Nuts in May (1976) – Film Review

Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Roger Sloman, Alison Steadman, Anthony O’Donnell
Certificate: PG

By Sarah Morgan

50 years since its first showing as part of the BBC’s acclaimed Play for Today series, Mike Leigh’s offbeat dark comedy drama is receiving its first Blu-ray release.

The feature-length production has also been fully restored, resulting in it looking better than ever – sadly, that doesn’t guarantee that its main protagonists, married couple Keith and Candice-Marie Pratt, will have a good time during their holiday in Dorset.

The tale begins as they arrive at the campsite they hope will be their home for the next 10 nights. It begins well, with excellent weather; even an inability to buy free range eggs and raw milk doesn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

“Discomfort”

However, the couple’s bucolic bliss is about to be shattered – first by a student teacher who cranks up his radio after pitching his tent nearby, then by a rowdy couple who, to the uptight and punctilious Keith’s horror, refuse to follow the site’s rules.

When I first saw Nuts in May about 30 years ago, I thought it was a knockabout look at an eccentric couple. Now, however, I find it a far darker prospect; the way in which Keith attempts to control everything is somewhat disturbing, while his eventual breakdown, after having his authority and wisdom questioned, is rather distressing and, at times, difficult to watch. As with Leigh’s other most lauded TV work, Abigail’s Party, it features moments of hilarity, discomfort and horror.

Alison Steadman and, in particular, Roger Sloman, are brilliant as Candice-Marie and Keith; whether you would want to be pitched next to them on a campsite is a moot point, however. Candice-Marie seems desperate to be more spontaneous and to have fun, but her husband, although he means well, is a nightmare trapped by his own rules and inflexibility.

“Packed”

You’re also left wondering what the future might hold for the pair – personally, I suspect Keith would have a heart attack within a few years, brought on by his inability to deal with the real world. Perhaps that might free up Candice-Marie to find a partner who would allow her to enjoy herself once in a while.

Whatever the case, chances are you’ll be left singing the Pratts’ song about visiting a zoo for some time to come…

As ever with a BFI release, the disc is packed with special features, including interviews with Leigh and the cast, as well as countryside-related short films from the archive. A booklet featuring essays by, among others, Leigh himself, is also included.

Sarah Morgan( Writer )

Sarah Morgan studied film journalism at post-graduate level with the BFI and has been writing about TV and film for PA Media’s newspaper, magazine and new media customers since 1996. She’s also written for a wide range of other publications, both online and in print, including the book Offbeat and Intermission magazine, and is a regular contributor to the Talking Pictures TV podcast. When she isn’t watching movies, she’s collecting and reading vintage crime and horror paperback books or, for her sins, watching her beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

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