Chocolat (2000)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A woman's arrival in a repressed French village with her chocolate shop begins to transform the lives of the local community.
The story
In 1959, Vianne Rocher and her six-year-old daughter Anouk arrive in the quiet French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes. Vianne opens a small chocolaterie at the start of Lent. Despite not fitting in well with the local community, she begins to influence the lives of the townspeople in various ways. Her presence and the chocolate she provides create a stir in the repressed village, leading to a growing tension with the local mayor, the Comte de Reynaud, who opposes her influence during the holy season.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Vianne and her daughter Anouk arrive in the village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes in 1959. Vianne opens a chocolate shop, befriending the elderly landlady Armande and her grandson Luc, and helping the abused Josephine find the courage to leave her husband, Serge. Meanwhile, Vianne develops a romance with Roux, the leader of a group of Romani 'river rats'. Tensions rise with the mayor, Comte de Reynaud, who views her shop as a temptation during Lent. After a series of events, including a fire started by Serge and the death of Armande, Vianne faces a choice to leave. However, after seeing the positive impact she has had on her friends, she decides to stay. The film concludes with the mayor and Caroline starting a relationship, Josephine taking over the local café, and Vianne reuniting with Roux.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 121
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lasse Hallström
- Writers
- Robert Nelson Jacobs · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Juliette Binoche · Vianne Rocher; Judi Dench · Armande Voizin; Alfred Molina · Comte de Reynaud; Lena Olin · Joséphine Muscat; Johnny Depp · Roux; Carrie-Anne Moss · Caroline Clairmont; Hugh O'Conor · Père Henri; John Wood · Guillaume Blérot
- Genres
- romance
- Themes
- community; liberation; tradition vs. change
- Tone and mood
- whimsical; romantic
- Premise and plot tags
- fable; period piece; small-town
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1999 novel by English author Joanne Harris
- Reception
- The film received a mixture of reviews, with some critics praising its performances and score while others were dismissive of its tone. It was generally well-received by audiences.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 64% · scale: percentage · review count: 163
- Awards and nominations
- European Film Award · Best Actress · win; Academy Awards · Best Picture · 2001 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was based on a 1999 novel.; The film was featured in an episode of The Simpsons.; The film was featured in the 2009 film I Love You, Man.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…