The Cabbage Soup (1981)

2 buddy farmers are visited by aliens who like their domestic cabbage soup.

Director:

Jean Girault

Writers:

René Fallet (novel), Jean Halain

Stars:

Louis de Funès, Jean Carmet, Jacques Villeret

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Louis de Funès	...	Claude Ratinier (Le Glaude)
Jean Carmet	...	Francis Chérasse (Le Bombé)
Jacques Villeret	...	l'Oxien (La Denrée)
Claude Gensac	...	Amelie Poulangeard
Henri Génès	...	le brigadier chef
Marco Perrin	...	le maire
Christine Dejoux	...	Francine
Gaëlle Legrand	...	Catherine Lemouette
Catherine Ohotnikoff
Philippe Ruggieri	...	Robert
Philippe Brizard	...	Le facteur
Max Montavon	...	Le frère Poulangeard
Thierry Liagre	...	Le médecin
Perrette Souplex	...	Aimée
Carole Nugue

Storyline

Two old french countrymen are living a quiet life in their little old farms. The first one, Claude Ratinier, aka "le Glaude" (Louis de Funès), is a widower, and the second one, Francis Chérasse, aka "Cicisse" (Jean Carmet), is single. They spend their days drinking liters of wine and pastis, reminding themselves the good old times. One evening, they happen to start a farting contest, which seems to provoke a lightning storm... Then they go to sleep, but somebody has been quite interested by their kind of expression, and is preparing to change their life...

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Plot Keywords:

drinking | widower | pastis | alien | alcoholic drink | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

2 December 1981 (France)

Also Known As:

The Cabbage Soup

Filming Locations:

Bombon, Seine-et-Marne, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Films A2, Les Films Christian Fechner

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the time when the movie was made, De Funes was reluctant to keep acting as he found he was now too old to do so. He agreed to do this movie because he realized how much he had in common with his character.

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Goofs

When Le Glaude retrieves the lock of hair from the grandfather clock, the clock-face door swings open. In the next shot we can see the door over his shoulder and it's closed.

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Alternate Versions

The German version was edited to reduce running time. 8 minutes were cut from the VHS tape, with another 2 minutes removed from the DVD.

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Connections

Referenced in Les Guignols de l'info: Episode dated 13 March 2007 (2007)

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Soundtracks

Valse Brune
Music by Georges Krier
Lyrics by Georges Villard

User Reviews

"Comedy is acting optimistic"

When I first saw it a few years ago, I have been deeply moved by this movie. Now I don't find it so striking, but when I reconsider it its humanity still remains. The clue is to love the characters, and then you would look sympathetically even to the stupid farting recital. The two old friends are in fact so kind at heart, striving to remain merry and hopeful, though are gradually deprived of every gift of life (youth, wife, wealth, other friends etc)! The merit of this movie is to speak in a simple way about big, sad issues. "Comedy is acting optimistic" (Robin Williams). On the plus side, one should add the great performance of the two leading actors, the jolly "accent du Midi", a too short cameo by Claude Gensac, and first of all the bitter-sweet, child-like and almost unreal solution to the loneliness of the two old men. On the minus side, a bit of a hurry sometimes, and especially the total lack of skill and motivation from the actress playing Claude's wife, ruining an important and rather unbelievable character.

The best De Funes film, quite different from the usual bulk.