The Girl From Paris (2002)
81%RT Audience Score: 68%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 2 nominations
One Swallow Brought Spring is a film that captures the essence of rural life with its slow pace and sincere portrayal of two people who are locked into themselves in different ways. Director Christian Carion has given us a postcard collection of alluring mountain scenery that lingers in the mind long after the movie ends. The film is a character study that takes us on a slow path of recognizing interdependence and the simple joys, disappointments, and mind-numbing routine of rural life. Serrault’s performance as the old codger is nuanced and delightful, making us feel like we’ve met two people we’d enjoy hanging with. While the movie may be pokey and lacking in alpenglow, it has its own integrity and proves to be more meaningful and far more subtle than it first appears. Overall, One Swallow Brought Spring is a small, simple movie that is utterly delightful and worth watching.
One Swallow Brought Spring is like a breath of fresh air, but with a little bit of cow poop mixed in. It’s a slow-moving film that takes you on a journey through rural life, but don’t worry, it’s not all boring. You’ll meet two characters that you’ll want to hang out with, even if they are a bit pokey and locked into themselves. And let’s not forget the stunning mountain scenery that will make you want to pack up and move to the countryside. Overall, it’s a delightful film that will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, just like a freshly laid chicken egg.
Production Company(ies)
Storyville Films, Imagine Documentaries, Storyville
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Vercors, Drôme, France
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):French
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:NA
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Michel Serrault, Mathilde Seigner, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Frédéric Pierrot, Marc Berman, Francoise Bette, directed by Christian Carion, written by Christian Carion, Eric Assous, genre Drama, French (Canada), box office performance, budget, reviewed by Jeff Strickler, Jay Boyar, Richard Nilsen, Michael Booth, Marta Barber, John Monaghan, Felicia Feaster, Cole Smithey, Chris Hewitt, Emanuel Levy, Philip Martin, producer Christophe Rossignon, MPAA rating, retirement, goat farmer, computer expert, rural life, interdependence, mountain scenery, simple joys, disappointments, mind-numbing routine
Worldwide gross: $12,812,396
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $21,592,583
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,688
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,354,698
US/Canada gross: $183,266
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $308,856
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,455
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,280
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,954
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,623
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): FRF 25,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Mathilde Seigner – Sandrine Dumez
Jean-Paul Roussillon – Jean
Frédéric Pierrot – Gérard
Marc Berman – Stéphane
Francoise Bette – La mère de Sandrine
Director(s)
Christian Carion
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Christophe Rossignon
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (4)
… a realistic portrait of rural life.
June 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Strickler
Minneapolis Star Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Pokey and maybe a bit too sincere, but it has its own integrity.
December 26, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
It is a nice character study of two people locked into themselves in different ways, and the slow path they each take to recognize their interdependence.
December 18, 2003 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Nilsen
Arizona Republic
TOP CRITIC
May linger in the mind as a postcard collection of alluring mountain scenery, but there’s not much in the way of lingering alpenglow at movie’s end.
December 13, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael Booth
Denver Post
TOP CRITIC
Slow-moving but utterly delightful.
November 21, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
Marta Barber
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
What director and cowriter Christian Carion has done with the film is give us a genuine feel for the simple joys, disappointments and mind-numbing routine of rural life.
October 17, 2003 | Rating: 3/4
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press
TOP CRITIC
As the romanticized vision of quaint farm life melts away, The Girl From Paris eventually proves more meaningful and far more subtle than it first appears.
January 29, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Creative Loafing
August 23, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
It’s a small, simple movie, but, by the end, you feel like you’ve met two people you’d enjoy hanging with.
June 14, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Chris Hewitt
St. Paul Pioneer Press
August 30, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
March 31, 2005 | Rating: 3/5
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Serrault’s got all the appropriate nuances of this old codger down pat. I’m beginning to get the impression that it’s who he is.
December 26, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals…
Plot
Sandrine, a woman in her thirties gets tired of life in Paris and decides to leave her work in computers and become a farmer. She takes the required practice for two years, and after that she buys an isolated farm from Adrien, an old farmer who decides it’s time to retire. However, Adrien wants to stay a few more months before moving away from the farm, and the rough winter finds them together…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Michel Serrault plays a goat farmer in One Swallow Brought Spring.
Christian-Carion.jpg
