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Parents' Guide to

Chocolat

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Fabulous French fairy tale and romance for teens and up.

Movie PG-13 2000 121 minutes
Chocolat Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 6 parent reviews

jkbernsen
jkbernsen Adult
February 5, 2023
age 14+
Littlepinkwitch
Littlepinkwitch Adult
August 9, 2020
age 7+

Positive messages and strong female characters

This movie is romantic, entertaining, and magical. It has such strong and female characters and very positive messages about not putting up with abuse, racism, discrimination, or any other crap in the name of religion or tradition. The main character is a single mother who owns her own business making exotic chocolates. She rescues another woman from her physically abusive husband, and stands up to the injustice in the village. This movie shows that you can still be a good and moral person even if you are not perfectly conventional, and that discrimination against others is wrong. There is no nudity, only brief sensual kissing, and it is a very good movie. PLEASE do not listen to the offended Karen who reviewed this movie lol.
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

CHOCOLAT takes place in rural France, in an isolated village overseen by the Comte de Reynaud (Alfred Molina), who makes sure everyone keeps to the straight and (very) narrow. Enter mysterious, red-cloaked Vianne (Juliette Binoche) and her daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol), who boldly open up a chocolate shop during Lent. Aghast, the Comte tries to keep customers away. But Vianne always seems to know just what people need, giving everyone the kind of chocolate they can't resist and improving the lives of her grumpy landlord Armande (Judi Dench), and the troubled Josephine (Lena Olin). When a group of itinerants dock their houseboats in town, Vianne befriends Roux (Johnny Depp), which proves too much for the Compte and his sidekick, Josephine's husband Serge. Both the Compte and Vianne have to confront near disaster and their own fears, and the village's young priest must find a way to become a true spiritual leader for the community.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (12 ):

This whimsical little fairy tale is as delicious as its chocolates, with a terrific score and lots of great issues for family discussion.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the messages of Chocolat. Who is happy in this movie and who is not? What do you think the movie's message is about happiness? What else are the filmmakers trying to express?

  • What do you think about the priest's conclusion that we are judged by what we do and those we embrace rather than by what we stay away from and those we exclude?

  • Families might also want to talk about what some of the names mean in English. For example, reynaud means fox and roux is the base that holds a soufflé together.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: December 15, 2000
  • On DVD or streaming: August 7, 2001
  • Cast: Alfred Molina , Johnny Depp , Juliette Binoche
  • Director: Lasse Hallstrom
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors
  • Studio: Miramax
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 121 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: a scene of sensuality and some violence
  • Last updated: April 5, 2023

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