Le huitième jour (1996)

Director:

Jaco van Dormael

Writer:

Jaco van Dormael (writer)

Release Date:

7 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Georges has Down syndrome, living at a mental-institution, Harry is a busy businessman, giving lectures for young aspiring salesmen...

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Mental Institution | Down's Syndrome | Businessman | Divorce

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Daniel Auteuil	...	Harry
Pascal Duquenne	...	Georges
Miou-Miou	...	Julie
Henri Garcin	...	Le directeur de la banque
Isabelle Sadoyan	...	Georges' Mother
Michele Maes	...	Nathalie
Fabienne Loriaux	...	Fabienne
Hélène Roussel	...	Julie's mother
Alice van Dormael	...	Alice
Juliette Van Dormael	...	Juliette
Didier De Neck	...	Fabienne's husband
Marie-Pierre Meinzel
Sabrina Leurquin	...	Serveuse du snack
Laszlo Harmati	...	Luis Mariano
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Cleven	...	Educateur
Jean-Henri Compère	...	Educator
Jo De Backer	...	Mannequin
Josse De Pauw	...	Policier
Saleem Ebrahim	...	L'Indien
Olivier Gourmet	...	Homme au restaurant
Christopher Granier-Deferre	...	English Teacher (voice)
Stéphane Keyser
Séréna Ruspoli
André Simon
Laurette Vankeerbergen	...	Nettoyeuse
Alexandre von Sivers	...	'Doc' Harry
Pauline Zerla

Also Known As:

The Eighth Day

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Belgium | France | UK

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:All | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Brussels, Brussels-Capital, Belgium

Company:

Canal+

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pumpkin (2002)

Soundtrack:

L'Amour est un bouquet de violettes

A touching film for good natured souls

This film is about the unlikely friendship between a businessman and a man with Down Syndrome.

The character development in this film is excellent. We get to believe that Harry is a businessman who neglects his family, and Georges is an innocent man who craves loving and care from the "normal" society. Acting is excellent, and the Cannes best actor award is well deserved.

The fantasy scenes in the film highlights the fact that Georges misery towards his abandonment by his family, and his desire to be treated like a normal person. The song that gets played repeatedly also reinforces this message. The film shows that people who are mentally handicapped are good natured. We have been treating them with discrimination and neglect, a fact that is highlighted by the scene where Georges gives a present to the waitress in the kitchen). If we get to understand and share these people's world, both we and the mentally handicapped can become very happy.

I was so drawn into the film and the characters' emotional experiences. It is a touching film for good natured souls.