At age 17, Eglantine is troubled by a number of things. Her argumentative parents comprise an absentee and philandering father and an overprotective, occasionally alcoholic mother. Her boyfriend Sébastien is a couple of years older; he's ready, but she isn't. Frequent furtive visits to her therapist help her to see that these issues are not 'problems', but 'difficulties', which she has the strength to overcome.
Acting
Dequenne balances fragility and defiance perfectly.
Writing
Therapy scenes that actually feel therapeutic, not cinematic.
Direction
Lavandier keeps family chaos intimate, never sitcom.
Director
Yves Lavandier
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
2001 French cinema's obsession with bourgeois family meltdowns—this one's surprisingly gentle.
Émilie Dequenne won Cannes Best Actress right before this, basically doing 'teen girl in crisis' as art form.
FR
