| Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie |
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Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Mel Smith |
| Produced by | Peter Bennett-Jones Tim Bevan Eric Fellner |
| Written by | Rowan Atkinson Richard Curtis Robin Driscoll |
| Starring | Rowan Atkinson |
| Music by | Howard Goodall |
| Cinematography | Francis Kenny |
| Editing by | Christopher Blunden |
| Studio | Working Title Films Tiger Aspect Productions Gramercy Pictures |
| Distributed by | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 1 August 1997 (UK) 5 November 1997 (US) 3 July 1997 (AUS) |
| Running time | 87 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18,000,000 |
| Box office | $251,212,670 |
Bean, also known as Mr. Bean: The Movie and Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie is a 1997 British-American comedy film based on the popular ITV comedy Television series Mr. Bean, which was written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. The main plot follows Bean entrusted to oversee the transfer of priceless painting Whistler's Mother from a gallery in London to a museum in the United States. In the process, a number of unfortunate mishaps see Bean inadvertently break up a marriage, annoy an American policeman and accidentally destroy the painting, although a shrewd plan results in these mistakes being rectified. The film was written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis and was directed by Mel Smith, all of whom originally worked together on Not the Nine O'Clock News. Its working title was initially "Dr. Bean", based on a misunderstanding which forms part of the plot of the film.[1]
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Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) is a well-meaning, but hopelessly clumsy and destructive guard at the Royal National Gallery in London. Attempts by the gallery's board of directors to fire Bean are thwarted by the chairman who, for unspecified reasons, is very fond of him. Desperate to rid themselves of the turmoil Bean unintentionally causes, the board members send him to the United States to represent them at the unveiling of the portrait Whistler's Mother, which has been purchased for $50million by the Grierson Art Gallery in Los Angeles.
Bean's visit has been arranged by Grierson Gallery's curator, David Langley (Peter MacNicol) who, being very impressed by the National Gallery's fabricated praise of "Dr. Bean", decides to board him in his house. On his flight to Los Angeles, Bean attempts to amuse a child with air sickness by blowing up his M&Ms bag and popping it to wake up the man in front of him, but without success. After the child throws up into an air sickness bag, Bean takes the bag from him and repeats the bag popping over the man's face, only to splatter him with vomit. He hides from the man upon his arrival to Los Angeles, where he is detained at the airport due to pretending to have a gun. His arrival at David's house is initially met with subtle hostility from David's wife Alison (Pamela Reed) and daughter Jennifer (Tricia Vessey) while his son Kevin (Andrew Lawrence) finds Bean's eccentricities amusing. Alison refuses David's request to allow Bean to live with them for two months, and David promises Alison that he will talk to Bean and take him to a hotel after their meeting at the gallery.
Bean's unorthodox arrival at the gallery worries many of David's colleagues, particularly his boss, George Grierson (Harris Yulin), who subtlety warns David that he will be responsible for Bean's actions at the unveiling of the painting, but David promises that he can handle Bean, convinced that he is merely a little eccentric. When David takes Bean back to his house, Alison departs for her mother's home, unwilling to live with Bean. With his family gone, David decides to take Bean on a tour of the Los Angeles art galleries. However, Bean decides that he and David should go to Pacific Park instead, but lands in police detainment for the second time after tampering with the controls of a motion simulator ride, making it go dangerously fast, after deeming that his first ride earlier was too slow. This prompts Lieutenant Brutus (Richard Gant), who dealt with Bean at the airport, to make David accountable for Bean, threatening to arrest Bean if he ever steps out of line again.
Following a miserable dinner with Grierson which David had forgotten about, where Bean accidentally blows up the microwave after attempting to cook their Thanksgiving turkey in it, David finally realises that Bean is not a doctor and knows nothing about art. He is obliged to continue with the deception, however, as he has already staked his professional career on Bean's supposed reputation as a noted art scholar. The next day, Whistler's Mother arrives at the Los Angeles gallery, and Bean is given a few minutes alone to study it, in an effort to keep him out of trouble. While dusting the frame, Bean accidentally sneezes on the painting and wipes it with a handkerchief, not knowing that it is covered in blue ink from a broken pen, and therefore the painting is stained. Terrified, Bean takes it to the caretaker's cupboard to get some agent by which to remove the ink. He uses lacquer thinner, which also dissolves the painted face from the painting. Much to his horror, Bean attempts to patch it up with an extremely unconvincing cartoon face. Upon seeing it, David is also horrified and hides the painting behind its metal security shutters. Fearing that David will lose his job and possibly face criminal proceedings for the vandalism, he and Bean head off to a bar to drown their sorrows. The pair return home drunk and discover that David's family has returned. Alison informs David that she may have to leave him.
