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Ponette (1996)

Ponette (1996)
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A four-year-old girl must come to terms with the loss of her mother and the reality of death in this award-winning French drama. Little Ponette (Victoire Thivisol) is riding in a car with her mother when they're involved in a serious accident; Ponette survives, but her mother does not. Her father (Xavier Beauvois) initially reacts with anger over his late wife's careless driving, while her Aunt Claire (Claire Nebout) tries to comfort the child by telling her about Jesus and the resurrection. However, none of this does much to reassure Ponette or clarify her confusion about the practical realities and spiritual dilemma posed by death. In time, Ponette and her cousins Matiaz (Matiaz Caton) and Delphine (Delphine Schiltz) are sent off to boarding school, where they have to resolve their confusion and loss on their own. Writer and director Jacques Doillon carefully coached Victoire Thivisol (who was too young to read the screenplay) through her performance; the results earned the child Best Actress honors at the 1996 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Victoire Thivisol, Matiaz Caton, (more)
Director(s):
Jacques Doillon
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
NR
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Ponette

A four-year-old girl must come to terms with the loss of her mother and the reality of death in this award-winning French drama. Little Ponette (Victoire Thivisol) is riding in a car with her mother when they're involved in a serious accident; Ponette survives, but her mother does not. Her father (Xavier Beauvois) initially reacts with anger over his late wife's careless driving, while her Aunt Claire (Claire Nebout) tries to comfort the child by telling her about Jesus and the resurrection. However, none of this does much to reassure Ponette or clarify her confusion about the practical realities and spiritual dilemma posed by death. In time, Ponette and her cousins Matiaz (Matiaz Caton) and Delphine (Delphine Schiltz) are sent off to boarding school, where they have to resolve their confusion and loss on their own. Writer and director Jacques Doillon carefully coached Victoire Thivisol (who was too young to read the screenplay) through her performance; the results earned the child Best Actress honors at the 1996 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
92 mins

Complete Cast of Ponette


Director(s):
Jacques Doillon
Writer(s):
Jacques Doillon
Producer(s):
Alain Sarde
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
NR(Adult Situations)
Categories:
Independent Films
Ponette Awards:
  • 1997 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Foreign Film
  • 1996 - São Paulo International Film Festival - Critics Prize
  • 1996 - Venice International Film Festival - Volpi Cup for Best Actress
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    John C.

    I remember when this was first released, it was all about the amazing performance of Victoire Thivisol. This is a three-hanky weeper for sure; I was basically destroyed for the duration.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Debi F.

    This little girl (and all the other children) were amazing. They cried on cue, danced, laughed and acting like no adult could accomplish. I was almost too upset to watch this child cry (it seemed like child abuse to put her through that). Besides the obvious acting credits, the story fell short. It was way too drawn out. It should have ended a good 30 min. before it did. It would have been complete and not stretched. I did give it 4 stars though, the acting was so good.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Andrea P.

    The children's performances are superb -- utterly natural and extremely moving -- and the script shows tremendous sensitivity to the ways in which adults speak, act and react differently from children in the face of bereavement. Particularly interesting is how answers to Ponette's questions regarding death and God differ markedly from person to person, especially with respect to the relative age of the respondent. For all that, "Ponette" deserves high kudos. Otherwise, the film's rhythm lacks cadence and the plot is unilinear, so that by the time this long film is near completion, a viewer might have begun to lose interest. The ending, however, is a huge surprise that wraps up the film quite satisfactorily.

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