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Keeping Mum

Play trailer Poster for Keeping Mum R 2006 1h 43m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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57% Tomatometer 87 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson), vicar of the British village Little Wallop, is busy composing the perfect sermon. So busy, in fact, that he fails to notice his bored wife's (Kristin Scott Thomas) flirtation with her American golf instructor (Patrick Swayze), his daughter's revolving set of boyfriends, or his son's status as the favorite target of bullies. Enter Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith), the new housekeeper, who has a drastic solution to the family's problems.

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Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum

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Critics Consensus

The stellar cast, including Kristin Scott Thomas and Dame Maggie Smith, is certainly an asset, but this black comedy is too uneven.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader Jun 23, 2022
Johnson struggles to find the proper tone: the serial murders aren’t horrible enough to be funny, and the characters don’t respond as if they’re horrible at all. As a result the black humor thins into gray fog. Go to Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Oct 30, 2006
2/5
The Ealing of yore is gone, and Guiness, ex-ladykiller, is now and forever, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Here's mud in your eye. Go to Full Review Randy Cordova Arizona Republic Oct 26, 2006
2.5/5
A dark comedy that isn't dark or particularly funny, Keeping Mum ends up being an exercise in heavy-handed whimsy. Go to Full Review Kat Halstead Common Sense Media May 5, 2021
3/5
It's slight but charming, and fun in places, with the veteran actors just managing to keep the undisciplined screenplay on track until the grisly end. Go to Full Review Simon Weaving Screenwize Jul 30, 2009
3.5/5
Don't expect Rowan Atkinson in full Bean or Blackadder flight: this is much more delicate Country Life comeuppance at the hands of a deliciously dark fairy godmother. Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Apr 20, 2009
B+
Rowan Atkinson ("Mr. Bean") plays straight-man Reverend Walter Goodfellow to Grace Hawkins (acted with keen wit by Maggie Smith) his genteel serial-killer housekeeper in this delicious British black comedy. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Melissa L @Agent99 5 days ago It was very funny and well-acted. See more Shona H @RT19899047 Sep 6, 2026 Classic British humour. Slow moving, but brilliant. Fantastic story with a perfect balance of humour, dark storylines, and award-winning actors. See more Jude J @JudeNZ Jul 13, 2026 I loved the subtle dark humour. Everything understated; nothing pushed hard. Even the names - the Vicar: Goodfellow, the neighbour: Mrs Parker. The cast was also excellent - well worth a watch on a cold winter night. See more Mau O @RT35524061 Jul 12, 2026 This was listed as a comedy, and I like Maggie Smith and the Mr. Bean guy, but soon after the older housekeeper's arrival, it turned very dark and sick. First the next-door neighbor's dog disappears. Then she cuts the brakes on the bullies' bikes and gets the family boy laughing, thinking one is dead. You realize she is the young lady they showed years earlier who killed her husband and his mistress. I had to turn it off. See more Martin B @RT44235356 May 11, 2026 I suppose it's not cinematic excellence but here's why I loved it. Great cast to start with including Maggie Smith in a lovably sinister roll. It's just all so crisp and clean with great backdrops for scenes and a story that consistently holds your attention. You've lived next to a dog that barks all the time and an owner that lets it, you might have some empathy for how the writer dealt with that situation. See more Julian B @Spursy153 Oct 27, 2025 A very entertaining movie with plenty of laughs & a great cast See more Read all reviews
Keeping Mum

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Cast & Crew

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Niall Johnson

Director

Rowan Atkinson

Walter Goodfellow

Kristin Scott Thomas

Gloria Goodfellow

Maggie Smith

Grace Hawkins

Patrick Swayze

Lance

Tamsin Egerton

Holly Goodfellow

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Keeping Mum

Keeping Mum (2006) Keeping Mum (2006) Keeping Mum (2006) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Walter Goodfellow (Rowan Atkinson), vicar of the British village Little Wallop, is busy composing the perfect sermon. So busy, in fact, that he fails to notice his bored wife's (Kristin Scott Thomas) flirtation with her American golf instructor (Patrick Swayze), his daughter's revolving set of boyfriends, or his son's status as the favorite target of bullies. Enter Grace Hawkins (Maggie Smith), the new housekeeper, who has a drastic solution to the family's problems.
Director
Niall Johnson
Producer
Julia Palau, Matthew Payne
Screenwriter
Richard Russo, Niall Johnson
Production Co
Summit Entertainment, Tusk, Isle of Man Film
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content/Nudity|Language)
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
British English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Sep 15, 2006
Release Date (DVD)
Feb 20, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6M
Runtime
1h 43m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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