Too much of everything

Such a frustrating disappointment

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Doug (David Tennant) and Abi McLeod (Rosamund Pike) are getting a divorce. They take a road trip with their young kids Lottie, Mickey, and Jess to attend his father Gordie (Billy Connolly)'s birthday party. They want to keep the split a secret. Gordie is also dying of cancer. His other son Gavin has jittery wife Margaret and emo teenager son Kenneth. Gavin is a wealthy fund manager and plans a big party. Gordie takes off for the beach with the three kids.Most of all, the kids are adorable and they are great characters. There are some fun family dysfunctions and inappropriate subject matters. There is the big event which would be better later in the movie. The last act does try too hard to bring the family together. The story would flow better as a smaller family comedy without the media and a smaller police presence. That's not to say the last act doesn't have some good laughs and touching moments.

I didn't know anything about this movie, but saw it on iTunes. I knew and liked most of the actors. So I rented it. I was sold within the first five minutes. And it didn't fail to get me more involved throughout. There's no big arc, great plot, fantastic action, or slap stick comedy. I mean, it's all there but not in a big, in your face way. And I love that. It's a story that anyone who has a heart, and has been through rough patches with his or her family can relate to. The script contains many really great lines, especially the kids' parts. It's masterful edited and well paced. There are a ton of short shots that create extra texture. Some stunning wide shots of the environment. Lots of use of indirect storytelling inducing your imagination, good acting, and incredible acting by the three kids. I was moved and welled up, laughed a lot, was in awe and progressively more engaged. If you're in the mood for action, big laughs, a thriller or a big drama, don't pick this one. But if you feel mellow and like good storytelling, then sit back, relax and watch this one.

This charming British film set in the beautifully scenic Scottish highlands had me gripped from the start. As a massive fan of writers Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered) as well as actors David Tennant (Dr Who) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) I had high hopes for this film and was not disappointed. There is so much heart and soul put into this film and delivers through its melancholic script and humour. With a cast full of award winning actors such as David Tennant and Rosamund Pike it is the children who steal the show. Their performances are detrimental to portraying the message of family and is done so with a childlike innocence as expected from screenwriters Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin of 'Outnumbered' fame. A great film that sent me through every emotion; and a perfect example of independent film at its finest.

I saw this at home on DVD from my local public library. I generally like British humor and this movie is filled with it, and almost all of it is laugh out loud funny, but in a very smart way. The cast includes three children, girl-boy-girl of about 10, 8, and 6, and they are each smart and delightful. They play a very key role in the resolution of the overall story.The "happy" couple, contemplating a divorce and not currently living together, are Rosamund Pike as Abi and David Tennant as Doug. They are getting their things and the three kids into the family SUV for a road trip from the London area to NW coast of Scotland, to help celebrate the 75 birthday of Doug's dad. But his dad, Billy Connolly (about 71 during filming) as Gordie, hasn't been well and his kids are saying this may be his last birthday. (As an aside, Connolly is just great in this role and his performance overall makes the movie what it is.) So anyway the weekend in Scotland will involve Doug's brother and wife, plus 200+ guests invited to the big birthday celebration in the big tent out in the big yard. But can the kids keep the secrets, so that granddad won't fall ill worrying about his sons?This is a great movie, interesting, funny, and with a meaningful message about accepting others with their quirks, people are just who they are, life is short, don't get mad at others you care about, just get along!SPOILERS: Gordie was not happy about the fuss being made over his birthday and he has resigned to the fact that his cancer is killing him. He puts on a brave face but he knows the end is near. He takes the pickup truck and the three grandkids to his favorite beach while everyone else is prepping for the party in the evening. Gordie lies down on a blanket on the sand but never wakes up. The kids rightly determine that he has died, no pulse and no breathing. They also recall him saying just earlier that day he didn't want a funeral, he was 80% Viking and he would have preferred a fiery burial at sea. So the kids gather discarded wood pallets and build a raft, and using the lawn recliner as a sail, set him on fire and out into the North Atlantic. In the end the grownups and news agencies outside the door have trouble understanding but Abi and Doug get the overall message and may be ready to repair their relationship.