Les Plouffe (1981)

The lives of the average Quebecois Plouffe family during the final years of the depression and through World War II.

Director:

Gilles Carle

Writers:

Gilles Carle, Roger Lemelin (novel),

Stars:

Gabriel Arcand, Rémi Laurent, Pierre Curzi

8 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gabriel Arcand	...	Ovide Plouffe
Rémi Laurent	...	Denis Boucher
Pierre Curzi	...	Napoléon Plouffe
Juliette Huot	...	Joséphine, la mere Plouffe
Émile Genest	...	Théophile, le pere Plouffe
Serge Dupire	...	Guillaume Plouffe
Anne Létourneau	...	Rita Toulouse
Denise Filiatrault	...	Cécile
Paul Berval	...	Onésime Ménard
Gérard Poirier	...	Curé Folbêche
Louise Laparé	...	Jeanne Duplessis
Stéphane Audran	...	Mme Boucher
Daniel Ceccaldi	...	Père Alphonse
Paul Dumont	...	Tom Brown
Kate Trotter	...	Suzan Connely

Storyline

Chronicles seven years in the difficult lives of the Plouffe family, who live in Basse-Ville area of Quebec City. Beginning with the final years of the depression, the family is shattered by the economic crisis. Theophile, the father, was once a champion cyclist but is now a typesetter for the Christian Action newspaper and on the verge of retirement. Josephine, the mother, is devoutly devoted to the church and her family. Napoleon, the oldest son, is unemployed and in love with Jeanne, a waitress dying from Tuberculosis. Guillaume is the athlete, being trained in vain by Napoleon to become a great cyclist despite being a baseball fanatic. Cecile is the oldest and only daughter, still unmarried in her 40s, working in a shoe factory, and in love with a married bus driver. Finally is Ovide, the intellectual opera singer who turned away from the priesthood his mother destined him for out of love for Rita Toulouse, a flirtatious woman pursued by all the young men in town. When WWII ...

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Plot Keywords:

world war two | religion | quebec city quebec | québec city québec canada | quebec canada | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

French

Release Date:

15 November 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Plouffe Family

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Gross:

CAD 1,900,000 (Canada)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Alcan, Banque Royale du Canada, Famous Players

Technical Specs

Runtime:

227 min 165 min (International) 169 min (English) 259 min (French) 342 min (TV mini-series)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Followed by Le crime d'Ovide Plouffe (1984)

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Soundtracks

"Il etait une fois des gens heureux"
Written by Stephane Venne
Performed by Nicole Martin

User Reviews

A satire on Quebec 'naked' City. circa 1942.

An amusing satire of the French 'little people' inhabiting the working class neighbourhoods of Lower Quebec City. Skewed archetypical characters struggle with encroaching 'outsider' values, as well as meekly rebel against the paternal control by a conflicted French Catholic ruling class. Done with such a light, loving touch, that the viewer isn't crushed by the import of this historical watershed in Quebec history.