''Mr. Bones'' is a 2001
slapstick
Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
made and set in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Leon Schuster
Leon Ernest "Schuks" Schuster (born 21 May 1951) is a South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, prankster and singer.
Early life
Schuster was drawn to the filmmaking process at an early age. As a child he and his brother would play practical ...
starred in the title role. He also created the story and co-wrote the screenplay. The film sets African "tradition" in opposition to forces of ambition and greed in contemporary South Africa, and plays on reversals of racial stereotypes for its humour.
The film grossed R33 million, making it the highest grossing South African film of all time, until it was beaten by its sequel, ''
Mr Bones 2: Back from the Past'' (grossing R35 million), itself surpassed by ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British passenger liner, operated by the White Star Line, which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912 after striking an iceberg during her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United ...
'' in South Africa's box-office history.
Plot
The film begins in Kuvukiland, a kingdom somewhere in Southern Africa. Mr. Bones arrives as a baby, the sole survivor of an airplane crash that happens nearby. He grows older and becomes the bone-throwing prophesier for the kingdom. King Tsonga, ruler of Kuvukiland, longs for a male child to be heir to the throne. After having seventeen children, all of them girls, he gives up hope, until he remembers fathering a boy decades before in Sun City. He immediately sends Mr. Bones to find the future prince.
At the same time golf star Vince "The Prince" Lee, along with his coach, The Wild Boar, arrives in Sun City for a golf tournament. A local casino owner, Zach Devlin, places a huge bet on Vince Lee winning the tournament, but just before it begins, Wild Boar is injured in a freak accident when a passing plane
drops a wild boar on him. He quickly recovers, but is held against his will in a local hospital. Without his coach, Vince Lee plays terribly, until he meets the eccentric Mr. Bones, who believes him to be the actual prince, and gives him a lucky streak. Vince nearly wins the game until Mr. Bones remembers his mission and stops a perfect putt. Vince retires in disgrace, but meets a local singer, Laleti, afterwards, whom he is stricken with. Mr. Bones notices this, and by impersonating her, he kidnaps Vince.
The next day, Wild Boar manages to escape from the hospital and goes on a search for Vince, along with Laleti and her mother. Enraged by Vince Lee's performance, and by the fact that everyone had gone missing, the casino owner mounts a search for them in a helicopter, along with two of his henchmen. After a series of comical mishaps, they all meet near Kuvukiland. Mr. Bones introduces Vince to King Tsonga, but after discovering that Vince is terrified of animals, King Tsonga disowns him, and prepares to die. The casino owner quickly locates Vince and Laleti, and attempts to kill them both, but Vince escapes. He finds Laleti tied to a tree with a lion about to eat her, and overcoming his fear, he chases the lion away. King Tsonga sees this, and decides that he doesn't want to die. Soon after, the casino owner reappears, but Mr. Bones, with the help of an elephant, causes the helicopter to crash. King Tsonga proclaims that Vince is his son, but asks Mr. Bones to throw his prophecy bones once more just to be sure. As Mr. Bones does this, Wild Boar arrives upon the scene, and it is confirmed that he is the actual prince.
The film closes with Mr. Bones, King Tsonga, and Wild Boar watching from Kuvukiland as Vince Lee, now married to Laleti, wins the
Masters golf tournament.
Credits
Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
*
Gray Hofmeyr
Gray Hofmeyr (born 6 February 1949 in Cape Town, South Africa) is a South African film and television director.
In a career that spans almost three decades, Hofmeyr's films have touched many themes and genres.
Biography
Gray Hofmeyr is cons ...
: screenplay
*
Greg Latter: screenplay
*
Leon Schuster
Leon Ernest "Schuks" Schuster (born 21 May 1951) is a South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, prankster and singer.
Early life
Schuster was drawn to the filmmaking process at an early age. As a child he and his brother would play practical ...
: screenplay
*
Leon Schuster
Leon Ernest "Schuks" Schuster (born 21 May 1951) is a South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, prankster and singer.
