“Honestly, Keith, if this keeps on, it’s going to ruin my holiday.”

Nuts in May originally aired in 1976 in the critically acclaimed BBC Play for Today series. In the film, director Mike Leigh skewers the British class system once again in this subtle, humorous tale of a middle class couple who are forced, by circumstance, to rub elbows with members of the working class.

Middle class married couple Keith (Roger Sloman) and Candice-Marie (Alison Steadman) head off to the wilds of Dorset for a peaceful 10 days holiday. Insufferable, bossy social worker Keith takes his banjo to sing a few ditties with his drippy, gormless wife. They transport their values along with their camping gear, and set up their tent in a small campground. Things begin to go wrong when PE trainee teacher Ray (Anthony O’Donnell)–who has solid working class roots–dares to play his transistor radio a fraction too loudly for the obnoxious Kevin’s taste.

But the trouble really begins when a working class couple from Birmingham–Honky (Sheila Kelley) and Finger (Stephen Bill) arrive on a motorcycle, and they don’t share Ray’s compunction with politeness issues. It’s very easy for them to simply tell Kevin to get stuffed when he goes to them with complaints, and their presence in the campsite threatens not only Keith’s piece of mind, but also his self-image and his cherished illusion of superiority.

Nuts in May is entertaining fare, but the banality of Keith and Candice-Marie’s conversation requires some intestinal fortitude. Keith–who has an opinion on everything–including the number of chews necessary for proper digestion–is so unlikable, his comeuppance can’t come soon enough. The film’s conclusion, however, is perfectly understated, and the final scene offers a hollow, yet fitting denouement for Keith’s arrogant self-righteousness.