There are many iconic comedic characters that people grew up watching and admiring, including the loveable Mr. Bean from Mr. Bean. This often immature and clueless character (played by the great Rowan Atkinson) gets into loads of trouble each episode, which he does rather hilariously. It’s what makes Mr. Bean beloved even to this day. And because of the success, it gave way to spin-offs and movies, such as Mr. Bean’s Holiday. This movie was adored by the audience, and it even became a huge success at the box office. Apart from Atkinson, it stars award-winning actor Willem Dafoe. But did you know that this movie was a tribute to a French comedy classic, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday?

‘Mr. Bean’s Holiday’ Follows Mr. Bean On A Wild Adventure in France

Mr. Bean’s Holiday is a comedy movie released in 2007, almost two decades after the Mr. Bean series pilot aired on British television. Here, we see the titular character winning a trip to Cannes, as he decides to document his journey through his video camera. When he arrives at a train station in Paris, he enlists help from filmmaker Emil Duchevsky (Karel Roden) to get footage of him boarding the train. Little do they know that Emil has his son Stepan (Maxim Baldry) with him and that Stepan unknowingly boards the train without him.

Along the way, Mr. Bean and Stepan form a bond while trying their best to locate Emil in such a big country. The duo even finds creative ways to earn some money for food and transportation. At one point, they get separated, and Mr. Bean gets into hilarious incidents and encounters people, such as aspiring actress Sabine (Emma de Caunes) and filmmaker Carson Clay (Dafoe) who both happen to be going to Cannes for the Cannes Film Festival. Some incidents include Mr. Bean trying to find his bus tickets in a coop full of chickens and accidentally becoming an extra for a commercial. The movie overall stays true to Mr. Bean’s often clueless and self-absorbed nature that people love.

Mr. Bean’s Character Is Inspired by Jacques Tati

The setting of Mr. Bean’s Holiday is mostly set in France, and we get to see the titular character goof around and be his immature self. As we all know, Mr. Bean doesn’t really speak and when he does, it isn’t coherent or long. Instead, he expresses himself through very exaggerated gestures and physical comedy. It’s who Mr. Bean is — annoying yet loveable. You can’t help but laugh along with his hilarious antics and sometimes audibly let out a sigh of defeat. It’s what makes him stand out from numerous comedic characters during his prime. This sort of silent character and the overall premise of the show is much like what you can see in many black-and-white comedy classics.

Mr. Bean allures viewers with how he handles day-to-day activities, may it be as simple as trying to cook a turkey or figuring out how to get an on-sale sofa to his home. He may be too exaggerated of a character to exist, but he does hold a certain relatability to him. This can be seen in old projects during the said Silent Era. In fact, in an LA Times interview with Atkinson, the comedian even lists one particular movie that ultimately inspired the making of Mr. Bean, and that is the French comedy classic, Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, and this can be further observed in Mr. Bean’s Holiday. But how exactly are they similar to each other? And what makes the French classic special?

‘Mr. Bean’s Holiday’ Pays Tribute to ‘Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday’

Though Mr. Bean in general is inspired by the works of Jaques Tati, Mr. Bean’s Holiday takes it up a notch in terms of influence and inspiration. Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday focuses on the titular character (played by Tati himself) as he goes on, well, a holiday by the beach. Mr. Hulot shows the things that he must do in order to properly relax, and these things usually end up in utter chaos and annoyed people. For instance, he gets in a boat but ends up splitting it in half and smushing himself in between. All he wants is to relax and enjoy the breeze, but things don’t always go his way. This is very similar to Mr. Bean’s goal when he wins the holiday trip. However, he gets into a lot of trouble before getting to the beach. Plus, both these films are set in France, with Mr. Hulot being born and raised there. So, when you compare these two projects, it’s clear that Mr. Bean’s Holiday is a tribute to Tati’s beloved short 1953 comedy film, and it is done excellently.

Mr. Bean probably wouldn’t exist without the genius of Jacques Tati because his works are the reason why Atkinson made the character in the first place. The esteemed comedian based Mr. Bean on Mr. Hulot, so it’s no surprise that they’re so similar in how they act. Mr. Hulot and Mr. Bean rarely speak and instead communicate with overemphasized actions. Plus, they always go through hilarious antics when faced with different situations. And it’s no wonder why Atkinson looks up to Tati — because he was a comedic genius and incredibly gifted in front and behind the scenes, with Tati being recognized by many prestigious awarding bodies even after his death. Tati’s impact is immense within the genre, and Atkinson is just one of those who got very inspired.

Mr. Bean’s Holiday is available to rent on Amazon

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Mr. Bean’s Holiday Release Date March 22, 2007 Director Steve Bendelack Cast Rowan Atkinson , Willem Dafoe , Maxim Baldry , Karel Roden , Emma de Caunes , Steve Pemberton , Jean Rochefort , Michel Winogradoff , Adrien Rodrigue , Bams Betga-Tchouni , Julie Fournier , Julie Ferrier , Lily Atkinson , Preston Nyman , Sharlit Deyzac , Francois Touch , Arsène Mosca , Stéphane Debac , Philippe Spall , Pascal Jounier , Emmanuelle Cosso , Francis Coffinet , Catherine Hosmalin , Zazie Delem , Adilson Monteiro Runtime 90 minutes Expand