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The Eighth Day (1996)
Director: Jaco Van Dormael
Cast: Daniel Auteuil, Pascal Duquenne, Miou-Miou, Henri Garcin
Runtime118 min
RatingNR
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Georges has Down syndrome, living at a mental-institution, Harry is a busy businessman, giving lectures for young aspiring salesmen. He is successful in his business life, but his social life is a disaster since his wife left him and took their two children with her. This weekend his children came by train to meet him, but Harry, working as always, forgot to pick them up. Neither his wife or his children want to see him again and he is driving around on the country roads, anguished and angry. He almost runs over Georges, on the run from the institution since everybody else went home with their parents except him, whose mother is dead. Harry tries to get rid of Georges but he won't leave his new friend. Eventually a special friendship forms between the two of them, a friendship which makes Harry a different person.
Critical Reception & Ratings
The Eighth Day is a critically acclaimed 1996 drama film directed by Jaco Van Dormael. The film's touching story about a friendship between a successful businessman and a man with Down syndrome has been praised by critics, though audience reception as indicated by its IMDb rating of 7.5/10 suggests it may be somewhat underrated by the general public.
Why you might like this:
Fans of introspective, character-driven dramas will appreciate the unique blend of humor and pathos in 1996's 'The Eighth Day', directed by Jaco Van Dormael. The film's standout performances from Daniel Auteuil and Pascal Duquenne as an unlikely pair who form a profound friendship elevate this exploration of loneliness, connection, and what it means to be human.
About
The Eighth Day is a 1996 Franco-Belgian comedy-drama film that tells the story of the friendship that develops between two men who meet by chance. Harry, a divorced businessman who feels alienated from his children, meets Georges, an institutionalised man with Down syndrome, after Georges has escaped from his mental institution and is nearly run over by Harry. The film was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 69th Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
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