Préparez vos mouchoirs (1978)

Director:

Bertrand Blier

Writer:

Bertrand Blier (writer)

Release Date:

17 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Solange is depressed: she's stopped smiling, she eats little, she says less. She has fainting fits....

Plot Keywords:

Mozart | Teenager | Promiscuity | Teenage Boy | Domestic Triangle

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Gérard Depardieu	...	Raoul
Carole Laure	...	Solange
Patrick Dewaere	...	Stéphane
Michel Serrault	...	Le voisin / Neighbor
Eléonore Hirt	...	Madame Beloeil
Jean Rougerie	...	Mr. Beloeil
Sylvie Joly	...	La passante / Passerbeil
Riton Liebman	...	Christian Beloeil (as Riton)
Liliane Rovère	...	Bartender
Michel Beaune	...	Le médecin dans la rue
Roger Riffard	...	Le médecin du port
André Thorent	...	Le professeur
André Lacombe	...	Le délégué syndical
David Gabison	...	Le quidam (as Alain David Gabison)
Gilberte Géniat	...	L'ouvreuse du théâtre
Jean Perin	...	Un ouvrier
Bertrand De Hautefort	...	Un officier
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philippe Brigaud	...	Le docteur Papillon (uncredited)

Directed by
Bertrand Blier

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Bertrand Blier		writer

Produced by
Paul Claudon	....	producer
Georges Dancigers	....	producer
Alexandre Mnouchkine	....	producer

Original Music by
Georges Delerue

Cinematography by
Jean Penzer

Film Editing by
Claudine Merlin

Production Design by
Eric Moulard

Art Direction by
Gérard James

Set Decoration by
Georges Glon
Françoise Hardy

Costume Design by
Michèle Cerf

Makeup Department
Alex Archambault	....	makeup artist
Monique Archambault	....	makeup artist
Alfonso Gola	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ilya Claisse	....	production manager
Georges Vallon	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Jacques Aublanc	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Paul Bertault	....	sound mixer
Jean-Pierre Ruh	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Agostini	....	camera operator

Music Department
Odette Gartenlaub	....	musician: piano, Mozart
Lily Laskine	....	musician: harpe, score
Hervé Le Floch	....	musician: piano, score

Other crew
Lisette DeBroyer	....	production secretary
Annie Maurel	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Belga Films
• C.A.P.A.C.
• Les Films Ariane
• SODEP

Distributors

• Studio Canal (2008) (France) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (laserdisc)
• Curzon Film Distributors (1980) (UK)
• New Line Cinema (USA) (subtitled)
• Video Star (1985) (Argentina) (video)

Also Known As:

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs (USA)
Get Your Handkerchiefs Ready

Runtime:

Argentina:106 min | USA:108 min

Country:

France | Belgium

Language:

French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:X (original rating) | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | UK:15 (re-rating) (2007) (uncut) | Australia:MA | UK:18 (video rating: 1994) (cut) | UK:X | Chile:18 | France:-12 | USA:R

Company:

Belga Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 79th Annual Academy Awards (2007) (TV)

A Curious Tale of Giving and Needing

"Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" is an excellent piece of storytelling and a refreshing film. It flows freely and is full of interesting and engaging twists, one of which is surprising but serves well in tying it all together.

Gerard Depardieu and Patrick Dewaere play two gentlemen at the mercy of an oddly ailing woman, Solange. Doctors are no help, and the two men obviously mean little to her, but they keep at it and decide that what she needs is a child, which she cannot give birth to.

Things happen and as the story unfolds, it brings the viewer in closer and examines happiness from an offbeat angle. If nothing else, "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" is fun and engaging and should not be missed.