Chocolat (2000)

A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.

Director:

Lasse Hallström

Writers:

Joanne Harris (novel), Robert Nelson Jacobs (screenplay)

Stars:

Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 31 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alfred Molina	...	Comte de Reynaud
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Caroline Clairmont
Aurelien Parent Koenig	...	Luc Clairmont (as Aurèlien Parent Koenig)
Antonio Gil	...	Jean-Marc Drou (as Antonio Gil-Martinez)
Hélène Cardona	...	Francoise 'Fuffi' Drou
Harrison Pratt	...	Dedou Drou
Gaelan Connell	...	Didi Drou
Élisabeth Commelin	...	Yvette Marceau (as Elisabeth Commelin)
Ron Cook	...	Alphonse Marceau
Guillaume Tardieu	...	Baptiste Marceau
Hugh O'Conor	...	Father Henri
John Wood	...	Guillaume Blérot
Lena Olin	...	Josephine Muscat
Peter Stormare	...	Serge Muscat
Leslie Caron	...	Madame Audel

Storyline

When single mother Vianne Rocher (Juliette Binoche) and her six-year-old daughter, Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) move to rural France and open a chocolate shop, with Sunday hours, across the street from the local church, they are met with some skepticism. But as soon as they coax the townspeople into enjoying their delicious products, they are warmly welcomed.

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Plot Keywords:

chocolate | france | village | food | magical realism | 

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Taglines:

A comic fable from the director of "The Cider House Rules".

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a scene of sensuality and some violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

When we finally see him hopping away, Anouk's imaginary "kangaroo", Pantoufle, was played by a wallaby. Three trainers were on-set trying to make the creature hop a certain way.

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Goofs

While Pere Henri is doing his gardening, the Comte De Reynaud suddenly speaks with an English accent.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Storyteller: Once upon a time, there was a quiet little village in the French countryside, whose people believed in Tranquilité - Tranquility.
[Sunday morning congregation sings]
Storyteller: If you lived in this village, you understood what was expected of you. You knew your place in the scheme of things. And if you happened to forget, someone would help remind you.
[wife kicks sleeping husband in pew]
Father Henri: The season of Lent is upon us. This is of course a time of abstinence. Hopefully also it's a time of ...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince/(500) Days of Summer/Homecoming (2009)

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Soundtracks

Hound Dog
Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Published by Gladys Music (Courtesy of Williamson Music)/Universal Music Publishing Limited and Elvis Presley Music Inc./Lion Publishing Company Inc. (By kind permission of Warner/Chappell Music Limited)

User Reviews

Enjoyable comedy-drama directed by Lasse Hallström

Beautiful movie from master-director Lasse Hallström (The Cider House Rules, The Shipping News, What's Eating Gilbert Grape) with wonderful performances by Juliette Binoche, Judi Dench, and Hallström's wife Lena Olin. "Chocolat" is a very beautiful and touching movie about a single mother with a daughter who decides to open a "chocolaterie" in a very conservative village during Lent. What follows almost looks like a fairytale: the characters, the story, the music, the whole idea of an old conservative French village…

I liked the movie a lot. It has everything: a laugh, a cry, a wonderful story and some amazing acting performances. Juliette Binoche is made to play this kind of caring and sensitive women. Although Johnny Depp had a very small part in this movie, he was excellent as always. I personally think that Judi Dench gave one of her best performances in "Chocolat", truly great acting! Maybe not Hallström's best; I liked "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and "The Cider House Rules" more; but certainly worth watching.

8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official YouTube

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

19 January 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chocolat

Filming Locations:

Noyers-sur-Serein, Yonne, France

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$157,624, 17 December 2000

Gross USA:

$71,509,363

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$152,699,976

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax, David Brown Productions, Fat Free

Technical Specs

Runtime:

121 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1