How to do a good adaptation of a play
"It's not possible... Oh no... It's not possible... Did I understand that... It's too much for the morning!!! TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE!!!!"
— Bertrand Barnier (his day has gone From Bad to Worse)
Oscar is a 1967 French comedy film. It is an adaptation of the play Oscar. The film was directed by Édouard Molinaro and it stars Louis de Funès and Claude Gensac.
Bertrand Barnier (de Funès) is the director of a company. One day, his accountant Christian Martin (Claude Rich) comes to his home and wakes him up. He asks his boss for a 100% pay rise. Then, he informs him he intends to marry his daughter. And this is just the start of a difficult day for Barnier.
An American remake directed by John Landis and starring Sylvester Stallone (of all people) was released in 1991.
Oscar provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: The character played by Louis de Funès is named Bertrand Barnier.
- Ambiguous Syntax: This exchange:Bertrand: Germaine... I have to talk to you.
Germaine: Yes?
Bertrand: Your daughter has a lover.
Germaine: So do I.
Bertrand: WHAT!?
Germaine: I say, so do I, I have to talk to you. - Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: Bertrand Barnier threatens his daughter Colette to send her to a boarding school... until her majority... in Auvergne. (Colette cries louder after each pause in her father's sentence.)
- Big Fancy House: The Barniers live in a very modern house, with a ton of books/statues and even a cage full of golden pheasants.
- Bratty Teenage Daughter: Colette wants to get married to just anybody to be free. She starts crying loudly every time she is annoyed.
- Briefcase Full of Money: Christian Martin steals money from Bertrand Barnier and puts the money in a suitcase.
- Chased Off into the Sunset: In the end, everyone chases Bernadette, the ex-maid, who has just taken the suitcase full of jewelry.
- Chewing the Scenery: De Funès, as always, while experiencing a bad case of Sanity Slippage.
- Comical Overreacting: When Barnier tries to convince Philippe Dubois to marry his daughter Colette, he opens a suitcase that he thinks is full of cash. It is full of underwear and he goes crazy.
- Contrived Coincidence: Jacqueline Bouillote, the girl Christian Martin is in love with, who pretended to be Barnier's daughter, is really Barnier's illegitimate daughter.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Bertrand Barnier is an extremely wealthy real-estate owner who has committed fraud and thus can't denounce Christian's Blackmail.Christian Martin: Don't forget that the Barnier Company has declared a benefit of 31 million and 228,000 francs... And you know as I do I hid 47 million for the Barnier's son nobody has ever heard of...
- Dumb Muscle: Philippe Dubois, Barnier's masseur.
- Eating the Eye Candy: Barnier's wife is very observant of the masseur in his Shirtless Scene.
- Every Man Has His Price: Christian Martin bribes Barnier's servant to get several services from him. Then he uses the jewelry to force Barnier to let him marry his daughter.
- Everyone Chasing You: In the end, everyone chases Bernadette, the ex-maid.
- Everything's Sparkly with Jewelry: Christian Martin converted the money he stole from Barnier into jewelry. The suitcase full of jewelry is an important plot device.
- Fake Pregnancy: Colette tells her father she is pregnant so that he will let her marry someone.
- Farce: The movie is an adaptation of a theatre play in the tradition of French boulevard theatre.
- The Film of the Play: The film is a faithful adaptation of the 1958 play of the same name. Louis de Funès played his role on stage before playing it in the film.
- Foreshadowing: At some point, Barnier tries to convince Christian Martin that he has two daughters, Colette and Jacqueline. He even says that he did not know he had two daughters. Later, he is informed that Jacqueline is really his daughter.
- From Bad to Worse: To say he has a "very bad day" would quite an Understatement:Bertrand Barnier: [after learning his daughter is "pregnant" with his chauffeur's child] What did I do to God to be such a plaything to Fate?
- Girlish Pigtails: Worn by Colette. Although she acts rather bratty, she certainly doesn't look childish.
- Give the Baby a Father: Barnier tries to find a man who is willing to marry his daughter to preserve the family's honor.
- Heroic BSoD: Barnier after learning about his second daughter. He stumbles around the house with a Thousand-Yard Stare.
- Inelegant Blubbering: Colette cries very loudly every time she is upset (and she is often upset).
- Luke, You Are My Father: Barnier is informed by Charlotte Bouillotte that Jacqueline is his illegitimate daughter.
- Manipulative Bastard:
- Christian Martin manipulates Barnier to get a pay rise, then to get Jacqueline's hand in marriage. Later, he gets Barnier's signature on a blank document that he transforms into a power of attorney. He also manipulates Colette to convince her that Philippe Dubois would be a better husband than him.
- Bertrand Barnier manipulates Martin to get the jewelry and to force him to marry his daughter after understanding that he is not in love with his daughter, but with Jacqueline. He also manipulates Philippe Dubois to convince him to marry Colette.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Bertrand Barnier and Christian Martin realize they are both crooks, so they think they will get along well as father- and son-in-law. Martin lampshades it when Barnier is trying to convince to marry his "pregnant" daughter:Christian Martin: But you are a crook, Mr. Barnier...
Bertrand Barnier: [chuckles] Yes, and that's why we will get along well. - Satchel Switcheroo: A suitcase full of jewelry, a suitcase full of money and a suitcase full of underwear are continually switched.
- Secondary Character Title: Oscar is Barnier's driver and only appears in a couple of scenes.
- Shirtless Scene: Philippe Dubois, Barnier's masseur, is invited to remove his shirt to show his muscles.
- Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonist: Bertrand Barnier is the film's protagonist but he is a Corrupt Corporate Executive.
- Villainous Breakdown: Alongside the one from Hibernatus, this is the most epic nervous breakdown
De Funès has ever played, and it has been rumored that the "nose" act has been added by himself:Germaine Barnier: [worried] You are going mad, Bertrand!
Bertrand Barnier: YES, I AM GOING MAD! YES I. AM. GOING. MAD! IT'S TRUE I AM GOING MAD! [to his daughter] AND YOU... YOU WILL NOT GET A DOWRY! NOTHING! YOU WILL GET NOTHING! - Zany Scheme Chicken: Christian Martin sets up an elaborate plan to force Bertrand Barnier to give him a pay rise and Jacqueline's hand in marriage. Then, Barnier sets up a plan to force Martin to give him the jewelry and to marry Colette. Then, Martin sets up a plan to force Barnier to give him back the jewelry.
