Figure 1.--French filmmaker Jean-Loup Hubert directed his son Antoine in "Le Grand Chemin". Antoine beautifully plays a sickly 8-year-old boy, Louis, who is sent off to visit country relatives while his mother has a baby. He stays in rural Brittany until the baby is born.

HBC knows very little anout this important French film at this time. It was directed by French filmmaker Jean-Loup Hubert. The movie stars the director's own son Antoine Hubert. He beautifully plays a sickly 8-year-old boy, Louis, who is taken by his pregnant mother to stay with country relatives while his mother has a baby. He stays in rural Brittany until the baby is born. Close knit French families did often send children to live with relatives for a time. The film seems to be set in the 1950s. The film covers his country adventures which vary from enchanting to scary. His mother's friend tries to pamper him. The film has a little of a European "coming of age" tone to it, although the boy far from being a teenager. The world begins to look like a threatening, unfriendly place to Louis. He has many misadventures such as the local tomboy displaying her knickers and stuffing eels down the front of his swimming trunks. Slowly he begins to grow up. A not very original coming of age film, but nicely done. Grand Chemin was released in the United States as Grand Highway. In "The Grand Highway" Antoine Hubert arrives wearing the typical shorter gray short pants of the time with white ankle socks and sandles and a sweater, button up shirt and a little peaked cap. The cap looks rather English. He also runs around in a sleeveless white t-shirt, which is becomming popular again with older kids. A French reader tells us, "'Le grand chemin' is a very important film which is realy a deep story about the French character. I love this film very much, but I'm not sure how it could be translated to English".

Created: March 20, 2003
Last updated: March 20, 2003