Thunderpants

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Thunderpants
Thunderpants.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Pete Hewitt
Screenplay byPhil Hughes
Story byPete Hewitt
Produced by Graham Broadbent
Damian Jones
Pete Hewitt
Starring Simon Callow
Stephen Fry
Celia Imrie
Paul Giamatti
Ned Beatty
Bruce Cook
Rupert Grint
CinematographyAndy Collins
Edited byMichael Parker
Music by Rupert Gregson-Williams
Production
companies
Pathé Pictures
Sky
The Film Council
Mission Pictures
CP Medien AG
Distributed by Pathé Distribution
Release date
  • 24 May 2002 (2002-05-24)
Running time
87 minutes
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Germany
LanguageEnglish
Budget$7 million
Box office$3 million

Thunderpants is a 2002 family comedy film about a boy whose incredible capacity for flatulence gets him a job as an astronaut. The film was directed by Pete Hewitt, whose previous work included Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991) and The Borrowers (1997). The script was written by Phil Hughes, based on a story by Pete Hewitt about a boy who dreams of being a spaceman, despite his chronic flatulence.

Contents

Plot

Born with two stomachs, Patrick Smash (Bruce Cook) is uncontrollably and devastatingly flatulent. No more than thirty seconds after his birth, he first breaks wind, horrifying his parents (Bronagh Gallagher, and Victor McGuire) and doctor (Robert Hardy). As he grows up, Patrick's farts become so uncontrollable and destructive that his father has to flee their home, as he is often injured by his son's gaseous emissions, whose force is so strong that it can blow people over. Patrick is bullied at school as a result of his condition, but eventually finds strength in his disorder, ultimately gaining revenge on the school bully Damon (Joshua Herdman) by passing gas in his face, leaving him scarred for life. Patrick's only friend is child prodigy Alan A. Allen (Rupert Grint), who has anosmia, and, therefore, lacks the ability to smell. Alan and Patrick team up to make Thunderpants, reinforced short trousers strong enough to contain Patrick's emissions. One day, on the way to visit Alan, Patrick sees Alan being taken away in a mysterious black car; Alan's father informs Patrick that Alan will not be returning home soon. Patrick gets recruited by an opera singer (Simon Callow) to help him with his world tour; Patrick uses this as an opportunity to search for Alan. Eventually, Patrick learns that Alan went to the US to assist a mission astronauts who are trapped in outer space, and Patrick finds that his condition may be of use to the spacemen in peril.

Cast

Reception

The film has received a rating of 67% at the film review website Rotten Tomatoes, based upon 6 reviews. [1]

Empire magazine wrote in their review that Thunderpants is "a well-made, quirky oddity for adults, but a laugh riot for kids and Beano nostalgists... underneath all the expelled air it's really just a simple tale of a boy finding his talent and making the most of it". [2] The hosts of the RedLetterMedia web series Best of the Worst shared similar sentiments when reviewing the film with the consensus being that the movie was too charming and well-made to be considered a "bad" film. [3]

During an appearance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien , Paul Giamatti referred to this film as one of the high points in his career. [4]

Related Research Articles

Flatulence is the expulsion of gas from the intestines via the anus, commonly referred to as farting. "Flatus" is the medical word for gas generated in the stomach or bowels. A proportion of intestinal gas may be swallowed environmental air, and hence flatus is not entirely generated in the stomach or bowels. The scientific study of this area of medicine is termed flatology.

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References

  1. "Thunderpants (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  2. "Review of Thunderpants". Empire . Retrieved 13 January 2009.
  3. "Best of the Worst". Red Letter Media. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  4. (24 January 2011). Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.