I think that the most obvious change in the story is the drug exchange toward the end of the movie. In the French film, Michel goes to the gardens and puts the diper in the bin and then the dealer picks up the diper which contains the drugs and leaves. Nothing special happens and the police doesn't realize anything. In the American version, there is more action and at the end the police arrests the drug dealers. What do you think about that? is the French police usually presented like this (i.e. as being stupid) in French films?
Another difference is the scene with Jack's mum. In the French version, she is living in another city and she is getting ready to go to the Carribean with her friend. Whereas in the other version, Jack's mum lives in the same city as Jack and she refuses to take responsibility of the child since she thinks it will be a good lesson for Jack to bring up a child. I was wondering if a lot of old people in France travel around frequently once their children are old enough? And how attached are they with their children once they grow older?
Sylvia's attitude is also different in the two films. In the French film she 's trying to raise up the child on her own and the 3 men offer to help her, whereas in the American film she goes and ask them if they can help her.
There is another maybe more subtle difference, but interesting nonetheless: In the French version, at some point, Jacques has a woman in his bed, who leaves when she feels ignored because he takes care of the baby. In the American version it is Peter (?) who find himself with a woman in his bed and she doesn't leave but seems fairly happy (she goes to on sleep with him).
Firstly concerning Peter/Jacques: I have the suspicion that for the American version, it seemed less acceptable to have the father of the baby pursue his bachelor's lifestyle. This at least agrees with the cliché impression of Americans being more prudish than French, which the director might have taken into account.
Secondly concerning the woman, it appears to me that a more conservative view of women is used in the American movie (staying, mostly caring about the baby) compared to the French one, where the woman leaves. She thus acts less like a stereotypical woman but instead more independent, thinking of herself.
Another, rather big difference is the final scene: In the French version, Sylvia is shown curled up in the baby's bed, while Marie is shown to walk (their roles being exchanged). It is my impression that this image would appear weird to large parts of an American audience and was thus removed.
The tone of the movies is completely different. The French version is much darker and the music is less dated. When the American version started I thought, "The French students are going to wonder why Americans wear shoulder pads and have gigantic hair."
I agree with David that American audiances are generally more prudish than European audiences. There is much less talk of sex in the American film and in fact Peter has a long term girlfriend (sort of). I also thought that Peter and Michael were more shocked to find drugs and less prepared to deal with it than their French counterparts. In fact the Americans end up including Jack and the police in a scheme to catch the drug dealers where as the French guys just sneakily hand off the drugs.
I thought it was interesting that Jack's profession changed from pilot to actor between the two films. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that being a pilot is considered a very respectable, upstanding career, not one that's really connected with drugs. Actors, probably from our numerous celebrity examples, are much more easily associated with drugs (or at least having friends and colleagues who do drugs).
I thought it was interesting that for two movies that were almost identical in plot could deliver such different impressions.
The American remake clearly reflected the decade in which it was made. First, action adventures involving cops were huge in the 80s in both television and movies. In fact Tom Selleck (Peter) was in Magnum PI (1980-1988) and Steve Guttenberg was in all of those Police Academy movies before this movie. It does not surprise me in the least that the American remake had more police involvement and action. Also Americans love heroes. The tone of the movie is more upbeat. The music is much happier and as most people would say very "eighties." Family comedies were also popular in the 80s, and that's what this movie seems to have evolved into. I'm pretty Nemoy wondered how he could turn a sitcom into a movie. The most obvious difference is that the American film is more idealistic than the French version.
The French original is probably more realistic. The men seemed to have less of an idea about how to take care of children unless Dansen, Selleck, and Guttenberg were bad actors. Given the environment into which Marie/Mary was born is more appropriate in the French film as unfortunate as it may be. Two people have a baby out of wedlock and the father isn't even aware of the pregnancy or the birth. The mother leaves the child in the care of the father without checking if the father is in town or even residing at his address. Clearly there is a lack of love and neglect. In an idealistic world the father would automatically assume responsibility like Jack did. However, let's be realistic. Jacques/Jack is a bachelor who doesn't want a relationship let alone children. He has no tie to the child except DNA. It makes complete sense that he'd try and pawn the responsibility onto someone else as he does in the French movie. I understand that he attempts to get his mother to care for the baby in both versions, but I got the impression that Jack wanted his mother to take care of Mary and Jacques wanted to get rid of the child by giving it to his mother because he wanted nothing to do with her. Also the lifestyle of the men is more accurate despite their ages. One point of the movie is that the men are supposed to learn from the child and reform their lives. This message is conveyed in the French version but lost in the American. Instead, in the American film, it seems that the men get the baby, they get into shenanigans, and everything is happy.
Also I thought Jacques was a flight attendant/steward not a pilot. Am I incorrect?
I thought that the most interesting difference between the two films was the presence of quite a bit of 'action' in the American movie and lack thereof in the French movie. I felt that the French movie concentrated quite heavily on the relationship of the men with the baby, and their emotions. Scenes in the movie that were not directly related to these topics, like the scene with the drug dealers were very short. However, scenes involving the men singing to Marie, or trying to change her diapers, or trying to calm her down while she cried from the pain of teething were much longer and detailed. On the other hand, I felt that the American movie concentrated more on action or on things unrelated to the baby. It included long action scenes involving the drug dealers and the chase to the airport. There was another long scene involving Peter's birthday party; all of these weren't focused on the baby. Why so? Did the Americn movie concentrate more on action and less on relationships to make the movie less monotonous?
The endings to the movies were different also. Whereas the French film did not specifically give details about the future of Marie, the American film told the audience that Mary and Sylvia started to live with the three men. The American movie wanted to give its audience a 'happy ending'.
Another thing that I noticed was that in the French movie, after Marie left, the men tried to hide their pain from each other, they never talked about their feelings. However, the American men openly talked about how much they missed Mary and hence, decided to go see her at the airport. Is socially not respectable for men in France to share their feelings or be openly upset? Are they expected to keep a hard exterior?
I felt that the French did more justice to the movie than the Americans. There was "too much" action in the American version that detracted from the movie. The French focused on the realtionship between the men and the baby (which is what I think the movie should focus on) while the Americans included scenes that I thought were irrelevant. For example, I was not surprised that the dealers were apprehended in the American version because I feel like Americans like to show that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished. However, not showing that the dealers were apprehended in the French version did not in anyway make the movie less interesting.
In the American version, the men try to balance work and taking care of Marie at the same time by taking Marie to the workplace, while in the French version the men actually took time off to take care of Marie. This reflects the culture of the two groups when it comes to dealing with family which we discussed at length in our previous forums. Even though both groups made sacrifices to take care of the baby, I think the French way of dealing with the situation was more touching. It was therefore no suprise that when Marie left the men were both emotionally and physically affected and they did not hide their feelings from each other. Besides, I really didn't like the idea of taking Marie to the construction site regardless of how cute her pink hard hat was.
I, however, preferred the ending of the American movie because it included Sylvia in the upbringing of Marie whereas in the French movie the excitement with which Sylvie "gave up" Marie made me think she'll have little impact on Marie's life.
