Films discussed in this chapter portray eccentric examples of a homo ludens who suddenly achieves success as a homo viator. In both Bean (1997) and Flodders in America (1992), social outcasts are sent on a delegation to the USA, where they are mistakenly taken for people with a much higher social status, namely distinguished scholars. This prompts them to adapt to the new conditions, frequently unaware of the chaos they tend to cause in their new environment. The strange and selfish behaviors of Mr. Bean and the Flodder family are discounted as quirkiness and taken for granted in case of newcomers unfamiliar with what they encounter in the places they visit. Unfortunately, the unchecked activity of a homo ludens masquerading as someone he is not leads to dire consequences—the destruction of American iconography. In case of Bean, it is the artwork which represents a mother figure, undermining the family values and respect for fine art in general. In Flodders in America, it is the Statue of Liberty which is devastated, revealing a variety of social issues which elude media attention but which the Flodders, as people from the lowest social stratum and focused on seeing the worst behind the veneer of respectability, are quick to recognize.

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Probing at the Iconic American Imagery: Flodders in America (1992, dir. D. Maas) and Bean (1997, dir. M. Smith)

  • Artur Skweres,
  • Adam Domalewski

摘要

Films discussed in this chapter portray eccentric examples of a homo ludens who suddenly achieves success as a homo viator. In both Bean (1997) and Flodders in America (1992), social outcasts are sent on a delegation to the USA, where they are mistakenly taken for people with a much higher social status, namely distinguished scholars. This prompts them to adapt to the new conditions, frequently unaware of the chaos they tend to cause in their new environment. The strange and selfish behaviors of Mr. Bean and the Flodder family are discounted as quirkiness and taken for granted in case of newcomers unfamiliar with what they encounter in the places they visit. Unfortunately, the unchecked activity of a homo ludens masquerading as someone he is not leads to dire consequences—the destruction of American iconography. In case of Bean, it is the artwork which represents a mother figure, undermining the family values and respect for fine art in general. In Flodders in America, it is the Statue of Liberty which is devastated, revealing a variety of social issues which elude media attention but which the Flodders, as people from the lowest social stratum and focused on seeing the worst behind the veneer of respectability, are quick to recognize.