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The Well Digger's Daughter

The Well Digger's Daughter

Romance · Drama · 2011

It's the beginning of the WWII. South of France. Patricia, 18, is the oldest daughter of a well-digger, Pascal, who considers her a princess because of her moral qualities. She's kind, devoted. One day, she briefly meets a young man, Jacques, the son of Mazel, owner of the shop where her father buy his material. He's handsome and teasing. Her father's friend, Felipe, would love to marry her, and he invites her to an aviation show. She accepts his invitation only because she knows Jacques is a pilot and will be there. Soon, she'll carry his child, and he'll be gone, and the family will have to deal with this out-of-wedlock pregnancy...

Movie details

The Well Digger's Daughter

2011 Romance · Drama 1h 47m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

It's the beginning of the WWII. South of France. Patricia, 18, is the oldest daughter of a well-digger, Pascal, who considers her a princess because of her moral qualities. She's kind, devoted. One day, she briefly meets a young man, Jacques, the son of Mazel, owner of the shop where her father buy his material. He's handsome and teasing. Her father's friend, Felipe, would love to marry her, and he invites her to an aviation show. She accepts his invitation only because she knows Jacques is a pilot and will be there. Soon, she'll carry his child, and he'll be gone, and the family will have to deal with this out-of-wedlock pregnancy...

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Well Digger's Daughter?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Daniel Auteuil

Written by

Daniel Auteuil

Daniel Auteuil

Daniel Auteuil

Pascal Amoretti

Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey

Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey

Patricia Amoretti

Kad Merad

Kad Merad

Félipe Rambert

Sabine Azéma

Sabine Azéma

Marie Mazel

Jean-Pierre Darroussin

Jean-Pierre Darroussin

André Mazel

Nicolas Duvauchelle

Nicolas Duvauchelle

Jacques Mazel

Émilie Cazenave

Émilie Cazenave

Amanda Amoretti

Court is in session

Put The Well Digger's Daughter on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.