My Father's Glory (1990)

A young boy's life in turn-of-the-century France. Marcel, witnesses the success of his teacher father, as well as the success of his arrogant Uncle Jules. Marcel and family spend their ... See full summary »

Director:

Yves Robert

Writers:

Louis Nucéra, Marcel Pagnol (novel)

Stars:

Philippe Caubère, Nathalie Roussel, Didier Pain

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Philippe Caubère	...	Joseph Pagnol
Nathalie Roussel	...	Augustine
Didier Pain	...	Oncle Jules
Thérèse Liotard	...	Tante Rose
Julien Ciamaca	...	Marcel à 11 ans
Victorien Delamare	...	Paul
Joris Molinas	...	Lili des Bellons
Benoît Martin	...	Marcel petit
Paul Crauchet	...	Edmond des Papillons
Pierre Maguelon	...	François
Michel Modo	...	le facteur
Jean Rougerie	...	Bergougnas, le brocanteur
Jean-Pierre Darras	...	Récitant (La voix de Marcel) / Narrator (voice)
Victor Garrivier	...	le curé de la Treille
Raoul Curet	...	Monsieur Vincent

Storyline

A young boy's life in turn-of-the-century France. Marcel, witnesses the success of his teacher father, as well as the success of his arrogant Uncle Jules. Marcel and family spend their summer vacation in a cottage in Provence, and Marcel befriends a local boy who teaches him the secrets of the hills in Provence.

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Plot Keywords:

summer | cottage | countryside | brother brother relationship | childhood memory | 

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Taglines:

A childhood in Provence.

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French Occitan

Release Date:

August 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

My Father's Glory

Filming Locations:

Aix-en-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,730,856

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,730,856

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gaumont, Gaumont Production, Les Productions de la Guéville

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

'La Gloire de mon père', published in France in 1957, is the first volume of four autobiographical novels by Marcel Pagnol. The second volume, 'Le château de ma mere', was published in 1958. In the novels, Marcel's meeting Lili takes place in volume two, as does Marcel's decision to stay at Provence as a hermit. The two novels were translated into English and published by Doubleday (in the U.S) as a single book in 1960 under the title 'The Days Were Too Short', This translation was reprinted by North Point Press as a single book titled 'My Father's Glory / and / My Mother's Castle' in 1986.

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Goofs

(at around 15 mins) You can see in the far background behind the actors (on the left side of the screen) two white cars driving fast. Very fast for the beginning of the 20th century!

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Quotes

Augustine: You need your gun to go shopping?
Joseph Pagnol: You never know.

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Connections

Referenced in Spise med Price: Min brors store dag (2014)

User Reviews

An exquisitely beautiful story of a French schoolteacher's family life.

This is a very detailed description of the life of a French family. It is a sweet story gently told. It is about growing up, expanding horizons, the influence of friends and family members, enjoying happy times together, and reacting to life's inevitable problems. In this film we recognise moments in our own lives. The film has a universal theme.

In a documentary style the older son Marcel relates how his father Joseph a schoolteacher takes up positions in various parts of France and how before school-going age he sits at the back of the class and quickly learns how to read the text on the blackboard. Family life seems to revolve around teaching and the classroom until Aunt Rose meets Jules on a park seat and eventually marries him. After Jules joins the family circle father learns that there are more things in life than the educational system.

When the family rents a villa in a wild part of Provence, Jules instructs father on the use of the gun and they go on hunting sprees together. On one of these expeditions the son gets lost and meets up with a local boy about his own age. From him he learns about local birds, the eagles, the owls and scary stories about how these wild birds go for the eyes of their prey. This escape into the wild is a charming part of the family's life story and the final parting between the two boys when the family finally leaves is indeed moving.

The story is sprinkled with amusing incidents. For most boys the birth of a child is nothing short of a miracle. They conjecture that the navel is a kind of button which can be unbuttoned to let the baby out. And when father learns to shoot, Jules attaches a target to the outside toilet door. Father is delighted when he gets a bull's eye and Jules does well too. Not so the maid who happens to be inside the toilet at the time. Fortunately she emerges shaken but unharmed.

The film covers so much of French life. It is amazing how much is packed in. The story unfolds at an easy pace with beautiful music that never intrudes and scenery that astounds. I can recommend this little masterpiece about how wonderful family life can be.