I think it's easy to view the French version as more realistic when compared to the American... but it is also unrealistic. The sheer coincidence of the package and the baby's delivery, the abandonnment, the police's involvement, the slapstick and over-acting all produce a feeling of absurdity. The American version just took it further with extended action scenes and compressed emotional scenes. The French version was far more touching with an open-ended conclusion, while the American film is dated and the long dialoguing at the finish wraps everything up Hollywood style.
I agree with Raymond in saying that the French movie seems much more realistic than the American movie. I think that what Timothy is pointing out is true, that the plot itself is very unlikely, but movies are not usually made about boring everyday lives. Most movies require some special situation or unlikely sequence of events that can entertain viewers.
The difference is in the way the actors respond to these unlikely situations. Keeping this in mind, it becomes clear how much more realistic the French movie is with respect to its culture. Much has already been said above, but one thing that wasn't mentioned much was how ridiculous it was that the American actors brought the baby to work seemingly every day. A cartoonist might be able to handle a baby working from home, but any actor or construction worker could tell you how impossible that is. Babies need to be changed and fed every few hours, and in particular feeding takes a long time because one must hold the baby's bottle. The three of them could not have gotten work done in this way.
On the other hand, the three men more realistically allotted time outside of work and made some sacrifices to be able to spend time with the baby in shifts. It was also more clear why Sylvia had trouble caring for the baby on her own in the French movie.
Je pense que ce film était tout d'abord très agréable à regarder, avec de l'humour et des sentiments . On peut voir un réel changement de comportement des personnages envers le bébé. En effet, ils vont tout d'abord sembler un peu perdus avec l'enfant, jusqu'a vouloir s'en séparer au plus vite, et , progressivement, vont commencer a s'y attacher et vouloir le garder.
Il y a aussi une certaine mise en évidence du savoir faire des femmes avec les bébés, comparé à celui des hommes. Même si il ne s'agit ici que d'un film, on voit que les hommes ne savent pas comment s'y prendre avec le bébé, alors que pour les femmes, cela vient presque naturellement . Pensez vous ici que le film ait montré une réalité ?
I thought that the French film and the American film were remarkably similar, much more than I had expected. Even some of the lines and character appearances were the same! There was a distinct difference in focus, though. The French version concentrated primarily on the baby storyline. Everything revolved around Marie, and the other parts of the story (the drug dealers, etc.) were more like auxiliary storylines. In the American movie, however, the drug dealer situation shared the focus of the movie as kind of a co-plot. Of course, true to all American movies, there had a to be an action sequence, and the good guys had to end up on top. In the French movie, though, you never find out what happens to the drug dealers; their involvement in the movie ends as soon as they are no longer relevant to Marie's life. The characters relationships with their significant others were also more developed in the American vesrion, although less resolved than in the French. We don't know if Peter made up with his girlfriend or not, but we did see Pierre bring flowers to Nathalie.
Les films français et américains racontte la même histoire mais elle est développée de deux manières différentes. Le film américain mèle deux histoires en même temps: la drogue et le bébé. L'histoire de la drogue fait ressortir l'action typique des films américains ce qui fait que la relation entre les hommes et le bébé passe même au second plan peut-être. Le film français reste plus ciblé sur la relation envers le bébé. L'histoire avec la drogue n'est qu'un simple détaille du film.
Quelle version avez-vous préféré? Pensez-vous que la touche d'action à "l'américaine" dans le film le rend meilleur?
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
Le film en francais et ce qui en anglais, les deux versions presentent la meme chose en different facon. Mais tout est emouvant. Le bebe est le plus important. Il peut changer notre pensees.
Je trouve que les deux film sont tres similaires bien que selon moi le film francais reste plus réalist. En revanche il y a bien une grosse différence sur le passage de la drogue qui n'est que détail dans le film francais mais qui est plus développé et ammene à bien de nombreuses scenes d'actions dans le film américains.
En france il y'a un film "3 hommes et 1 couffins 18 ans apres" qui est la suite de 3 hommes et un couffin 1. Y'a t'il eu une suite aussi aux usa ?
Michalis, effectivement en France les personnes âgées voyagent plus facilement : elles ont plus de temps, plus de moyens aussi (tous les prêts sont remboursés, plus d'enfants à charge ..) et elles ont parfois des tarifs avantageux. Cependant, le lien familiale n'en est pas pour autant négligé, l'amour est toujours présent.
Natasha, je ne sais pas si le fait de cacher les sentiments des hommes dans le film français soit quelque chose pour ne pas blesser les hommes, pour les respecter. Je pense plûtot que leur sentiment ne sont pas exprimés mais que le spectateur doit les ressentir de part leurs attitudes, leur regard, leur réaction. par exemple lorsque que sylvie revient, on les voit trainer la patte, déprimé ... et à la fin quand elle décide de revenir leur demander de l'aide, leurs sentiments se lisent sur leur visage : bonheur, euphorie...
Gabriel, je partage ton avis, dans le film français, les sacrifices fait par les hommes pour s'occuper de l'enfant sont nettement plus visibles alors que dans le film américain, mine de rien, les hommes trouvent plus facilement leur marque. dans la vraie vie, les américains sont-ils aussi à l'aise avec l'arrivée du premier enfant ?
Le film est agréable à regarder. J'ai beaucoup aimé le jeu des acteurs américains sur les relations avec l'enfant. Leur comportement va évoluer et ce changement est surprenant. Au début, ils ne sont pas contents, ils veulent se débarrasser du bébé qui les embète, puis comme ils sont obligé de le garder, ils commencent à s'attacher à lui jusqu'à l'aimer vraiment au point de ne pas vouloir s'en séparer.
Le retour de Silvia les chamboule! La fin est très touchante.
Et on apprécie aussi le caractère comique des personnages et des situations.
C'est intéressant de voir que pour une même histoire les actions vont se tourner légèrement différement entre nos deux pays. Dans vos films l'action est souvent une dominante très importante, nous, nous nous basons plus sûr l'approfondissement des sentiments, des réactions... Alors j'aimerais savoir si quand vous regardez la version française, ( ou même des films français en général) vous avez l'impression de trouver cela plus "ennuyant"???
nous pouvons voir que les américains ont gardés la même histoire mais que certaines actions sont présentés de façons différentes ,surtout le comportement des trois hommes envers le bébé ,dans le film américain les trois hommes sont tout de suite proche de l'enfant que dans le film français ils mettent plus de temps .
L'histoire de ce film est trés interessante car l'arrivé d'un bébé change beaucoup de hose dans la vie et encors plus quand on ne s'y attend pas. Ce film montre que les hommes sont dépassés par les événements à l'arrivé d'un bébé.
Je trouve que l'hitoire de ce film est plutôt bien. Ce que j'ai particulièrement apprécié ce sont les comprortements des 3 hommes envers le bébé.Au début on voit qu'il ne sont pas du tout à l'aise, il ne savent pas comment s'y prendre et de ce fait rejette un peu le bébé.Puis au fil de l'histoire, on voit que les homme changent complétement d'attitudes, ils deviennent très attentionnnés envers le bébé, ils se comporte avec lui comme s'ils étaient la propre mère de l'enfant.
