Season's Beatings

"'Tis the Season to be Jolly!"

1999 1h 46m FR

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 91

DramaComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Christmas, family, and infidelity. Yvette's husband has died, and her grown daughters join her at the grave: Sonia, wealthy, bourgeois, and generous; Louba, living with their dad Stanislas, singing at a Russian restaurant, penniless, the mistress for the past 12 years of a man who will never leave his wife; Milla, the youngest, acerbic, lonesome. Christmas was when they learned their parents were divorcing 25 years ago. Over the next few days, yuletide depression, Louba's pregnancy, Sonia's crumbling marriage, Stanislas's overtures to Yvette, and Milla's attraction to the man who's her father's rent-free lodger lead each one to re-examine self, family, and hopes. Is renewal possible?

“'Tis the Season to be Jolly!”

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Where to watch · US

France Channel Amazon ChannelSubscription

Cast

Sabine Azéma
Louba
Emmanuelle Béart
Sonia
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Milla Robin
Claude Rich
Stanislas
Françoise Fabian
Yvette
Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Gilbert
Isabelle Carré
Annabelle
Samuel Labarthe
Pierre

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Danièle Thompson
Writers: Danièle Thompson, Christopher Thompson
Languages: French, English, Russian
Countries: France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

27 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, English, Russian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Danièle Thompson, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michel Legrand. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Editor Emmanuelle Castro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Sabine Azéma and Emmanuelle Béart and Charlotte Gainsbourg carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "'Tis the Season to be Jolly!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Danièle Thompson directs. Robert Fraisse behind the camera. Michel Legrand scores. Emmanuelle Castro cuts. Produced in France. Dialogue in French, English, Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

127 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: French, English, Russian.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Danièle Thompson, shot by Robert Fraisse. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Michel Legrand. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Emmanuelle Castro shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Sabine Azéma and Emmanuelle Béart and Charlotte Gainsbourg carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "'Tis the Season to be Jolly!".
9IMDB entry: tt0211286 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 91 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.