Mr. Bean Asleep in Church This is Mr. Bean`s first episode. It dates

Mr. Bean Asleep in Church
This is Mr. Bean’s first episode. It dates back to 1990. The episode takes place/happens/occurs in a
church, and tells the story of Mr. Bean fighting not to fall asleep during mass. First, he arrives late to
mass. During mass, he misbehaves: he sneezes, blows his nose in his jacket’s pocket... He also falls
asleep and finally falls onto the ground. He constantly makes funny faces.
Many comical elements trigger smiles and/or laughs:
-
-
-
Mr. Bean’s facial expressions: he is constantly making faces to his neighbours and to the
camera. His funny faces are all the more comical since/as there is no speech in the episode,
so the emphasis is laid on his actions.
His movements and gestures: when he falls to his knees and then onto his head while
sleeping; when he uses his fingers to keep his eyes wide open; when he is about to continue
singing the hymns while others have stopped. His actions are out of sync with the place he is
in.
The comical effects arise from the strong contrast between Mr. Bean and his very serious
neighbour, who stays stoical while Mr. Bean makes funny faces.
Comical sounds: he shouts, he noisily sneezes…
Comedy of the situation: there is a contrast between the general silence, the place he is in
and his noise/his behaviour.
 Humour emerges from the discrepancy/the gap between how Mr. Bean behaves and
the place he is in (the Church). This episode aims at criticising/debasing/debunking
the Church as an institution and boring/tedious/dull sermons.
VOCABULARY
(to) date back to: remonter à (date)
mass: la messe
(to) sneeze: éternuer
(to) blow one’s nose : se moucher
snot: la morve
a funny face: une grimace
(to) make a (funny) face: faire une grimace
a comic: un comique
comical (adj): comique
(to) trigger: entraîner
(to) laugh
a laugh / a laughter: un rire
(to) be out of sync with: ne pas être coordonné,
en harmonie avec…
all the more + adj + since/as: d’autant plus…
que
emphasis: accent, instance
(to) shout: crier
a discrepancy: différence, écart, distance
a gap: un trou, un écart, une ouverture…
(to) behave: se comporter
behaviour: le comportement
(to) criticise: critiquer
a criticism: une critique
a critic: un critique (personne)
(to) debase : dévaloriser, déprécier
(to) debunk : discréditer, démythifier