During the night, inspired by Kevin's remark about posters on his bedroom wall, Bean hatches a plan to restore Whistler's Mother. He gathers a few items from David's house and makes his way to the art gallery. He distracts the only security guard on duty by putting laxative in his coffee, followed by switching the men's bathroom keys with some other set. He then removes the destroyed painting from its frame and replaces it with a poster version of itself, glossing it with an egg and varnish mix to make it appear authentic. At the unveiling of Whistler's Mother the next day, David is overjoyed to see the painting is restored but expects Bean, who has totally forgotten to come up with a speech, to make a fool of himself on national television when he takes the podium at the press conference. However, Bean's brief but effective off-the-cuff speech regarding the work is both very simple and very deep, cementing the public's perception of him as a scholarly virtuoso. Despite initial doubts, the officials and hierarchy appear to take his words to heart and enjoy the speech. After the unveiling, Brutus finds David and informs him that Jennifer has been involved in a motorcycle accident because she rebelled against David for not getting rid of Bean, and is in intensive care. Bean and David are given a police escort to the hospital to see Jennifer; however, Brutus stops on his way to deal with an armed robber, who shoots Brutus in the stomach before being arrested.
Due to a mix-up at the hospital, Bean is mistaken for a medical doctor and pushed into an operating theatre containing Brutus, who is barely alive. While the other doctors and nurses are distracted, Bean unconventionally retrieves the bullet (as well as a peanut M&M which he had accidentally dropped into the open wound) and eventually rescues Brutus, earning the admiration of his "colleagues". Bean is again mistaken for a doctor, and this time, David takes him in to see Jennifer, who is unconscious. Bean, unsure what to do, attempts to use a defibrillator to bring Jennifer back to life, but accidentally shocks himself and is sent flying across the room, landing on Jennifer and waking her up in the process. Still not recognising Bean, David and Alison tell him that they will offer him anything. Bean reveals himself and then asks if he can stay with them for another week before returning to London. Though baffled, the Langleys gladly accept. After another week in Los Angeles with the Langleys, for which he gives the family gifts, learns the middle finger and explores the city, Bean finally returns to London. In his flat, Bean, getting ready to bed for the night, turns off the light and looks at the original vandalised Whistler's Mother, which now has pride-of-place on his wall, and shows it to his Teddy before closing his eyes and going to sleep.
The film was criticised for breaking with the programme's tradition of having Mr. Bean as the centre of attention and for the alleged Americanisation required to sell it overseas (Bean also speaks intelligibly, albeit with apparent difficulty, as opposed to his frequent mumbling in the TV show).[2] The film was rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for "moments of risqué humor".
The film currently has a 40% "Rotten" rating amongst collated reviews at Rotten Tomatoes with a 5.3/10 rating, with many critics suggesting that it was over-long and lacking in jokes.[3]
However, the movie grossed over US$250 million globally on a budget estimated at $18 million.[4] Despite a mixed critical response and being a sleeper hit, the film has gained a following since it has been released on VHS and DVD.
It was followed by a sequel in 2007 called Mr. Bean's Holiday.[5]
The film's original score was by Howard Goodall, who had also written the music for the television series, although the original Mr. Bean theme was not used. Other non-original songs were also featured, in particular The Beatles' "Yesterday" (sung by Wet Wet Wet).
The CD soundtrack also featured a song not used in the film, a cover of the Alice Cooper song "Elected" (from the Billion Dollar Babies album) performed by famed Iron Maiden lead singer and Heavy metal icon Bruce Dickinson which features sound dubs of Mr. Bean making campaign promises. This had been used for Comic Relief in 1992.
Boyzone also released a song for the film, entitled "Picture of You".