Bien que l'histoire de base est la même dans les deux films, on remarque cependant des aspects totalement différents, comme par exemple le traffic de drogue plus présent et important dans le film américain que dans le film francais.
Selon vous, la différence viendrait-elle de la culture du pays?
C'est amusant de voir aussi que certaines scènes sont identiques par rapport aux dialogues mais ne se passent pas dans les mêmes lieux! Comme par exemple, la scène ou l'un des trois hommes doit aller chercher de quoi nourrir le bébé. Le francais va dans une pharmacie alors que l'américain se trouve dans une grande surface... cela montre encore une fois que les modes de vie diffèrent.
The French film, eventhough it is older than the American version, feels more contemporary. The American film feels outdated due to the ridiculous fashion and style of Americans in the 1980's. I believe that the American version is more childish than the French version. There is a need for a "happy ending." Where the good guys win and the bad guys lose. This "Hollywood Ending" is a style of American movies where there are no loose ends in and ending, and everything is tied up neatly. However it would seem the French have no problem leaving an ending in a film open ended. Again, this is probably a stylistic difference between the film makers. I think that the French base the film on more reality that the Americans do.
Dans ce film on assiste àune véritable évolution dans l'apprentissage de la vie de père, qui ici n'était abslument pas prévu au début. On peut donc observer les différents comportements et attitudes face à l'arrivée du bébé.
On se rend compte petit à petit de l'attachement qu'ont ces 3 hommes envers un enfant dont aucun ne pensait avoir à se préoccuper. Des sentiments apparaissent et un changemetn radical se faire ressentir.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce film car même si on s'attend à certaines scènes (notament la dernière), c'est un film amusant et émouvant.
salut jai trouvé les deux versions du film interessantes.quel est l'age moyen pour avoir un enfant chez les américains hommes et femmes?de plus pourquoi le policier apparait en cheval dans le film?c'est ainsi qu'ils se baladent en Amérique?on remarque aussi que les français ont plus de facilité pour s'absenter au boulot tandis que peter s'arrange toujours pour y aller voire avec le bébé.cela veut il dire qu'en Amérique rien ne justifie une absence?ou les américains accro au boulot?
les français sont ils moins croyant que les Américains?peter dit thanks my god en retrouvant mary après le passage des bandits tandis que Pierre est simplement soulagé
Quel opinion ont les américains des femmes qui abondonnent leurs enfants comme sylvia?et les hommes en général?(réponses américaines et françaises si possible merci
c'est vrai que le policier a l'air stupide dans la version française mais je me dis que c'est pour amuser la galerie encore plus?et c'est plutot la meme image des flics dans les films français . Tandis que dans la version américaine l'inspecteur n'ose pas fouiner dans le berceau du bébé comme l'inspecteur Français....
I know many of these have been said before, but the major differences between the two stories were the tone and events after Sylvia comes for Marie.
In the original French film, Sylvia takes Marie and the events are much darker. Jacques and Michel also see the conditions that Marie is living in, but they don't do anything. There is a severe sense of post-partum depression that permeates through this segment of the film. In the American version, this entire chunk of time is essentially skipped over and replaced with a cliche impromptu rush to the airport to stop Sylvia before she leaves on the plane. Of course, they miss the plane, but in a perfect storybook ending, Slyvia is at the apartment waiting for them when they get back.
The American remake is much lighter and less realistic--there are men in drag, a montage of happy times in the park and around the city, an action-packed drug dealer trap, and a mad race against time. The French version is less fantastic and darker, with more heart ache filling the plot and less car chasing.
Clearly the US version affixes a great deal more importance to the drug-related part of this story (and the eventual capture of the criminals), perhaps because it was intended as a family movie, and family films in the States tend to be very didactic and fable-like.The intention was probably to subtly send the message that “criminals get caught” to the films’ young audience.
I found it quite interesting to note, also, the extent to which the American version develops its plot through external means - action and dialogue - we see the car chase, we see the "elevator trap", we hear Jack say "he feels awful" about Mary leaving, and we hear Michael and Peter explain how much they've missed Mary to Sylvia when she returns from the airport. The plot is handed to us.
In contrast, the French plot reveals itself to us. The men never really verbally express the depth of their pain at Mary's loss to one another, even though it is obvious that they all feel it. This would seem to speak to the importance within French society of preserving one's image a man of impenetrable strength and machismo. This is compounded by the fact that the bachelors seem to hold their girlfriends in such low regard, passing their phone numbers amongst themselves and "bragging" to one another about their exploits. Here again, the characters are constructing for themselves the illusion of masculinity, even though it is clear that this is a farce - for Jacques at least, that he has grown tired of restless pursuit of what in the end seems to be the same thing, time and time again.
For the Americans, though, it seems the exact opposite, while the men do not spend as much time constructing an illusion to satisfying social expectation (they proudly take Mary with them in public), they also seem not to have any profound connection to her. Further, as we can see in Peter's relationship with Rebecca, while he has no qualms about telling other men that they have been seeing each other for several years (which would seem to erode his image as a "man's man) he also has no qualms with telling an attractive young woman at the party (in the first scene) that he and Rebecca are not dating one another exclusively. So the American men are not constructing a shallow exterior for themselves when the French are, but the French posses a depth of emotion which eludes the Americans.The irony!
How realistic is this?Is it normal for people (and I suppose men, in particular) to downplay what may be very deep feelings to preserve their “reputation”?
The French version is very subtle, relying on pauses and patience to get the point across. My favorite example of this subtlety is the scene in which Michael is playing with Marie and very obviously adores her, but when Pierre walks in, there is a long silence, leaving it up to the audience to interpret Michael and Pierre's thoughts and feelings.
In contrast (as others have pointed out), the American film is very far from subtle. Additionally, the American version isn't content with having the main characters be the ordinary sort of heros who take care of a helpless child out of simple human decency, but they have to be heros in the eyes of the rest of the world as well. The case that best illustrates this is the scene where they orchestrate the capture of the drug dealers.
To Onanga: I think abandoning your child, whether you're a mother or a father, is very, very disapproved of in the US. It depends, of course, on the circumstances of abandonment (like what the conditions or situations are), but it is definitely a very tragic and horrible thing. I guess I find it very surprising that both films do not really show disapproval of Sylvia's actions, at least not as strongly as she likely deserves.
One thing I liked about the French film is that it seems more timeless. I could tell from which decade the film was. I may not know much about French filmography, but it's clear that the movie is from the 80s because of the quality of the film and the way people looked. The American remake, on the other hand, was obviously an 80s movie because of the fashion, the plot, the background, the music. The American version is a little cut out of what that decade was like and can only be applied in a relatively short period of time. The French film seems applicable and relatable for a much longer period of time.
You have brought up a very interesting observation. In the French film, Pierre and Michel avoided going to work for quite a while. This surprised me a little bit while I was watching the movie because something like that would be quite unacceptable in the US. I feel that offices here are quite strict about their employees coming to work regularly. Not coming to work in order to take care of a child would probably not be an acceptable excuse. Most offices even have daycare centers for the children of employees to help resolve this issue.
Hence, American movie does not show Peter and Michael taking several days off of work to look after Mary. I do not think that would have been realistic from an American perspective.
Is it relatively easier for a French employee to get a leave of absence from their work?
