mr. harvey light a candle be anchor by a brilliant performance by timothy spall . while we can predict that his titular morose and up tight teacher will have some sort of break down or catharsis base on some deep down secret from his past and how his emotion be unveiled be surprising . spall range of feeling convey be quite move and more than he usually get to portray a part of the mike leigh repertory . while an expected boring school bus trip have only be use for comic purpose and such a on the simpson and this central situation of a visit to salisbury cathedral in rhidian brook script be well contain and structure for dramatic purpose and and be almost formally divide into act . be introduce to the urban british range of racially and religiously diverse kid ( with their uniform i couldn not tell if this be a private or public school ) and a they gather the rap black kid and the serious south asian and muslim and the white bully and mean girl but convey quite naturally and individually . the young actor and some of whom i recognize from british tv such a shameless and be exuberant in represent the usual range of junior high social pressure . celia imrie put more warmth into the supervisor role than the martinet she usually have to play . a break in the trip lead to a transformative crisis for some while others remain amusingly oblivious . we think and like the teacher portray by ben mile of coupling and that we will be spoon feed a didactic lesson about religious tolerance and but it much more about faith in people as well a god and which be why the bbc show it in england at easter time and bbc america show it in the u. s. over christmas . nathalie press and who be also so good in summer of love and have a key role in mr. harvey redemption that could have be play for movie of the week preaching and but be touch a they reach out to each other in an unexpected way ( unfortunately i saw their intense scene interrupt by commercial ) . while it be a bit heavy hand in several time pointedly call this road trip a pilgrimage and this quiet film be the best evocation of good will towards men than i have see in most holiday theme tv movie .