''Thunderpants'' is a 2002

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 ...

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 ''The Borrowers'' is a children's fantasy novel by the English author Mary Norton, published by Dent in 1952. It features a family of tiny people who live secretly in the walls and floors of an English house and "borrow" from the big people in ...

'' (1997). The script was written by Phil Hughes, based on a story by Pete Hewitt about a boy who dreams of being a spaceman, but has a problem with flatulence.

Plot

Born with two stomachs, Patrick Smash (Bruce Cook) is uncontrollably and devastatingly

flatulent Flatulence, in humans, 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 environm ...

. No more than thirty seconds after his birth, he first breaks wind, horrifying his parents ( Bronagh Gallagher, and Victor McGuire) and doctor (

Robert Hardy Timothy Sydney Robert Hardy (29 October 1925 – 3 August 2017) was an English actor who had a long career in theatre, film and television. He began his career as a classical actor and later earned widespread recognition for roles such as Sieg ...

). 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 Joshua Colin M. Herdman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 26 March 1987) is an English actor and mixed martial artist, best known for playing Gregory Goyle in the ''Harry Potter'' film ...

) by passing gas in his face, leaving him scarred for life. Patrick's only friend is child prodigy Alan A. Allen (

Rupert Grint Rupert Alexander Lloyd Grint (; born 24 August 1988) is an English actor. Grint rose to fame for his role as Ron Weasley in the ''Harry Potter'' film series, for which he was cast at age eleven, having previously acted only in school plays a ...

), who has

anosmia Anosmia, also known as smell blindness, is the loss of the ability to detect one or more smells. Anosmia may be temporary or permanent. It differs from hyposmia, which is a decreased sensitivity to some or all smells. Anosmia can be due to a nu ...

, 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. Eventually, Patrick learns that Alan went to the US to assist astronauts who are trapped in

outer space Outer space, commonly shortened to space, is the expanse that exists beyond Earth and its atmosphere and between celestial bodies. Outer space is not completely empty—it is a near-perfect vacuum containing a low density of particles, pred ...

, and Patrick finds that his condition may be of use to the spacemen in peril.

Cast

* Bruce Cook as Patrick Smash *

as Alan A. Allen *

Simon Callow Simon Phillip Hugh Callow (born 15 June 1949) is an English film, television and voice actor, director, narrator and writer. He was twice nominated for BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his roles in ''A Room with a View'' (19 ...

as Sir John Osgood *

Adam Godley Adam Godley (born 22 July 1964) is a British-American actor. He has been nominated for two Tony Awards and four Laurence Olivier Awards for his performances on the New York and London stages which include, ''Private Lives'' in 2001, ''The Pillo ...

as Placido P. Placeedo *

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

as Sir Anthony Silk *

Celia Imrie Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English actress and author. She was described in 2003 as one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades. She is best known for her film roles, including the '' Bridget Jones'' f ...

as Miss Rapier * Paul Giamatti as Johnson J. Johnson * Ned Beatty as Gen. Ed Sheppard * Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs Smash * Victor McGuire as Mr Smash * Anna Popplewell as Denise Smash *

Josh Herdman Joshua Colin M. Herdman''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 26 March 1987) is an English actor and mixed martial artist, best known for playing Gregory Goyle in the ''Harry Potter'' film ...

as Damon *

Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor, director, producer and author. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. ...

as Judge *

as Doctor *

Devon Anderson Devon Carlo Anderson (born 25 August 1987) is an English actor. Anderson's roles include Billie Jackson in ''EastEnders'' and Sonny Valentine in ''Hollyoaks''. Early life Anderson was born on 25 August 1987 in London. Acting career Anderso ...

as Dan *

Keira Knightley Keira Christina Righton (; née Knightley, born 26 March 1985) is an English actress. Known for her work in both independent films and blockbusters, particularly period dramas, she has received several accolades, including nominations for ...

as Music School Student * Jonah Trenouth as Alan A. Allen

Reception

The film has received a rating of 67% at the film review website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, based upon 6 reviews. ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' 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". 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. 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.(24 January 2011). ''Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien''.

References

External links

* *
''Thunderpants''
on Variety
''Thunderpants''
on BBC {{Peter Hewitt 2002 films 2002 comedy films British children's comedy films German comedy films English-language German films Pathé films Films about astronauts Films directed by Peter Hewitt Flatulence in popular culture Films about bullying Films produced by Graham Broadbent Films scored by Rupert Gregson-Williams 2000s English-language films 2000s British films 2000s German films