'Nuts in May'

Where it all began for Mike Leigh. This was a TV movie about a married couple who go camping. She is an easily led dimwit, he an absolute boor. He marches around the countryside dutifully doing guidebook walks without really taking anything in ("What's that, Keith?" "It's Number 12.") and sticking to his own pre-arranged plans no matter what ("We can't do that tomorrow, we're doing something else tomorrow!") Of course, he goes to pieces by the end, but the best bits are that sheer comedy of embarrassment that Britain does so well.

This is one of the funniest things i've ever seen in my life and what's more it doesn't need to resort to crudity to be effective, something that's unheard of nowadays, not that i'm on a moral crusade but the world potrayed in this film looks rather quaint in the cut and thrust of the 21st century. I'll knock your head off !

This is a good film to see for anyone starting on the long, twisted road that is trying to understand the British. Keith is a deeply anal-retentive man on a camping holiday with his dim, lisping girlfriend, Candace Marie. When a rough biker couple arrives at the campsite next door, his ordered little world is destroyed and his sanity nearly goes with it.

The character of Keith is absolutely brilliant: I've never seen such a deeply flawed, contradictory, human character so well written and well portrayed on screen. Roger Sloman is utterly convincing and very funny. Alison Steadman is also very good and the whole film is difficult to forget.

The Morris Minor convertible used in the NUTS IN MAY Play for Today belonged to my family. My mother was shopping in Wareham Dorset, when members of the BBC had noticed the car parked in the town and waited for the owner to return, when my mother came back from shopping, they asked if they could use the car in a Play for Today. It belonged to my father, and it was agreed this was OK. The BBC kindly lent us a car during the filming. When we saw the play, we really enjoyed it, and could not believe just how much the car was filmed due to the main characters role, the car was almost as much of a celebrity as the leading stars! We recorded the play on video, and remember that this was such a well loved play that the viewers requested for it to be repeated, so with such an overwhelming amount of the public wanting to see it again it was repeated, and is still remembered as one of the best loved plays that ever was. perhaps the BBC would like to repeat it again?

My 11yr old daughter and her 12yr old friend chose this movie for a sleepover in what can only be described as a flash of brilliance. As I cooked in the kitchen I kept being drawn in by their laughter, giggling and quizzical expressions. Being a long time Mike Leigh fan, I eventually just squeezed into the couch beside them and proceeded to watch one of the funniest movies I have ever, EVER seen. I like hearing that it has become a tradition for people, and I think I will try that this year over the Christmas holidays.

My daughter and her friend now make a point of staring the other down and growling, "Now Candice-Marie..."