Chocolat

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[Church bells chiming]

BOTH:
Bonjour, monsieur.

Bonjour.

Bonjour, monsieur. Say bonjour.

Bonjour.

Ahem.

STORYTELLER:
Once upon a time...

there was a quiet little village...

in the French countryside...

whose people believed in "tranquilit".

[Doors bang shut]

Tranquility.

[Organ playing]

CONGREGATION SINGING: Come Holy Ghost

Creator come

From Thy bright heavenly throne

Come take possession of our souls

And make them all Thine own

Far from us drive our...

STORYTELLER:
If you lived in this village...

you understood what was expected of you.

CONGREGATION SINGING: ...unto us bring

And through all...

STORYTELLER:
You knew your

place in the scheme of things.

And if you happened to forget,

someone would help remind you.

[Snorts]

The season of Lent is upon us.

This is, of course, a time of abstinence.

Hopefully, also a time of reflection.

Above all, let this be for us a time...

PERE:
a time of sincere penitence.

[Dog whimpers]

PERE:
It is a time to stand up and be counted.

STORYTELLER:
In this village...

if you saw something you weren't supposed to see...

you learned to look the other way.

PERE:
This is a time for Christ.

When you reflect, he knows what you reflect on.

STORYTELLER:
If by chance...

your hopes had been disappointed...

you learned never to ask for more.

PERE:
He knows for what you must be forgiven.

[Wind whistling]

So in this Year of Our Lord, 1959, things...

STORYTELLER:
So, through good times and bad...

famine and feast...

the villagers held fast to their traditions.

Until...

one winter day...

one winter day...

a sly wind blew in from the north.

PERE:
Where will we find truth?

[Wind blowing]

Where do we start looking?

[Wind whistling]

PERE:
Where will we find truth?

We will find it...

[Door closes]

Who the hell are you?

Oh, uh...

We're here about the patisserie.

We'd like to rent it...

VIANNE:
and the apartment above.

Where are you from?

Well, we lived in Andalucia for a while.

Let me see. Before that, Vienna...

and before that...

-Athens. -Pavia.

ANOUK:
Pantoufle hated it there.

Pantoufle is her kangaroo.

But he can't hop.

Bad leg. War injury, huh?

I'll expect you to keep it in good condition.

[Door slams]

[Vianne chuckles]

[Humming]

ANOUK:
What a nice town this is.

Don't you think so, Mama?

It's a lovely town.

Mama, Pantoufle wants to know how long we can stay.

VIANNE:
Oh, tell Pantoufle not to worry.

[Whispering]

Time for bed. What story tonight?

Pantoufle wants to hear about

grandmere and grandpere.

Not tonight, Anouska.

ANOUK:
You always say that.

Tell about grandmere and grandpere.

Not tonight.

How about the princess and the pirates?

ANOUK:
OK.

ANOUK:
Prepare to fire!

All hands on deck!

ANOUK:
Ready, aim...

fire!

REYNAUD:
Forgive the intrusion.

VIANNE:
It's a pleasure.

ANOUK:
Sorry, monsieur.

-Pirate attack. -Of course.

What is your name?

Anouk. What's yours?

I am the Comte de Reynaud at your service.

ANOUK:
A real one?

Like the Comte de Monte Cristo?

Ah-ah! He was not a real one.

VIANNE:
To what do we owe the honor of your visit?

Well, as mayor of Lansquenet...

I want to welcome you to the community...

and to invite you to worship

with us at mass on Sunday.

That's very kind of you, but

actually we don't attend.

VIANNE:
We're glad to be so near the church, though.

We'll enjoy singing with the bells.

The bells are not intended

as an entertainment, Madame.

They are a solemn call to worship for...

VIANNE:
Mademoiselle.

I beg your pardon?

Mademoiselle. I've never been married...

but feel free to call me Vianne.

I hope you'll stop by when I

open for business next week.

Yes.

Yes, opening a patisserie

during the holy Lenten fast.

I could imagine better timing.

Oh, but it's not going to be a patisserie.

Then what do you intend to...

It's a surprise.

It was sweet of you to drop by.

STORYTELLER:
The Comte de Reynaud...

was a student of history, and

therefore a patient man.

He trusted the wisdom of generations past.

Like his ancestors, he watched

over the little village...

and led by his own example...

hard work, modesty...

self-discipline.

I have completed the 18th Century.

[Sniffling]

Madame Clairmont.

Your letter to the editor, Monsieur le Comte.

This paragraph about family and tradition, it's...

it's beautiful.

Oh! Ha ha.

Well, thank you.

I value your opinion.

[Dog barking]

[Door closes]

VIANNE:
Bonjour! Hello!

REYNAUD:
May I ask...

have you been in contact with your mother recently?

CAROLINE:
Why?

She seems to have rented out the patisserie.

CAROLINE:
Oh.

I haven't talked to my mother in quite a while.

I'm sorry. I did not mean to pry.

Oh, don't be silly.

I have no secrets from you.

How is the contesse enjoying Venice?

The contesse? Oh, she's fine, thank you.

Yes, she's enjoying it very much.

Venice.

[Sighs]

WOMAN:
I heard she was some kind of radical.

I heard she's an atheist.

What's that?

Don't know.

GUILLAUME:
Come on, Charly.

[Whimpering]

Come on.

Oh!

Uhh! Oh!

You should be more careful!

-So sorry, Madame. -I'm sorry.

VIANNE:
Are you all right?

CAROLINE:
I'm fine, I'm fine.

VIANNE:
I'm sorry. Do you

want to come in and sit down?

CAROLINE:
Please don't trouble your self. I'm fine.

VIANNE:
No, it's no trouble. I'm Vianne Rocher.

Caroline Clairmont.

I'm the daughter of your land lady.

This is my son Luc.

VIANNE:
Hello. And this is my Anouk.

Come in, please, where it's warm.

Try this.

I bet you've never had hot chocolate...

made from a 2,000-year-old recipe.

Thank you, but no. Luc.

CAROLINE:
No.

WOMAN:
What's this?

What do you see, Madame, in this?

Sorry?

VIANNE:
What does it look like to you?

Just say the first thing that comes into your mind.

WOMAN:
Um...

A woman riding a wild horse?

Ha!

-Ooh! -Oh, silly answer.

Oh, no. There are no silly answers.

The pepper triangle, that's for you.

A tiny hint of chili pepper...

VIANNE:
to play against the sweetness.

Tangy, adventurous.

What do you see?

I see teeth.

LUC:
I see blood...

and a skull.

Very dark.

VIANNE:
Bitter chocolate. That's your favorite.

CAROLINE:
Which will have to wait five weeks more.

Lent. Thank you.

We must run along. It's been nice to meet you.

My pleasure.

ANOUK:
Pantoufle, come on! Pirate attack!

WOMAN:
How much are those chili things, please?

VIANNE:
4.50 a box.

Could you put a ribbon on it?

Mm-hmm.

WOMAN:
Then I can pretend they are from my husband.

Of course.

[Woman laughing]

[Whispering]

WOMAN:
Josephine Muscat.

She waltzes to her own tune.

And these are for your husband...

unrefined coco nips from Guatemala...

to awaken the passions.

Ha!

You've obviously never met my husband.

You've obviously never tried these.

[Snoring]

[Music plays on radio]

Don't be pathetic.

[Kids shouting]

[Kids shouting and laughing]

[Door opens]

CAROLINE:
Luc.

You've got a tiny error in problem six... Oh!

Luc! Oh.

It's nothing.

It already stopped.

Mother, the new teacher...

wants us to correct our own mistakes.

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