TBT: My Father’s Glory (1990)

My Father’s Glory (1990) is one of the best films of all time. There, I’ve said it! Okay, so it may not have flashy special effects, but this sweet, funny, wistful story of a French family going on vacation is just chef’s kiss. I know, I haven’t sold you yet. Basically, it’s an adaptation of an autobiographical novel by Marcel Pagnol, French author and filmmaker. The first third tells the highlights of his life from birth through about age 11ish. The focus is on his parents, Joseph, a highly educated schoolteacher who is an atheist and adores his wife and son, and his mother Augustine, a former seamstress who is The Perfect wife and mother. But if you think this sounds cloying, it’s not. There’s wry humor throughout, like when Marcel accidentally learns to read by hanging out in his father’s classroom, and his mother decides it’s not safe for him to read so constantly removes anything written from him — and Marcel ends up reading recipes out loud.

We also meet Augustine’s sister, Rose. She begins as a single woman but has a sweet romance develop. In order to facilitate the romance, she takes Marcel to the park so she can meet with her suitor. In order to explain things so that Marcel won’t ask questions, she tells them her suitor owns the park.

The second and third acts of the film center on the two families (Marcel, his parents, and his younger brother and baby sister; and then Rose, her husband, and baby) as they rent a holiday house in the Provençal hills. Marcel’s parents are originally from this area, but they now live in Marseilles, so it’s a spiritual homecoming with some fish-out-of-water elements. Marcel basically gets to explore the countryside with his brother and then a local friend he makes, and the result is heartwarming and nostalgic in every possible good way. If you’ve ever clambered over rocks or listened to cicadas or enjoyed the novelty of eating outside during summer, you will love this movie. One sub-theme is Marcel’s hero worship of his father, which undergoes some bumps in the road.

You’ll also love the costumes, which no, aren’t flashy, but are the perfect kind of stepped-out-of-an-antique-photograph real people wear. They’re well made, super accurate to the era, and appropriate to the characters and story. Those costumes were designed by Agnès Nègre, who also designed the sequel to this film (My Mother’s Glory) as well as several other French productions, and Dominique Gay, who has very few credits. Sadly I can’t find any further information on the costume design and production, so I shall just share these images of beautiful Edwardian clothing:

Have you seen My Father’s Glory? Help me explain why EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH IT in the comments!