Early life
Schuster was drawn to the filmmaking process at an early age. As a child he and his brother would play practical ...
: story
Cast (in credits order)
*
Leon Schuster
Leon Ernest "Schuks" Schuster (born 21 May 1951) is a South African filmmaker, comedian, actor, prankster and singer.
Early life
Schuster was drawn to the filmmaking process at an early age. As a child he and his brother would play practical ...
as Mr. Bones
*
David Ramsey
David Paul Ramsey (born November 17, 1971) is an American actor, director, and martial artist, best known for his roles in The CW Arrowverse series '' Arrow'', '' The Flash'', ''Supergirl'', and '' Batwoman'' as John Diggle / Spartan, portrayin ...
as Vince Lee
*
Aldrovandra Cotton as Trader Viking
*
Faizon Love
Faizon Andre Love (born Langston Faizon Santisima; June 14, 1968) is a Cuban-born American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles in the comedy films '' The Meteor Man'', ''Don't Be a Menace'', ''Friday'', ''B*A*P*S'', ''Elf'', '' Th ...
as Pudbedder
*
Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead (3 January 1823 – 14 November 1905) was an English engineer who was most famous for developing the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo.
Early life
He was born in Bolton, England, the son of James Whitehead, ...
as Zach Devlin
*
Jane Benney
Jane may refer to:
* Jane (given name), a feminine given name
* Jane (surname), related to the given name
Film and television
* ''Jane'' (1915 film), a silent comedy film directed by Frank Lloyd
* ''Jane'' (2016 film), a South Korean drama fi ...
as Laleti
Remainder of cast (alphabetically listed)
*
Fem Belling as the Helicopter Pilot
*
Fats Bookholane as King Tsonga
*
Zack Du Plessis
Zack or Zach may refer to:
People
* Zach (surname), various people
* Zack (surname), various people
* Zack (personal name), lists of people and fictional characters named Zack, Zach, Zac, Zak or Zakk
* Záh (gens) or Zách, a ''gens'' (clan) in th ...
as the Farmer
*
Ipeleng Matlhaku as Lindiwe
*
Jerry Mofokeng
Jerry Mofokeng (born 17 April 1956) is a South African stage and screen actor who has appeared in several critically acclaimed films, including ''Cry The Beloved Country''; ''Lord of War''; ''Mandela and de Klerk''; and the 2005 Academy Award-win ...
as the Sangoma
*
Craig Morris
Craig Morris is an orchestral trumpeter known for serving as the Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is also known as a soloist and chamber musician. He is an endorsing artist for Yamaha Instruments, and is currently Professor ...
as the Future Son-in-Law
*
Seputla Sebogodi
Septula Steez Sebogodi (born October 31, 1962) is a South African actor and singer. He is the recipient of two SAFTA Awards.
He made appearance on Critical Assignment (2004), The Republic (2019) and soap opera Rhythm City, Scandal!.
Career ...
as the Young King Tsonga
*
Alfred Ntombela as unnamed Kuvuki youngster
*
Muso Sefatsa
Muso may refer to:
* Muso (InuYasha), a character in the manga and anime series ''InuYasha''
* Muso, a Thai exonym for the Lahu people
The Lahu people ( Lāhùzú; Lahu: ''Ladhulsi'' / ''Kawzhawd''; vi, La Hủ) are an ethnic group of Chin ...
as Boy Tsonga
*
Keketso Semoko
''Isidingo'' is a South African soap opera, with dialogue mostly in English and isiXhosa. The series premiered on SABC 3 in July 1998 and was broadcast evenings on SABC 3 from Monday to Friday at 19:00. Until 2001 it was titled ''Isidingo: The ...
as Laleti's Mother
*
Ryan Joel Govender
Ryan may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name)
* Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name)
Places Australia
* Division of Ryan, an elect ...
as Bones' Son
*
Adam Woolf as Young Bones
References
External links
*
*{{IMDb title, 0302819
2001 comedy films
2001 films
South African comedy films
English-language South African films
2000s English-language films