Director: Any Hamilton, Guy Jenkins
Cast: David Tennant, Rosamund Pike, Billy Connolly
Rating: **1/2
What it's about: Doug (Tennant) and Abbie (Pike) are living apart. She discovers he's cheated on her, but lets him meet their children, because he's a loving dad. But they argue. A lot.
The kids hear them but rarely react. Each kid has their own quirk that helps them cope. The eldest girl writes everything down in a diary, the middle one - a boy - has a Viking fixation and the youngest holds her breath when she doesn't get her way. All precocious, to be sure, but not too badly behaved either.
The adventure starts when they head over to Scotland to meet their dad's dad, Gordie McLeod ,on his birthday. Gordie is dying from cancer. He lives with his prim and propah son, on-medication daughter-in law and a grandson who's something of a shrinking violet.
What's hot: Tennant and Pike make for the perfectly dysfunctional couple. But it is the children who steal the show with their quirks. Billy doesn't really have much to do by way of character except be as real and believable a grandfather as one can be. The film itself has its charming moments and is beautifully shot.
What's not: The film, impertinently Brit in its linguistic element, is sometimes difficult to follow. Even more so when we get to the part in Scotland. What might work against it, is the fact that since it's primarily for a British audience, it's innately local flavor could make Indian audiences a little wary.
What to do: To use a cliché, not everybody's cuppa. That being said, you just have to get past the strong local flavors.
