SITCOM

France, 1998, 85 minutes, Colour.
Evelyne Dandry, François Marthouret, Marina de Van, Adrien de Van, Stephane Rideau, Lucia Sanchez, Jules-Emanuel? Eibum Deido.

Directed by François Ozon.


Sitcom is the second feature film from celebrated French Director, François Ozon. He was to have a very successful career over the coming decades, great acclaim, a variety of genres in which he excelled.

This is a very French sitcom, an affluent French family the subject of the satire, a distant father with family expectations, a socialite mother easily distracted, a son coming to terms with his sexual orientation, and daughter and her lover and her falling from a window and becoming a paraplegic. There is also a maid who comes from Spain and her husband, from Africa, the sports teacher in a school.

The film starts with a van arriving at the mansion, the camera remaining on the facade of the mansion, the singing of Happy Birthday, then shots and screams. The film goes into flashback, three months earlier, but when it returns to the van and the birthday, it is not what has been expected – the film goes into surrealist horror touch. The centre of this and a significant part of the film is a gift that the father brought home, a rat.

The situations are all exaggerated, the mother upset at her son’s declaration sexuality, the father rather calm, the teacher going to the boy’s room to help in – although he has homosexual inclinations.

There are dreams, dreams turning to reality, some sadomasochism on the part of the daughter as paraplegic after her accident, the desperate young man and his wanting to give up on the daughter, the gay life of the homosexual son as well as the maid becoming lazy, wanting glamour, pampering to the daughter.

There is also a therapist, especially the mother and a surprising, with the touch of the shocking, episode where she seduces her son.

As mentioned, the finale of the film concerns the father eating the rat, transforming into a giant rat and the family and friends all participating in the gruesome killing.

1. The popularity and nature of television sitcoms? Satiric intentions?

2. The title, the ingredients of sitcoms? Realism? Fantasy? Exaggeration?

3. The work of the director, at the beginning of his career?

4. French sensibility for this satire? Universal sensibility? At the end of the 20th century?

5. The French setting, the mansion, the interiors? The musical score?

6. The framework, the van arriving, the singing of Happy Birthday, the audience looking at the facade, hearing the shots and screams? The flashback to 3 months earlier? And the trick in the flashback?

7. An affluent world, the age of the parents, background and upbringing? Their adult children? The father’s work, the mother’s social life, wealth and comfort? The son, sitting in his room, reading? The daughter, severe, her relationship with David? The father arriving and bringing the rat? The mother’s disdain? Nicholas fostering the rat?

8. The presence of the rat, frequently photographed, the reaction of each of the characters?

9. The father, his seeming disdain and distance, being absent? The mother, fussy, phone calls to her friend, going to play bridge, disdain of the rat? Concern about her children? The daughter, her age, seeming superiority, David and his love and attendance? Nicholas, in his room, his age, concerned about his orientation? Maria, coming to work, meeting the family of the meal, the mother showing her around, her tasks? Abu, his African background, married to Maria, working at the school, young children in sports?

10. The meal, Maria addressed lavishly, bringing Abu? The situation with Nicholas? Absent, reading, coming down? His announcement about his sexuality? The mother being upset, the father rather calm? Abu and his offering of help? His discussions with Nicholas, reassuring him, the advance, sexuality? The mother coming to the room, Abu’s explanation?

11. The daughter, sexuality, her control of David? The mother’s dream, the daughter falling from the window, the reality, in coma, coming out, paraplegic? Brittle personality, dominating in the house, Nicholas helping her, the bath? David, the sexual experiences, too much for him and the break?

12. Nicholas, his gay life, sport, buying clothes, discussion with his father? Helping his sister?

13. The mother, continually upset, her change of heart, her going to Nicholas, the sexual encounter, its effect on her, on him? And the father knowing?

14. The discussions with the therapist, dreams, reality?

15. The mother wanting everybody to go away together for therapy? The father and his crossword puzzles, not going, the three agreeing to go, bonding, swimming? The return home and the enthusiasm?

16. The birthday, everybody turning up? The arrival of the van, the father shooting everyone? His waking, the fantasy?

17. The rat, his taking it, the meal, his cooking and eating it, his turning into a monstrous rat, the family arriving home, the viciousness of the killing the rat?

18. The French tradition of satire, satire on class and hypocrisy?