THUNDERPANTS

'''Thunderpants''' is a 2002 family film about a boy whose incredible capacity for flatulence gets him a job as an astronaut. The film was directed by Peter Hewitt, whose previous work included ''Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey'' (1991) and ''The Borrowers'' (1997). The script was written by Phil Hughes, based on a story by Peter Hewitt about a boy who dreams to be a spaceman but has a problem with flatulence.
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Contents

Plot

Cast

Trivia

Plot

Born with two stomachs, Patrick Smash (Bruce Cook) is uncontrollably and devastatingly flatulent. No more than thirty seconds after his birth, he first broke wind, horrifying his parents (Bronagh Gallagher and Victor McGuire) and doctor (Robert Hardy). As he grew up, his flatulence became so destructive that his father had to flee their home, as he was often injured by the power of his son's broken wind, a force so strong that it can blow people over and curtains open in one mere release.
Patrick's unfortunate affliction left him prone to bullying. However, while he is physically weak, Patrick finds strength in his disorder and eventually seeks revenge on his main tormentor (Joshua Herdman) by passing gas in his face, leaving the bully scarred for life.
Patrick's only friend is child prodigy Alan A. Allen (Rupert Grint), who has anosmia and therefore, a resilience to Patrick's condition. Allan and Patrick team up, using Allan's intelligence and Patrick's lifelong dream of being an astronaut, to make Thunderpants, a space suit strong enough to contain Patrick's emissions. Suddenly, Patrick learns that Alan went to America with the government to assist astronauts who are trapped in outerspace, and Patrick finds that his condition may be of use to the spacemen in peril.

Cast

★ Bruce Cook as Patrick Smash - a boy with two stomachs and a flatulence problem

★ Rupert Grint as Alan A. Allen - a child prodigy with no sense of smell who becomes Patrick's only friend

★ Simon Callow as Sir John Balltesticles - the #2 Italian opera singer who gets Patrick to fart his high note

★ Adam Godley as Placido P. Placeedo - the #1 opera singer in the world

★ Stephen Fry as Sir Anthony Silk

★ Celia Imrie as Miss Rapier - the headmistress at Patrick's school who orders him to leave after he accidentally disrupts Sir John's performance

★ Paul Giamatti as Johnson J. Johnson - a government agent who takes Patrick and Alan to America

★ Ned Beatty as General Ed Sheppard - the general of the United States space program

★ Bronagh Gallagher as Mrs. Smash - Patrick's alcoholic mother

★ Victor McGuire as Mr. Smash - Patrick's father who, because he was always getting injured by Patrick's flatulence, left for work forever.

★ Anna Popplewell as Denise Smash - Patrick's taunting sister

★ Joshua Herdman as Damon - the bully that taunts Patrick until Patrick teaches him to love himself and be nice to people

★ Leslie Phillips as Judge - the judge that convicted Patrick for killing Placido P. Placeebo

★ Robert Hardy as Doctor - the doctor in the beginning of the film

★ Keira Knightley as Music School Student (uncredited in the cast list but appears in the "Special Thanks" list)

Trivia

Rupert Grint, Stephen Fry and Robert Hardy all star together in this film, and coincidentally are all involved in the Harry Potter franchise, along with Joshua Herdman who plays Gregory Goyle, The Chronicles of Narnia star Anna Popplewell who plays Susan Pevensie, and a cameo by Pirates of the Caribbean films star Keira Knightley. Grint stars as the boy wizard's best friend, Ron Weasley, in the Potter films, while Fry is the voice behind the UK versions of the Potter audiobooks, and Hardy portrays Cornelius Fudge in the Potter films.