''Family Resemblances'' (french: Un air de famille) is a 1996 French

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

. It was directed by

Cédric Klapisch Cédric Klapisch ( ; born 4 September 1961) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Klapisch was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine. He is from a Jewish family; his maternal grandparents were deported to Ausc ...

, and written by Klapisch,

Agnès Jaoui Agnès Jaoui (born 19 October 1964) is a French actress, screenwriter, film director and singer. She frequently worked in collaboration with her former partner Jean-Pierre Bacri. Life and career Jaoui was born in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine, and is ...

and

Jean-Pierre Bacri Jean-Pierre Bacri (24 May 1951 – 18 January 2021) was a French actor and screenwriter. He frequently worked in collaboration with Agnès Jaoui. Life and career One of Bacri's earliest film appearances was ''Subway''. He co-wrote with Jaoui ...

. The film stars Bacri, Jaoui,

Jean-Pierre Darroussin Jean-Pierre Darroussin (born 4 December 1953) is a French actor and filmmaker. He was born in Courbevoie, France. Theater Filmography Actor *1992: '' Riens du tout'' (directed by Cédric Klapisch starring Fabrice Luchini, Daniel Berlioux) ...

Catherine Frot Catherine Frot (; born 1 May 1956) is a French actress. A 10-time César Award nominee, she won the awards for Best Actress for '' Marguerite'' (2015) and Best Supporting Actress for ''Family Resemblances'' (1996). Her other films include ''Le D ...

Wladimir Yordanoff Wladimir Yordanoff ( bg, Владимир Йорданов; 28 March 1954 – 6 October 2020) was a French actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditio ...

Claire Maurier Claire Maurier (born Odette-Michelle-Suzanne Agramon; March 27, 1929) is a French actress who has appeared in more than 90 films since 1947. Life and career Maurier was born Odette-Michelle-Suzanne Agramon on March 27, 1929 in the French commune ...

and

Zinedine Soualem Zinedine Soualem (born 17 April 1957) is a French actor. He has appeared in at least five films directed by Cédric Klapisch. Personal life Soualem is Algerian by ancestry, and was at one point married to the actress Hiam Abbass Hiam Abba ...

. It won the

César Award for Best Writing The César Award for Best Writing (french: César du meilleur scénario, dialogues ou adaptation (1976-1982); ''César du meilleur scénario original ou adaptation'' (1986-2005) is a discontinued award given by the Académie des Arts et Techniques ...

, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

An average French family ostensibly celebrates a birthday in a restaurant. In one evening and during one meal, family history, tensions, collective and separate grudges, delights, and memories both clash and coalesce. Indeed, poking each other's sore spots turns out to be the main order of business. Henri (Bacri) runs a saloon that he inherited from his father called "The Even Tempered Dad," and in the near-empty bar, he plays host to several members of the family as they mark the 35th birthday of his sister-in-law, Yolande (Frot). Henri's sister, Betty (Jaoui), is 30, single, and not very happy about it; his brother (and Yolande's husband), Philippe (Yordanoff), is an executive in a growing software company; Mother (Maurier) is the siblings' strong-willed matriarch; and Henri's paralyzed dog is on hand, whom someone describes as "like a rug, but alive." It's not been a good day for most of them: Philippe is anxious that his boss might not have liked the tie he wore on television; Betty is depressed about the sad state of her current relationship; Henri has just learned that his wife is leaving him; and Mother is tossing caustic barbs at everyone left and right. Henri's bartender Denis (Darroussin) is the one neutral party on hand, and he provides the voice of reason in the midst of the bickering.

Cast

as Henri Ménard *

as Denis *

as Yolande Ménard *

as Betty Ménard *

as Mother *

as Philippe Ménard *

as Father in 1967 * Antoine Chappey as A neighbour *

as A consumer * Sophie Simon as Mother in 1967

Awards and nominations

César Awards The César Award is the national film award of France. It is delivered in the ' ceremony and was first awarded in 1976. The nominations are selected by the members of twelve categories of filmmaking professionals and supported by the French Min ...

(France) **Won: Best Actor – Supporting Role (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) **Won: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Catherine Frot) **Won: Best Writing (Jean-Pierre Bacri, Agnès Jaoui and Cédric Klapisch) **Nominated: Best Actress – Supporting Role (Agnès Jaoui) **Nominated:

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

(Cédric Klapisch) **Nominated:

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

*Gardanne Film Festival (France) **Won: Audience Award (Cédric Klapisch) *

Lumières Award The Lumières Award (french: Lumières de la presse internationale) is a French film award presented by the ''Académie des Lumières'' to honor the best in the French-speaking cinema of the previous year. The awards ceremony is organized by th ...

(France) **Won:

(Cédric Klapisch) **Won: Best Screenplay (Cédric Klapisch, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnès Jaoui) * Montréal Film Festival (Canada) **Won: Public Prize (Cédric Klapisch) **Won: Special Grand Prize of the Jury (Cédric Klapisch; tied with '' Sleeping Man (Nemuru otoko)'')

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Family Resemblances 1996 films Films directed by Cédric Klapisch Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor César Award-winning performance Films featuring a Best Supporting Actress César Award-winning performance French comedy films Films whose director won the Best Director Lumières Award 1990s French-language films 1990s French films 1996 comedy films