I'm not sure why the policeman was on a horse. I actually found it just as strange as you did but maybe my American counterparts have a better response for you. It's definitely uncommon to see policemen on horses in this day and age!
Helen,
I doubt that "boring" would be a way to describe my impression of the French version of the movie. There is no doubt that the American version has a lot more action but it just has to do with the tastes of the audience in both countries. In the USA, more action in the movie usually helps the movie to sell more. Personally, I think the French version was much more appropriate given the story line. I also once saw a movie called "Tanguy" which I absolutely loved!
Anne Sophie,
There is actually a sequel to the movie called "Three men and a little lady". I haven't seen it personally (in fact I only looked it up after you asked) but I'm sure it's just as funny.
I think it's funny that you thought the policeman being on a horse was just as weird as we all did. I just figured it was probably not as uncommon in France as it was here, but I guess not!
Also, I think an important difference between French and American culture was brought out: the difference in consequences if one misses work. French people, as we discussed in our video chat, get more time off than Americans, and it seems like you also have a more laid-back attendance in general. In America, they definitely needed to go to their jobs during this time; otherwise, they might have actually lost them! A lot of American movies, actually, are based around circumstances that make it difficult for someone to work, and then some of the movie's humor will involve how they managed to work despite the circumstances (for example, when the men in the American movie had Marie slung to their backs while at work. This isn't a very realistic example, though--it wouldn't have been acceptable for them to do that in real life).
Helene: I definitely wouldn't say that I find all French films boring--to say that would mean that I only enjoy the "cheap thrills" like action scenes. I really liked that the French version focused primarily on Marie and the story surrounding her, and only mentioned the drug addicts as they pertained and affected Marie and the men's care of her. Sometimes I do find French films boring if I can't really get into the plot very well or don't feel like the characters are well developed, but that happens with some American movies as well. It's easier to have a less successful movie when it focuses more on emotions because it has to be done right to be effective. However, most of my favorite movies are ones that successfully do this.
Regarding the drugs and American culture; the American version was filmed in the Reagan years, and it was his administration and his wife's "Just Say NO!" campaign that probably created an environment where the drug dealers would need to be brought to justice. I'm not sure how the issue would be presented today, as the climate has changed significantly.
Regarding the purchasing of food, I've found in France that they hours of shops differ greatly (I believe many shops in France are closed Sundays, hence Pierre had to go to the special 24-hour pharmacy). In big cities, it is not uncommon for pharmacies and grocery stores to be open 24 hours, 7 days a week... and most shops are open Sundays. So in the French film, it probably added to the men's stress.
In regards to two of your questions: first, policemen on horseback is a common thing in a few large American cities particularly NY. It is both a historical artifact, but also sometimes just an element of culture for the city. In the movie I believe it was used so that the policeman would not be able to follow the drug dealers (like in the French movie). Instead, after the drug dealers easily escape, the policeman turns his attention to the next immediate suspect: Peter. If the policeman were in a car he would have likely followed the speeding automobile.
With regards to your second question: mothers who abandon their babies are not looked upon highly in the U.S. This is considered negligent and irresponsible and even if it is left with the father. In many ways we are still a very traditional culture and the mother-child relationship is sacrosanct.
I found it interesting that when Jack's mother came to see his baby in the American film, she never asked who the mother was. Did she assume that the mother had left the child? In the French version also, the mother was not too concerned that Sylvia had gone to the United States.
I don't think Americans find the French film more boring because it contains less action, but they would definitely consider the film more serious. The American film, in my opinion, follows very stereotypical formulaic movie plots, where the heroes catch the bad guys and everyone ends up really happy. The French film was not nearly as unrealistic, and I think that actually draws more viewers in. Nowadays, the American film just appears somewhat silly and dated, but the French film still holds the same wit and appeal as it did when it was first released.
I think the reason the drug trafficking theme was so much more prominent in the American film is because it provided action, one-liners, a chance to dress a man in drag, a car chase, and an opportunity for the main characters to be heroes. I don't necessarily think it was included because drug trafficking is a large problem in the US.
What did you think of the difference in the endings? In the French version, there is a lot more angst and time between when Sylvia takes Marie and when they are reunited. Does this seem more realistic? More powerful and emotional?
Well guys, in New York City there are alot of cops that ride horses, especially around central park, I'm from New York city so I didn't even notice the cop on the horse because I thought it was so normal.
I was wondering about the difference between the representation of Jacques mother in the French and American versions of the films. In what is a very significant difference between the fims, in the French version, the mother is temporarily excited about the baby but clearly not interested in setting aside her travels to take care of her. In the American version, the mother truly seems to car for Mary, but urges Jack to take responsibility for her as a method for him to mature.
Is the representation of Jacques mother typical among older women in France? Also, why do you think the director chose to make this change? Is there an underlying cultural difference that explains this?
I though the difference between the mothers was particularly interesting. Specifically, Jacques mother first asks, "do you have someone to take care of the baby?", implicitly assuming that Jacques would be unable to do so and he should pass that responsibility on to somebody else.
In the American version, Jack's mom acknowledges that he has no idea what do do, but now is the time for him to accept responsibility. There is also no nurse/au pair in this version.
Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec Sebastian, dans les films américains il faut toujours un "combat" entre les gentils et les méchants, et bien évidemment les gentils triomphent !
Je ne sais pas si la version Française est plus contemporaine que la version américaine, le style des acteurs français est drôle pour nous aussi !
J'aimerais savoir si la drogue est un fléau dans la société américaine, est-ce que les jeunes en consomment beaucoup ?
Eric évoque la nourrice. Dans la version américaine, quand les trafficants vandalisent l'appartement, les hommes ont fait appel à une femme, je ne me rappelle plus vraiment qui, pour garder le bébé. Alors que dans la version française, il n'y a personne pour garder l'enfant, il est laissé seul, ça m'a choqué !! Pour en revenir à ce que dit Eric, c'est vrai que dans la version américaine, la mère de Jack ne reste pas l'aider, alors que lui aimerai bien. Pour elle, il doit assumer ses responsabilités et n'estime pas qu'il a besoin d'elle. Alors que dans la version française, c'est comme si c'était normal, qu'il avait forcément besoin de quelqu'un pour s'occuper du bébé.
Selon moi j'ai trouvé que les scenes d'actions étaient un peu grosses. De nos jours les films d'actions ont évolué tout comme les effets spéciaux ou les cascades. J'ai trouvé les bagares entre les differents personnage, tres peu crédible, la musique de fond était vriament tres grosse par rapport a l'action. De nos jours les scenes d'actions sont tournées plus subtilement pour rester un peu plus dans la réalité. Cependant le film m'a bien plus, l'idée générale du film était bien trouvé et l'humour aussi
Discussion
I think that the most obvious change in the story is the drug exchange toward the end of the movie. In the French film, Michel goes to the gardens and puts the diper in the bin and then the dealer picks up the diper which contains the drugs and leaves. Nothing special happens and the police doesn't realize anything. In the American version, there is more action and at the end the police arrests the drug dealers. What do you think about that? is the French police usually presented like this (i.e. as being stupid) in French films?
