Trivia for
Chocolat (2000) More at IMDbPro »

• Lasse Hallström's Mitt liv som hund (1985) also took place in the year 1959.
  
  
• Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin appeared earlier together in The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988).
  
  
• This is the second time that Victoire Thivisol (Anouk) has played Juliette Binoche's daughter. The first time was in Les enfants du siècle (1999).
  
  
• Johnny Depp plays guitar in this movie in three scenes, and also does on two songs on the soundtrack (the first and last tracks)
  
  
• The French town of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, where most of the movie was filmed (except for scenes on the water), does not have a chocolatier. However, it is the home of l'Abbaye de Flavigny; the abbey makes anise (and other flavored) candies that are sold worldwide in little tins decorated with flowered designs and copies of old engravings. Unfortunately, the factory does not allow visitors.
  
  
• The film's three main stars are all previous nominees for Best Supporting Actress (Juliette Binoche - The English Patient (1996), Judi Dench - Shakespeare in Love (1998), Lena Olin - Enemies: A Love Story (1989)). Binoche and Dench are both winners in that category, and were both nominated for this film.
  
  
• Anouk's imaginary kangaroo's name is spelled Pantoufle, not Pantouf. This is clear in the closed-captioning. Pantoufle means "slipper" in French (this makes slightly more sense in the book, where Pantoufle is a rabbit).
  
  
• When we finally see him hopping away, Anouk's imaginary "kangaroo", Pantoufle, is played by a wallaby.
  
  
• According to the audio commentary on the DVD, Johnny Depp doesn't like the taste of good chocolate - he prefers the cheap Easter bunny type.
  
  
• Juliette Binoche went to a chocolate shop in Paris to learn how to make chocolates.
  
  
• Some of the extras used in the movie were from the town.
  
  
• In the scene where Pere Henri is dancing, Alfred Molina was originally supposed to walk down the steps and see him. However, because he actually had a hurt toe, he just stood there instead of walking down the steps.
  
  
• According to the audio commentary on the DVD, the Easter sermon that Pere Henri gives towards the end of the film, is actually the scene that Hugh O'Conor auditioned with.
  
  
• According to the audio commentary on the DVD, the storyteller in the film is Tatyana Yassukovich. It isn't until one of the last scenes that you realize she is supposed to be the adult Anouk. It was debated about having a well known celebrity take this role, however in the end they decided that would take away from the power of the film.
  
  
• According to the audio commentary on the DVD, in the scene where Vianne throws her mother's ashes into the wind, telephone lines had to be digitalized out as the camera pans over the village.
  
  
• According to the audio commentary on the DVD, there were three trainers on set trying to make the wallaby hop a certain way.
  
  
• Although a large portion of the film was shot in France, Johnny Depp never actually filmed any of his part there (despite his home being in France).
  
  
• In several of the kitchen scenes, you see a woman's hands stirring chocolate. These are not actually Vianne's hands, but an extra's. Vianne's bracelet was added to make it look like her.
  
  
• The man that Josephine dances with at the party is actually a flamenco dancer.
  
  
• The boat on which Juliette and Johnny (Vianne and Roux) have their love scene was actually built on a stage and then physically rocked to mimic the water. When the outside of the boat is shown after they kiss, the shadowy figures were actually digitalized.
  
  
• You can see the name of Roux's boat during the movie- "Reine Tora". Meaning Queen Tora, it is a tribute to the director's daughter Tora.
  
  
• It is actually Johnny and Juliette jumping in the water (despite having stunt people). It was reportedly freezing and muddy. But in the close up shot of Juliette's face in the water, the man pulling her is not Johnny. This was shot in a water tank.
  
  
• The cemetery which overlooks the town is not real and was actually created for the film.
  
  
• The scene where Alfred Molina (Comte Paul de Reynaud) eats the window display was shot on his last day of shooting in case he didn't feel well after eating all the chocolate. He didn't.
  
  
• Some of the filming in Chocolat took place at a small farm in Bruton, Somerset, UK for it's "french rural feel".
  
  
• As the camera is zooming out on the village at the end during the credits, you can see a man walk through the lower half of the square. The director wanted to be able to prove that it was the actual village and not a miniature.
  
  
• According to the commentary,in the scene near the end where Alfred Molina is gorging on the chocolate he got a piece stuck in his throat briefly. You can see him lean over and expel it without breaking character.
  
  

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