Bean Review
by Brian Koller (koller AT aud DOT alcatel DOT com)November 9th, 1997
Bean (1997)
Grade: 47
"Bean" is a comedy based upon the British television series "Mr. Bean", which is familiar to American viewers due to runs on PBS stations. Rowan Atkinson is Bean, sort of a British version of Pee Wee Herman, who makes goofy faces, mumbles when it is a possible alternative to speaking, and conducts experiments with people or physical objects around him that usually end in disaster.
Bean is employed by a British museum. He is regarded as a useless and is relegated to sitting in a chair in a corner, where he can do harm as long as he remains there. To be rid of him, even temporarily, he is sent to
a Los Angeles museum to preside over the ceremony of
that museum acquiring a priceless work of art.
Unlucky museum curator Peter MacNicol draws the assignment of hosting Bean during his visit. Out of his element, Bean gets into increasing trouble. His inability to socially interact with others alienates MacNicol's family, which promptly moves out. MacNicol soon has even worse fears of unemployment and imprisonment, all due to Bean's eccentric and destructive antics.
The movie is different from the series. In the series, people regard Bean as mostly normal. In the movie, Bean, the exact same character, is regarded as bizarre, alien, and dangerous, and not merely eccentric. This interesing tack would leave us feeling sorry for Bean, if his behaviour would only deserve such sympathy. But heavens, he practically needs to be
institutionalized!
Although "Bean" is by no means a bad movie, it does have some problems. I can accept Bean's character, but not MacNicol's bonding to this obvious destructive idiot who seems bent on destroying his life. I don't understand how Bean could be left alone in a room with a priceless painting. And Bean, who is demonstrated to be incompetent in the first half of the film, performs complex and heroic actions in the second half that he seems nowhere capable of in the first half.
I don't like the character of MacNichol's daughter (Tricia Vessey). What a brat! Burt Reynolds has a cameo as a General. His character has some stupid lines, and he constantly has a smirk on his face (perhaps he is thinking of his paycheck for probably one day's work).
Still, if you a fan of the "Mr. Bean" show, you will probably enjoy the movie. You may alternately laugh and groan as Bean gets into trouble. At ninety minutes, the film is the proper length and doesn't drag often.
http://members.tripod.com/~Brian_Koller/movies.html
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