Extra Cinema: What We Did On Our Holiday (12A)

Starring: David Tennant, Rosamund PikeDirectors: Andy Hamilton, Guy Jenkin
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Sep 2014, 07:00 BST
Undated Film Still Handout from What We Did On Our Holidays. Pictured: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike. See PA Feature FILM Film Reviews. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Lionsgate. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature FILM Film Reviews.Undated Film Still Handout from What We Did On Our Holidays. Pictured: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike. See PA Feature FILM Film Reviews. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Lionsgate. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature FILM Film Reviews.
Undated Film Still Handout from What We Did On Our Holidays. Pictured: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike. See PA Feature FILM Film Reviews. Picture credit should read: PA Photo/Lionsgate. WARNING: This picture must only be used to accompany PA Feature FILM Film Reviews.

Gordie McLeod (Connolly) is poised to celebrate his 75th birthday in the Scottish Highlands.

His self-obsessed son Gavin (Ben Miller) is hosting the lavish party to impress and hopefully secure the captaincy of the local golf club.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gavin’s long-suffering and neurotic wife Margaret (Amelia Bullmore) remains in the background, occasionally exploding with pent-up rage.

As the party beckons, Gavin’s less successful brother Doug (David Tennant) and his wife Abi (Rosamund Pike) arrive with their three children.

What We Did On Our Holiday is a rip-roaring riot, laying bare the petty jealousies and deep-rooted fears within a family while dealing with serious issues.

Tennant and Miller spark a fiery sibling rivalry with excellent support from Pike and Bullmore. Hamilton and Jenkin eschew sentimentality in the film’s tricky final third, striking a pleasing and ultimately winning balance between musing and amusing.

Rating: 8/10