Bean is a 1997 British-American comedy film based on the
popular ITV comedy television series Mr. Bean, which was written by and
starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. The main plot follows Bean
entrusted to oversee the transfer of priceless painting Whistler's Mother from
a gallery in London to a museum in the United States. In the process, a number
of unfortunate mishaps see Bean inadvertently break up a marriage, annoy an
American policeman and accidentally destroy the painting, although a shrewd
plan results in these mistakes being rectified.
The film was written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis and was
directed by Mel Smith, all of whom originally worked together on Not the Nine
O’clock News. Its working title was initially Dr. Bean, based on a
misunderstanding which forms part of the plot of the film. It was given a PG-13
by the MPAA for "moments of risque humour", and an uncut PG by the
BBFC, as well as the IFCO.