Another difference is the scene with Jack's mum. In the French version, she is living in another city and she is getting ready to go to the Carribean with her friend. Whereas in the other version, Jack's mum lives in the same city as Jack and she refuses to take responsibility of the child since she thinks it will be a good lesson for Jack to bring up a child. I was wondering if a lot of old people in France travel around frequently once their children are old enough? And how attached are they with their children once they grow older?
Sylvia's attitude is also different in the two films. In the French film she 's trying to raise up the child on her own and the 3 men offer to help her, whereas in the American film she goes and ask them if they can help her.
There is another maybe more subtle difference, but interesting nonetheless:
In the French version, at some point, Jacques has a woman in his bed, who leaves when she feels ignored because he takes care of the baby. In the American version it is Peter (?) who find himself with a woman in his bed and she doesn't leave but seems fairly happy (she goes to on sleep with him).
Firstly concerning Peter/Jacques: I have the suspicion that for the American version, it seemed less acceptable to have the father of the baby pursue his bachelor's lifestyle. This at least agrees with the cliché impression of Americans being more prudish than French, which the director might have taken into account.
Secondly concerning the woman, it appears to me that a more conservative view of women is used in the American movie (staying, mostly caring about the baby) compared to the French one, where the woman leaves. She thus acts less like a stereotypical woman but instead more independent, thinking of herself.
Another, rather big difference is the final scene: In the French version, Sylvia is shown curled up in the baby's bed, while Marie is shown to walk (their roles being exchanged). It is my impression that this image would appear weird to large parts of an American audience and was thus removed.
The tone of the movies is completely different. The French version is much darker and the music is less dated. When the American version started I thought, "The French students are going to wonder why Americans wear shoulder pads and have gigantic hair."
I agree with David that American audiances are generally more prudish than European audiences. There is much less talk of sex in the American film and in fact Peter has a long term girlfriend (sort of). I also thought that Peter and Michael were more shocked to find drugs and less prepared to deal with it than their French counterparts. In fact the Americans end up including Jack and the police in a scheme to catch the drug dealers where as the French guys just sneakily hand off the drugs.
I thought it was interesting that Jack's profession changed from pilot to actor between the two films. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that being a pilot is considered a very respectable, upstanding career, not one that's really connected with drugs. Actors, probably from our numerous celebrity examples, are much more easily associated with drugs (or at least having friends and colleagues who do drugs).
I thought it was interesting that for two movies that were almost identical in plot could deliver such different impressions.
The American remake clearly reflected the decade in which it was made. First, action adventures involving cops were huge in the 80s in both television and movies. In fact Tom Selleck (Peter) was in Magnum PI (1980-1988) and Steve Guttenberg was in all of those Police Academy movies before this movie. It does not surprise me in the least that the American remake had more police involvement and action. Also Americans love heroes. The tone of the movie is more upbeat. The music is much happier and as most people would say very "eighties." Family comedies were also popular in the 80s, and that's what this movie seems to have evolved into. I'm pretty Nemoy wondered how he could turn a sitcom into a movie. The most obvious difference is that the American film is more idealistic than the French version.
The French original is probably more realistic. The men seemed to have less of an idea about how to take care of children unless Dansen, Selleck, and Guttenberg were bad actors. Given the environment into which Marie/Mary was born is more appropriate in the French film as unfortunate as it may be. Two people have a baby out of wedlock and the father isn't even aware of the pregnancy or the birth. The mother leaves the child in the care of the father without checking if the father is in town or even residing at his address. Clearly there is a lack of love and neglect. In an idealistic world the father would automatically assume responsibility like Jack did. However, let's be realistic. Jacques/Jack is a bachelor who doesn't want a relationship let alone children. He has no tie to the child except DNA. It makes complete sense that he'd try and pawn the responsibility onto someone else as he does in the French movie. I understand that he attempts to get his mother to care for the baby in both versions, but I got the impression that Jack wanted his mother to take care of Mary and Jacques wanted to get rid of the child by giving it to his mother because he wanted nothing to do with her. Also the lifestyle of the men is more accurate despite their ages. One point of the movie is that the men are supposed to learn from the child and reform their lives. This message is conveyed in the French version but lost in the American. Instead, in the American film, it seems that the men get the baby, they get into shenanigans, and everything is happy.
Also I thought Jacques was a flight attendant/steward not a pilot. Am I incorrect?
I thought that the most interesting difference between the two films was the presence of quite a bit of 'action' in the American movie and lack thereof in the French movie. I felt that the French movie concentrated quite heavily on the relationship of the men with the baby, and their emotions. Scenes in the movie that were not directly related to these topics, like the scene with the drug dealers were very short. However, scenes involving the men singing to Marie, or trying to change her diapers, or trying to calm her down while she cried from the pain of teething were much longer and detailed. On the other hand, I felt that the American movie concentrated more on action or on things unrelated to the baby. It included long action scenes involving the drug dealers and the chase to the airport. There was another long scene involving Peter's birthday party; all of these weren't focused on the baby. Why so? Did the Americn movie concentrate more on action and less on relationships to make the movie less monotonous?
The endings to the movies were different also. Whereas the French film did not specifically give details about the future of Marie, the American film told the audience that Mary and Sylvia started to live with the three men. The American movie wanted to give its audience a 'happy ending'.
Another thing that I noticed was that in the French movie, after Marie left, the men tried to hide their pain from each other, they never talked about their feelings. However, the American men openly talked about how much they missed Mary and hence, decided to go see her at the airport. Is socially not respectable for men in France to share their feelings or be openly upset? Are they expected to keep a hard exterior?
I felt that the French did more justice to the movie than the Americans. There was "too much" action in the American version that detracted from the movie. The French focused on the realtionship between the men and the baby (which is what I think the movie should focus on) while the Americans included scenes that I thought were irrelevant. For example, I was not surprised that the dealers were apprehended in the American version because I feel like Americans like to show that good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished. However, not showing that the dealers were apprehended in the French version did not in anyway make the movie less interesting.
In the American version, the men try to balance work and taking care of Marie at the same time by taking Marie to the workplace, while in the French version the men actually took time off to take care of Marie. This reflects the culture of the two groups when it comes to dealing with family which we discussed at length in our previous forums. Even though both groups made sacrifices to take care of the baby, I think the French way of dealing with the situation was more touching. It was therefore no suprise that when Marie left the men were both emotionally and physically affected and they did not hide their feelings from each other. Besides, I really didn't like the idea of taking Marie to the construction site regardless of how cute her pink hard hat was.
I, however, preferred the ending of the American movie because it included Sylvia in the upbringing of Marie whereas in the French movie the excitement with which Sylvie "gave up" Marie made me think she'll have little impact on Marie's life.
I think it's easy to view the French version as more realistic when compared to the American... but it is also unrealistic. The sheer coincidence of the package and the baby's delivery, the abandonnment, the police's involvement, the slapstick and over-acting all produce a feeling of absurdity. The American version just took it further with extended action scenes and compressed emotional scenes. The French version was far more touching with an open-ended conclusion, while the American film is dated and the long dialoguing at the finish wraps everything up Hollywood style.
