''French Fried Vacation'' (, ) is a 1978

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Patrice Leconte Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, screenwriter and comic strip writer. Life and career Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Institut des ...

. The film satirizes life resorts such as

Club Med Club Med SAS, commonly known as Club Med and previously known as Club Méditerranée SA, is a French travel and tourism operator headquartered in Paris, specializing in all-inclusive holidays. Founded in 1950, the company has been primarily ow ...

. It is one of many films by the French comedy group

Le Splendid Le Splendid is a café-théâtre company founded in Paris by a collection of writers and actors in the 1970s: Christian Clavier, Michel Blanc, Gérard Jugnot, Thierry Lhermitte (four childhood friends who knew one another from the Lycée Pasteur ...

Josiane Balasko Josiane Balasko (born Josiane Balašković; 15 April 1950) is a French actress, writer, and director. She has been nominated seven times for César Awards, and won twice. Career One of Balasko's most recognized roles among English speakers is ...

Michel Blanc Michel Blanc (16 April 1952 – 3 October 2024) was a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, ...

Marie-Anne Chazel Marie-Anne France Jacqueline Chazel (born 19 September 1951) is a French actress, screenwriter and director, who has been active in both film and television since 1974. Biography Chazel was born to actress Louba Guertchikoff (birth name Lou ...

Gérard Jugnot Gérard Jugnot (; born 4 May 1951) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Jugnot was one of the founders of the comedy ''troupe'' Le Splendid in the 1970s, along with, among others, his high-school friends Christian C ...

Thierry Lhermitte Thierry Lhermitte (; born 24 November 1952) is a French actor, director, writer and producer, best known for his comedic roles. He was a founder of the comedy troupe ''Le Splendid'' in the 1970s, along with, among others, Christian Clavier, Géra ...

and

Christian Clavier Christian Jean-Marie Clavier (; born 6 May 1952) is a French actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. A co-founder of Le Splendid in the 1970s, a Parisian café-théâtre company which soon garnered success, he became widely popular aft ...

wrote and created together the play "Amours, Coquillages et Crustacés", and drew the scenario for ''Les Bronzés'' from this café-théâtre piece.''

Paris Match ''Paris Match'' () is a French-language weekly gossip magazine. It covers major national and international news along with celebrity lifestyle features. ''Paris Match'' has been considered "one of the world's best outlets for photojournalism". ...

'' No.2921 12–18 May 2005 The film has achieved cult status in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, where it sold 2.2 million tickets during its initial theatrical release. It was followed by two sequels, also directed by Patrice Leconte: '' Les Bronzés font du ski'' (1979) and '' Les Bronzés 3: Amis pour la vie'' (2006).

Plot

In 1978, Gigi, Jérôme, Christiane, Jean-Claude, and Bernard simultaneously arrive at the Club Med in Assinie,

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest city and ...

, each with their distinct personalities. The vacation spot operates on a system where guests pay with beads worn as necklaces and enjoy a series of organized activities and shared leisure facilitated by "gentil organisateurs" (G.O.) for the "gentil membres" (clients). Bernard reunites with his wife Nathalie, who has been at the village for a week. Popeye, the sports chief, along with animators Bobo and Bourseault, welcome them. The small group quickly forms bonds, as everyone hopes to make new connections. Both Bernard and Nathalie decide to have extramarital affairs, while Jérôme, a doctor, and Jean-Claude engage in unsuccessful attempts at flirting. Gigi finds love with Bourseault, while Christiane faces rejection. However, a serious incident marks the end of their stay as Bourseault, Gigi's love interest, unexpectedly dies from a

stingray Stingrays are a group of sea Batoidea, rays, a type of cartilaginous fish. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae (deepwate ...

sting. Following this tragedy, Nathalie and Bernard decide to stop their affairs, especially after Jean-Claude's unsuccessful advances. Bobo resigns in the aftermath.

Cast

as Nathalie Morin *

as Bernard Morin *

as Gigi *

as Docteur Jerome Tarere *

as Jean-Claude Dusse *

as Popeye *

Luis Rego Luis Rego (born 30 May 1943) is a Portuguese actor, comedian, writer and director based in France. He was a founding member of music/comedy group Les Charlots which he left after a few years. Theater Filmography References External ...

as Bobo *

Martin Lamotte Martin Lamotte (; born 2 June 1947) is a French actor, comedian and director. He participated in several films alongside Le Splendid. He is most known for his role on the TV Series "SoeurThérèse.com" and "Nos chers voisins". Filmography ...

as Miguel *

Dominique Lavanant Dominique Lavanant (born 24 May 1944) is a French film and theatrical actress. She is known for her comedy skills especially with posh and distinguished characters like Rosalind Russell's; characters often defined by the adjective ''BCBG'', ' ...

as Christiane *

Bruno Moynot Bruno Moynot (born 20 December 1950, in Bois-Colombes, Hauts-de-Seine, France) is a French actor and theatre director. Part of the French comedy group Le Splendid, he is also known for his roles in Patrice Leconte Patrice Leconte (; born 12 ...

as Gilbert Sellman *

Michel Creton Michel Creton (17 August 1942 in Wassy, Haute-Marne, France) is a French actor. He came to international attention with the release of ''Un homme de trop'' (''Shock Troops'') by Costa Gavras in 1967. Since then, he played in many films, appeared ...

as Bourseault * Guy Laporte as Marcus *

Pascale Deneu Pascale is a common Francophone given name, the feminine of the name Pascal. The same spelling is also an Italian form of the masculine name ''Pascal'', and an Italian surname derived from the given name. Pascale derives from the Latin ''pas ...

Marion Lanez Marion or MARION may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Marion (band), a British alternative rock group * ''Marion'' (miniseries), a 1974 miniseries * ''Marion'' (1920 film), an Italian silent film * ''Marion'' (2024 film), a UK short People a ...

* Sylvie Obry

References

External links

* * 1970s French-language films 1978 films Films directed by Patrice Leconte French comedy films Films about vacationing 1978 comedy films 1970s French films {{1970s-France-film-stub