man move in and gets films done. It's a beautiful place."
Kristin adds, "I love shooting in England and if it's in the middle of nowhere the better."
Niall comments on the plot, saying "It's like a black comedy, but the blackness of the humour is underpinned by the domestic view of it."
While the priest is preoccupying himself with the Bible, Gloria is preoccupying herself with her instructor Lance (Patrick Swayze). Niall remembers "Lance was originally meant to be the 'American aerobics instructor'. but we figured that wouldn't work in England"
In one scene, filmed in a cowshed on the Isle of Man, Patrick and Kristin share quite an "intimate moment." Patrick strips off and is trying to seduce poor Kristin. "It was freezing cold and everyone was laughing" Kristin recalls. "I was pretty impressed by how he got on with it. He's really good fun."
Toby Egerton, however, who plays the son of Atkinson 'Petey', spoke to the director of how he loved Rowan and had never even heard of Patrick Swayze. Atkinson jovially observes of Toby, "he was a delight. like something out of the exorcist."
The director says that Toby is a huge fan of Rowan and was watching his movements during filming so that he could reproduce them himself on set.
Another member of the amazing cast is Maggie Smith, playing the nanny who swoops in and sews the family back together with her rash simplistic answers to problems.
"Maggie Smith said to me 'I want to wear all black and be this black line running through the story'," Niall says, grinning. "And it sounded so good I didn't even ask her what it meant."
Kristin, who usually plays the gorgeous quick-witted debutante, had to dress down and play mum. "It was such a relief not to have to be beautiful! In fact, you had to stop me as some of the clothes I chose were a bit too scruffy."
Another member of cast that no one seemed particularly fond of was Clarence the dog. Kristin sighs "That dog was the worst dog, it didn't obey at all." Rowan adds "It only had one thing to do and it couldn't do it."
Poor Rowan recalls through the interview that he has played a few priests in his time, through sketches and Four Weddings and a Funeral. "I don't know what it is that makes me clerical", he sighs.
Atkinson's character takes a spin in the film and gets sexed up and has to act out quite a mature loving scene. Niall summarises: "The scene was originally a more comedic scene cut in with Patrick videoing the girl and Maggie ironing. But we realised how tender a moment it was and realised it should be by itself, as comedy and tenderness meet in that one scene."
Atkinson accounts "I have to say I haven't played many serious roles, but I find I use the same tools for both to convey amusing or tender. Just as long as it's a true and credible to just act the part." Summing up his experience playing Walter Goodfellow he says "I found it quite tricky to be honest. It's so easy to play Mr Bean as he's such an extreme, whereas this character was closer to myself, you know. slightly dull."
Rowan, whose comedic inspiration sprouted from the likes of John Cleese in Monty Python, now has learnt to like Britains comedy of today both 'The Office's' dry comedy and 'Little Britain's' extremely unsubtle humour.
More famously known as Mr Bean, Rowan is asked if he intends to go for more serious roles in the future. He replies "I'm not bothered; I have no specific ambition to do serious roles. The main reason I was drawn to this is because it's basically a proper role, it's a mind role. I enjoyed that difference . I'm interested in doing everything that's interesting."
It looks like what is interesting is Mr Bean 2, which will begin production in 2006.
Becky Day
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