I agree with Raymond in saying that the French movie seems much more realistic than the American movie. I think that what Timothy is pointing out is true, that the plot itself is very unlikely, but movies are not usually made about boring everyday lives. Most movies require some special situation or unlikely sequence of events that can entertain viewers.
The difference is in the way the actors respond to these unlikely situations. Keeping this in mind, it becomes clear how much more realistic the French movie is with respect to its culture. Much has already been said above, but one thing that wasn't mentioned much was how ridiculous it was that the American actors brought the baby to work seemingly every day. A cartoonist might be able to handle a baby working from home, but any actor or construction worker could tell you how impossible that is. Babies need to be changed and fed every few hours, and in particular feeding takes a long time because one must hold the baby's bottle. The three of them could not have gotten work done in this way.
On the other hand, the three men more realistically allotted time outside of work and made some sacrifices to be able to spend time with the baby in shifts. It was also more clear why Sylvia had trouble caring for the baby on her own in the French movie.
Je pense que ce film était tout d'abord très agréable à regarder, avec de l'humour et des sentiments . On peut voir un réel changement de comportement des personnages envers le bébé. En effet, ils vont tout d'abord sembler un peu perdus avec l'enfant, jusqu'a vouloir s'en séparer au plus vite, et , progressivement, vont commencer a s'y attacher et vouloir le garder.
Il y a aussi une certaine mise en évidence du savoir faire des femmes avec les bébés, comparé à celui des hommes. Même si il ne s'agit ici que d'un film, on voit que les hommes ne savent pas comment s'y prendre avec le bébé, alors que pour les femmes, cela vient presque naturellement . Pensez vous ici que le film ait montré une réalité ?
I thought that the French film and the American film were remarkably similar, much more than I had expected. Even some of the lines and character appearances were the same! There was a distinct difference in focus, though. The French version concentrated primarily on the baby storyline. Everything revolved around Marie, and the other parts of the story (the drug dealers, etc.) were more like auxiliary storylines. In the American movie, however, the drug dealer situation shared the focus of the movie as kind of a co-plot. Of course, true to all American movies, there had a to be an action sequence, and the good guys had to end up on top. In the French movie, though, you never find out what happens to the drug dealers; their involvement in the movie ends as soon as they are no longer relevant to Marie's life. The characters relationships with their significant others were also more developed in the American vesrion, although less resolved than in the French. We don't know if Peter made up with his girlfriend or not, but we did see Pierre bring flowers to Nathalie.
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
One of the most noticeable differences I observed was the difference in social attitudes towards three bachelors having the baby which is betrayed by some subtle changes in the storyline. For example, in the French movie, the dinner guests quickly get bored and irritated by Marie, seeing her as an intrusion upon their festive, carefree lifestlye. In the American version, however, we can see from the park scene that the young American women are enraptured with the cute baby: Mary is, in effect, a "chick magnet" for the guys. Also, in the French version, Jacques lady-guest gets annoyed and leaves when Jacques goes off to join the other men in singing Marie to sleep. On the contrary, when Peter leaves Rebecca in bed to sing to Mary, Rebeca finds this new development in his personality endearing, not intrusive.
These changes in the American adaptation may be geared towards a society that in the 80s was beggining to tolerate changes in the previously rigid roles of men and women. By that time, it had become acceptable for men to care for children, and for them to openly display tenderness and affection. However, my impression is that in France, is it (or was) looked askance upon when men take on the maternal role; their reluctance towards admitting affection towards Marie, even after she has left them for a while and they find themselves pining for her, betrays this attitude.
I don't know why my paragraph submitted itself three times. Je suis desolée!
Le film en francais et ce qui en anglais, les deux versions presentent la meme chose en different facon. Mais tout est emouvant. Le bebe est le plus important. Il peut changer notre pensees.
Je trouve que les deux film sont tres similaires bien que selon moi le film francais reste plus réalist. En revanche il y a bien une grosse différence sur le passage de la drogue qui n'est que détail dans le film francais mais qui est plus développé et ammene à bien de nombreuses scenes d'actions dans le film américains.
En france il y'a un film "3 hommes et 1 couffins 18 ans apres" qui est la suite de 3 hommes et un couffin 1. Y'a t'il eu une suite aussi aux usa ?
Michalis, effectivement en France les personnes âgées voyagent plus facilement : elles ont plus de temps, plus de moyens aussi (tous les prêts sont remboursés, plus d'enfants à charge ..) et elles ont parfois des tarifs avantageux. Cependant, le lien familiale n'en est pas pour autant négligé, l'amour est toujours présent.
Natasha, je ne sais pas si le fait de cacher les sentiments des hommes dans le film français soit quelque chose pour ne pas blesser les hommes, pour les respecter. Je pense plûtot que leur sentiment ne sont pas exprimés mais que le spectateur doit les ressentir de part leurs attitudes, leur regard, leur réaction. par exemple lorsque que sylvie revient, on les voit trainer la patte, déprimé ... et à la fin quand elle décide de revenir leur demander de l'aide, leurs sentiments se lisent sur leur visage : bonheur, euphorie...
Gabriel, je partage ton avis, dans le film français, les sacrifices fait par les hommes pour s'occuper de l'enfant sont nettement plus visibles alors que dans le film américain, mine de rien, les hommes trouvent plus facilement leur marque. dans la vraie vie, les américains sont-ils aussi à l'aise avec l'arrivée du premier enfant ?
Le film est agréable à regarder. J'ai beaucoup aimé le jeu des acteurs américains sur les relations avec l'enfant. Leur comportement va évoluer et ce changement est surprenant. Au début, ils ne sont pas contents, ils veulent se débarrasser du bébé qui les embète, puis comme ils sont obligé de le garder, ils commencent à s'attacher à lui jusqu'à l'aimer vraiment au point de ne pas vouloir s'en séparer.
Le retour de Silvia les chamboule! La fin est très touchante.
Et on apprécie aussi le caractère comique des personnages et des situations.
C'est intéressant de voir que pour une même histoire les actions vont se tourner légèrement différement entre nos deux pays. Dans vos films l'action est souvent une dominante très importante, nous, nous nous basons plus sûr l'approfondissement des sentiments, des réactions... Alors j'aimerais savoir si quand vous regardez la version française, ( ou même des films français en général) vous avez l'impression de trouver cela plus "ennuyant"???
nous pouvons voir que les américains ont gardés la même histoire mais que certaines actions sont présentés de façons différentes ,surtout le comportement des trois hommes envers le bébé ,dans le film américain les trois hommes sont tout de suite proche de l'enfant que dans le film français ils mettent plus de temps .
L'histoire de ce film est trés interessante car l'arrivé d'un bébé change beaucoup de hose dans la vie et encors plus quand on ne s'y attend pas. Ce film montre que les hommes sont dépassés par les événements à l'arrivé d'un bébé.
Je trouve que l'hitoire de ce film est plutôt bien. Ce que j'ai particulièrement apprécié ce sont les comprortements des 3 hommes envers le bébé.Au début on voit qu'il ne sont pas du tout à l'aise, il ne savent pas comment s'y prendre et de ce fait rejette un peu le bébé.Puis au fil de l'histoire, on voit que les homme changent complétement d'attitudes, ils deviennent très attentionnnés envers le bébé, ils se comporte avec lui comme s'ils étaient la propre mère de l'enfant.
