Nigel is portrayed by two actors Oscar Kennedy as a boy and Freddie Highmore as a teen.
Ken Stott, who has recently been in The Hobbit films, portrays his curmudgeonly father who scoffs at
anything different. Victoria Hamilton is very sweet as Nigel’s mother who can’t
cook. Whenever there was a failed dinner, there was always toast as an option. His mother couldn't ruin toast.
There's one funny scene in which Nigel is getting excited over a cookbook and his father interrupts him!
There's one funny scene in which Nigel is getting excited over a cookbook and his father interrupts him!
Josh, (played by Matthew McNulty) a man who works in a
garden nearby teaches Nigel about all kinds of things in addition to the
wonders of composting and gardening.
After Nigel’s mother dies, his father hires Joan (portrayed by Helena Bonham Carter who I think is very good as this character) as a
cleaner who starts to do cooking for them too. Unlike his mother, she’s a very
good cook.
After his father moves them to a new home in the country, a kind of food war starts between Joan and Nigel. I will never look at LemonMeringue Pie again in the same way after seeing this film.
A part-time job at a local pub leads Nigel to meet a young
man who encourages him to change his life.
Visually, this film is a wonderful journey in 1960's Britain with the food, fashion, cars and music (okay this is an audio part of the film journey, LOL!)
Some Quotes from this film:
“My mother was always averse to fresh produce. I’m Nigel.
I’m 9 years old and I’ve never had a vegetable that didn’t come in a
tin.”---Nigel
“It must have been the lack of nutrients that gave my father
his fiery temper. He was not a sweet man despite a very sweet tooth.” ---Nigel
My mother’s sweet nature made up for her inability to cook
or even make a sandwich.”---Nigel
“When you’re deprived of something, it makes you all the
more hungry for it.”---Nigel
“She scrubbed, polished and bleached her way into our
lives.”---Nigel about Mrs. Potter (Joan)
Here's the trailer for this film:
