Mon Oncle (1958)

Monsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.

Director:

Jacques Tati

Writers:

Jacques Lagrange (artistic collaboration), Jean L'Hôte (artistic collaboration) (as Jean L'Hote)

Stars:

Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie

Won 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Jean-Pierre Zola	...	Charles Arpel
Adrienne Servantie	...	Madame Arpel
Lucien Frégis	...	Monsieur Pichard (as Lucien Fregis)
Betty Schneider	...	Betty, Landlord's Daughter
Jean-François Martial	...	Walter (as J.F. Martial)
Dominique Marie	...	Neighbor
Yvonne Arnaud	...	Georgette, the Housekeeper
Adelaide Danieli	...	Madame Pichard
Alain Bécourt	...	Gerard Arpel (as Alain Becourt)
Régis Fontenay	...	Braces Dealer (as Regis Fontenay)
Claude Badolle	...	Flea Market Dealer
Max Martel	...	Drunken Man
Nicolas Bataille	...	Working Man

Storyline

Monsieur Hulot's brother-in-law is the manager of a factory where plastics are manufactured. His nephew grows up in a house where everything is fully automated and the boy is raised in a similar fashion. To take away the influence of the uncle on his son, his brother-in-law gets Hulot a job in his factory.

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Plot Keywords:

push button | ultra modern house | advanced technology | monsieur hulot | nephew | 

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Taglines:

Mr. Hulot Ventures Into Suburbia...And Disrupts...Disassembles...And Demolishes With His Very Subtle Satire

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

French

Release Date:

3 November 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mon Oncle

Filming Locations:

Créteil, Val-de-Marne, France

Box Office

Budget:

FRF250,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$36,991

Company Credits

Production Co:

Specta Films, Gray-Film, Alter Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the director's commentary for The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002), it is stated that the design of the main house in this film was the inspiration for the design of the Girls' home in the Powerpuff Girls (1998) TV series.

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Goofs

When interviewing for the job, Hulot's shoes are saturated enough to leave very distinct marks on the floor, chair, and desk, yet they leave no mark whatsoever on the floor after he puts his shoes back on.

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Quotes

Charles Arpel: We could go to the Sexy Club.
Madame Arpel: I prefer Constantino and his nice music.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits appear on signs at a construction site.

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Alternate Versions

An English version of the movie, that is some 10 minutes shorter with less dialogue, was shot side-by-side with the French version.

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Connections

Followed by Playtime (1967)

User Reviews

Simply brilliant

A truly lovely film, beautiful photography, lovely sets, warm, funny and sad all at the same time.

Perhaps not as funny as M Hulot's Holiday, what could be funnier than the scene of him playing table tennis in the hotel? But a really good tragic-comedy.

I love the way Tati uses the film as a kind of anti-modernism film with "L'Oncle" being the tradition vs his family's obsession with modernity - the click-click of his sister's heels on the garden pavement in their box house and her routine of starting the fish "fountain" every time someone calls is a treat.

These films should be shown more...