Bien que l'histoire de base est la même dans les deux films, on remarque cependant des aspects totalement différents, comme par exemple le traffic de drogue plus présent et important dans le film américain que dans le film francais.
Selon vous, la différence viendrait-elle de la culture du pays?
C'est amusant de voir aussi que certaines scènes sont identiques par rapport aux dialogues mais ne se passent pas dans les mêmes lieux! Comme par exemple, la scène ou l'un des trois hommes doit aller chercher de quoi nourrir le bébé. Le francais va dans une pharmacie alors que l'américain se trouve dans une grande surface... cela montre encore une fois que les modes de vie diffèrent.
The French film, eventhough it is older than the American version, feels more contemporary. The American film feels outdated due to the ridiculous fashion and style of Americans in the 1980's. I believe that the American version is more childish than the French version. There is a need for a "happy ending." Where the good guys win and the bad guys lose. This "Hollywood Ending" is a style of American movies where there are no loose ends in and ending, and everything is tied up neatly. However it would seem the French have no problem leaving an ending in a film open ended. Again, this is probably a stylistic difference between the film makers. I think that the French base the film on more reality that the Americans do.
Dans ce film on assiste àune véritable évolution dans l'apprentissage de la vie de père, qui ici n'était abslument pas prévu au début. On peut donc observer les différents comportements et attitudes face à l'arrivée du bébé.
On se rend compte petit à petit de l'attachement qu'ont ces 3 hommes envers un enfant dont aucun ne pensait avoir à se préoccuper. Des sentiments apparaissent et un changemetn radical se faire ressentir.
J'ai beaucoup aimé ce film car même si on s'attend à certaines scènes (notament la dernière), c'est un film amusant et émouvant.
salut jai trouvé les deux versions du film interessantes.quel est l'age moyen pour avoir un enfant chez les américains hommes et femmes?de plus pourquoi le policier apparait en cheval dans le film?c'est ainsi qu'ils se baladent en Amérique?on remarque aussi que les français ont plus de facilité pour s'absenter au boulot tandis que peter s'arrange toujours pour y aller voire avec le bébé.cela veut il dire qu'en Amérique rien ne justifie une absence?ou les américains accro au boulot?
les français sont ils moins croyant que les Américains?peter dit thanks my god en retrouvant mary après le passage des bandits tandis que Pierre est simplement soulagé
Quel opinion ont les américains des femmes qui abondonnent leurs enfants comme sylvia?et les hommes en général?(réponses américaines et françaises si possible merci
c'est vrai que le policier a l'air stupide dans la version française mais je me dis que c'est pour amuser la galerie encore plus?et c'est plutot la meme image des flics dans les films français . Tandis que dans la version américaine l'inspecteur n'ose pas fouiner dans le berceau du bébé comme l'inspecteur Français....
I know many of these have been said before, but the major differences between the two stories were the tone and events after Sylvia comes for Marie.
In the original French film, Sylvia takes Marie and the events are much darker. Jacques and Michel also see the conditions that Marie is living in, but they don't do anything. There is a severe sense of post-partum depression that permeates through this segment of the film. In the American version, this entire chunk of time is essentially skipped over and replaced with a cliche impromptu rush to the airport to stop Sylvia before she leaves on the plane. Of course, they miss the plane, but in a perfect storybook ending, Slyvia is at the apartment waiting for them when they get back.
The American remake is much lighter and less realistic--there are men in drag, a montage of happy times in the park and around the city, an action-packed drug dealer trap, and a mad race against time. The French version is less fantastic and darker, with more heart ache filling the plot and less car chasing.
Clearly the US version affixes a great deal more importance to the drug-related part of this story (and the eventual capture of the criminals), perhaps because it was intended as a family movie, and family films in the States tend to be very didactic and fable-like. The intention was probably to subtly send the message that “criminals get caught” to the films’ young audience.
I found it quite interesting to note, also, the extent to which the American version develops its plot through external means - action and dialogue - we see the car chase, we see the "elevator trap", we hear Jack say "he feels awful" about Mary leaving, and we hear Michael and Peter explain how much they've missed Mary to Sylvia when she returns from the airport. The plot is handed to us.
In contrast, the French plot reveals itself to us. The men never really verbally express the depth of their pain at Mary's loss to one another, even though it is obvious that they all feel it. This would seem to speak to the importance within French society of preserving one's image a man of impenetrable strength and machismo. This is compounded by the fact that the bachelors seem to hold their girlfriends in such low regard, passing their phone numbers amongst themselves and "bragging" to one another about their exploits. Here again, the characters are constructing for themselves the illusion of masculinity, even though it is clear that this is a farce - for Jacques at least, that he has grown tired of restless pursuit of what in the end seems to be the same thing, time and time again.
For the Americans, though, it seems the exact opposite, while the men do not spend as much time constructing an illusion to satisfying social expectation (they proudly take Mary with them in public), they also seem not to have any profound connection to her. Further, as we can see in Peter's relationship with Rebecca, while he has no qualms about telling other men that they have been seeing each other for several years (which would seem to erode his image as a "man's man) he also has no qualms with telling an attractive young woman at the party (in the first scene) that he and Rebecca are not dating one another exclusively. So the American men are not constructing a shallow exterior for themselves when the French are, but the French posses a depth of emotion which eludes the Americans. The irony!
How realistic is this? Is it normal for people (and I suppose men, in particular) to downplay what may be very deep feelings to preserve their “reputation”?
Just spotted an error in my last post!
* "... but the French possess a depth of emotion which eludes the Americans."
The French version is very subtle, relying on pauses and patience to get the point across. My favorite example of this subtlety is the scene in which Michael is playing with Marie and very obviously adores her, but when Pierre walks in, there is a long silence, leaving it up to the audience to interpret Michael and Pierre's thoughts and feelings.
In contrast (as others have pointed out), the American film is very far from subtle. Additionally, the American version isn't content with having the main characters be the ordinary sort of heros who take care of a helpless child out of simple human decency, but they have to be heros in the eyes of the rest of the world as well. The case that best illustrates this is the scene where they orchestrate the capture of the drug dealers.
To Onanga: I think abandoning your child, whether you're a mother or a father, is very, very disapproved of in the US. It depends, of course, on the circumstances of abandonment (like what the conditions or situations are), but it is definitely a very tragic and horrible thing. I guess I find it very surprising that both films do not really show disapproval of Sylvia's actions, at least not as strongly as she likely deserves.
One thing I liked about the French film is that it seems more timeless. I could tell from which decade the film was. I may not know much about French filmography, but it's clear that the movie is from the 80s because of the quality of the film and the way people looked. The American remake, on the other hand, was obviously an 80s movie because of the fashion, the plot, the background, the music. The American version is a little cut out of what that decade was like and can only be applied in a relatively short period of time. The French film seems applicable and relatable for a much longer period of time.
Onanga,
You have brought up a very interesting observation. In the French film, Pierre and Michel avoided going to work for quite a while. This surprised me a little bit while I was watching the movie because something like that would be quite unacceptable in the US. I feel that offices here are quite strict about their employees coming to work regularly. Not coming to work in order to take care of a child would probably not be an acceptable excuse. Most offices even have daycare centers for the children of employees to help resolve this issue.
Hence, American movie does not show Peter and Michael taking several days off of work to look after Mary. I do not think that would have been realistic from an American perspective.
Is it relatively easier for a French employee to get a leave of absence from their work?
Onanga,
I'm not sure why the policeman was on a horse. I actually found it just as strange as you did but maybe my American counterparts have a better response for you. It's definitely uncommon to see policemen on horses in this day and age!
Helen,
I doubt that "boring" would be a way to describe my impression of the French version of the movie. There is no doubt that the American version has a lot more action but it just has to do with the tastes of the audience in both countries. In the USA, more action in the movie usually helps the movie to sell more. Personally, I think the French version was much more appropriate given the story line. I also once saw a movie called "Tanguy" which I absolutely loved!
Anne Sophie,
There is actually a sequel to the movie called "Three men and a little lady". I haven't seen it personally (in fact I only looked it up after you asked) but I'm sure it's just as funny.
Onanga:
I think it's funny that you thought the policeman being on a horse was just as weird as we all did. I just figured it was probably not as uncommon in France as it was here, but I guess not!
Also, I think an important difference between French and American culture was brought out: the difference in consequences if one misses work. French people, as we discussed in our video chat, get more time off than Americans, and it seems like you also have a more laid-back attendance in general. In America, they definitely needed to go to their jobs during this time; otherwise, they might have actually lost them! A lot of American movies, actually, are based around circumstances that make it difficult for someone to work, and then some of the movie's humor will involve how they managed to work despite the circumstances (for example, when the men in the American movie had Marie slung to their backs while at work. This isn't a very realistic example, though--it wouldn't have been acceptable for them to do that in real life).
Helene: I definitely wouldn't say that I find all French films boring--to say that would mean that I only enjoy the "cheap thrills" like action scenes. I really liked that the French version focused primarily on Marie and the story surrounding her, and only mentioned the drug addicts as they pertained and affected Marie and the men's care of her. Sometimes I do find French films boring if I can't really get into the plot very well or don't feel like the characters are well developed, but that happens with some American movies as well. It's easier to have a less successful movie when it focuses more on emotions because it has to be done right to be effective. However, most of my favorite movies are ones that successfully do this.
Guillaume,
Regarding the drugs and American culture; the American version was filmed in the Reagan years, and it was his administration and his wife's "Just Say NO!" campaign that probably created an environment where the drug dealers would need to be brought to justice. I'm not sure how the issue would be presented today, as the climate has changed significantly.
Regarding the purchasing of food, I've found in France that they hours of shops differ greatly (I believe many shops in France are closed Sundays, hence Pierre had to go to the special 24-hour pharmacy). In big cities, it is not uncommon for pharmacies and grocery stores to be open 24 hours, 7 days a week... and most shops are open Sundays. So in the French film, it probably added to the men's stress.
Onanga,
In regards to two of your questions: first, policemen on horseback is a common thing in a few large American cities particularly NY. It is both a historical artifact, but also sometimes just an element of culture for the city. In the movie I believe it was used so that the policeman would not be able to follow the drug dealers (like in the French movie). Instead, after the drug dealers easily escape, the policeman turns his attention to the next immediate suspect: Peter. If the policeman were in a car he would have likely followed the speeding automobile.
With regards to your second question: mothers who abandon their babies are not looked upon highly in the U.S. This is considered negligent and irresponsible and even if it is left with the father. In many ways we are still a very traditional culture and the mother-child relationship is sacrosanct.
I found it interesting that when Jack's mother came to see his baby in the American film, she never asked who the mother was. Did she assume that the mother had left the child? In the French version also, the mother was not too concerned that Sylvia had gone to the United States.
Helene:
I don't think Americans find the French film more boring because it contains less action, but they would definitely consider the film more serious. The American film, in my opinion, follows very stereotypical formulaic movie plots, where the heroes catch the bad guys and everyone ends up really happy. The French film was not nearly as unrealistic, and I think that actually draws more viewers in. Nowadays, the American film just appears somewhat silly and dated, but the French film still holds the same wit and appeal as it did when it was first released.
Guillaume:
I think the reason the drug trafficking theme was so much more prominent in the American film is because it provided action, one-liners, a chance to dress a man in drag, a car chase, and an opportunity for the main characters to be heroes. I don't necessarily think it was included because drug trafficking is a large problem in the US.
What did you think of the difference in the endings? In the French version, there is a lot more angst and time between when Sylvia takes Marie and when they are reunited. Does this seem more realistic? More powerful and emotional?
Well guys, in New York City there are alot of cops that ride horses, especially around central park, I'm from New York city so I didn't even notice the cop on the horse because I thought it was so normal.
I was wondering about the difference between the representation of Jacques mother in the French and American versions of the films. In what is a very significant difference between the fims, in the French version, the mother is temporarily excited about the baby but clearly not interested in setting aside her travels to take care of her. In the American version, the mother truly seems to car for Mary, but urges Jack to take responsibility for her as a method for him to mature.
Is the representation of Jacques mother typical among older women in France? Also, why do you think the director chose to make this change? Is there an underlying cultural difference that explains this?
I though the difference between the mothers was particularly interesting. Specifically, Jacques mother first asks, "do you have someone to take care of the baby?", implicitly assuming that Jacques would be unable to do so and he should pass that responsibility on to somebody else.
In the American version, Jack's mom acknowledges that he has no idea what do do, but now is the time for him to accept responsibility. There is also no nurse/au pair in this version.
Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec Sebastian, dans les films américains il faut toujours un "combat" entre les gentils et les méchants, et bien évidemment les gentils triomphent !
Je ne sais pas si la version Française est plus contemporaine que la version américaine, le style des acteurs français est drôle pour nous aussi !
J'aimerais savoir si la drogue est un fléau dans la société américaine, est-ce que les jeunes en consomment beaucoup ?
Eric évoque la nourrice. Dans la version américaine, quand les trafficants vandalisent l'appartement, les hommes ont fait appel à une femme, je ne me rappelle plus vraiment qui, pour garder le bébé. Alors que dans la version française, il n'y a personne pour garder l'enfant, il est laissé seul, ça m'a choqué !! Pour en revenir à ce que dit Eric, c'est vrai que dans la version américaine, la mère de Jack ne reste pas l'aider, alors que lui aimerai bien. Pour elle, il doit assumer ses responsabilités et n'estime pas qu'il a besoin d'elle. Alors que dans la version française, c'est comme si c'était normal, qu'il avait forcément besoin de quelqu'un pour s'occuper du bébé.
Selon moi j'ai trouvé que les scenes d'actions étaient un peu grosses. De nos jours les films d'actions ont évolué tout comme les effets spéciaux ou les cascades. J'ai trouvé les bagares entre les differents personnage, tres peu crédible, la musique de fond était vriament tres grosse par rapport a l'action. De nos jours les scenes d'actions sont tournées plus subtilement pour rester un peu plus dans la réalité. Cependant le film m'a bien plus, l'idée générale du film était bien trouvé et l'humour aussi